Smart & Final Inc., a Los Angeles-based cash-and-carry chain, is opening a second United Grocers Cash & Carry warehouse store in the Spokane area.


The planned 21,000-square-foot store will be located at 211 S. McKinnon, in Spokane Valley, and is slated to open late next month, says Bruce Varney, marketing director at the publicly traded company. The new store will employ six people here initially, Varney says.


The company currently operates a United Grocers Cash & Carry store at 7630 N. Division in the Northgate Shopping Center. That store opened about four years ago.


That store has exceeded our expectations and is why we are excited about the second store, Varney says. We have seen strong increases there this year.


The company is renovating the building it will occupy on McKinnon, which formally was the Carpenters Union Hall. That work should be completed soon.


Smart & Final operates two types of stores: United Grocers Cash & Carry stores and Smart & Final stores, the company says. The United Grocers stores sell canned foods, produce, frozen and delicatessen items, paper products, and restaurant and janitorial supplies in institutional sizes and quantities, mainly to restaurants and food-service customers.


The companys Smart & Final stores offer similar products, but target a broader customer base, including, small businesses, clubs, organizations, and value-oriented retail customers.


Overall, the company operates 230 stores in seven states, including 18 stores in Washington. It employs more than 5,000 people.


Smart & Final posted second-quarter sales of $457.8 million, up 16.6 percent from the year-earlier quarter. It says that in 2003, its sales totaled $1.7 billion, a 10 percent increase from 2002.