Fresh & Easy Chain Closing, Not Coming to Echo Park

Fresh & Easy stores in Southern California and beyond will soon be closed or sold, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

That should finally put an end to rumors that Fresh & Easy is eyeing a location in Echo Park, Silver Lake or Los Feliz.

Fresh & Easy had been expected to take over the Sav-A-Lot space on Sunset Boulevard next to Walgreen's in Echo Park.

A late as September it was reported to be pulling permits to begin work to convert the space.

Owned by Britain's Tesco, the 199-market chain never quite caught on with American consumers, though some of us did enjoy making the trek to the location on Eagle Rock Boulevard.

Analysts said the recession was partly to blame -- Fresh & Easy debuted in California, Nevada and Arizona in 2007, just as the economy was tanking. But, ultimately, consumers didn't warm to the concept.

No sign up the street in Silver Lake yet of the planned Yummy market just off the Polka Dot Plaza, though the green walls created by the former tenant, Natural Mind Salon, are removed.

Still farther west, Lassen's has finally settled into the former Nature Mart space, with Lassen's signage now visible.

It has been a year since the controversy erupted when Nature Mart was replaced by the Ventura County family-owned chain.