PLEASANT HILL, CALIFORNIA – Residents waiting for Osaka Marketplace to transform the former Orchard Supply Hardware space in Downtown Pleasant Hill finally have a strong sign that the long-delayed project is moving toward its opening: the company has begun recruiting for the new store.
The Japanese grocery chain’s official jobs page now lists Pleasant Hill as an active hiring location, with openings for “all positions” and “all departments.” That is a significant change from the project’s earlier planning stage, when the store was described primarily as a future 2026 addition to Downtown Pleasant Hill.
An exact opening day has not yet been announced. However, the Downtown Pleasant Hill directory lists Osaka Marketplace as “Coming Soon,” while the company’s current website includes Pleasant Hill in its store-location language alongside Fremont and Foster City. Taken together, the updates suggest the store is entering its final pre-opening period.
A 42,000-square-foot Japanese food destination
Osaka Marketplace is planned for the large vacant retail space at 155 Crescent Plaza, the former Orchard Supply Hardware location. At approximately 42,000 square feet, the Pleasant Hill store will be substantially larger than an ordinary neighborhood Japanese grocery store.
The City of Pleasant Hill’s announcement said the project would include a semi-outdoor Japanese market hall in the former hardware store’s garden-center area. Plans call for mini-restaurants serving foods such as sushi, ramen and bento boxes, along with a grocery operation selling fresh produce, fresh seafood and imported Japanese products.
That format is consistent with Osaka Marketplace’s existing Fremont store, where the company combines Japanese groceries with prepared foods and a food-court-style dining experience. The chain also opened its Foster City location in late 2025, giving it a growing presence on both sides of the Bay.
The company has described its concept as an attempt to make shopping feel like a small trip to Japan. For Pleasant Hill, the project would also bring a major new food and retail anchor to a shopping center that has added several smaller dining and entertainment businesses in recent years.
Osaka Marketplace is hiring now
The Pleasant Hill jobs listing does not limit recruitment to one specialty. It currently directs applicants toward all positions and all departments, suggesting that the company is building a full opening team rather than filling only a small number of advance roles.
Applicants can download the company’s employment application from the jobs page. The form asks about availability, possible start date, transportation, desired salary and relevant skills. It also notes that a food-handler certificate may be required depending on the department, and that masks are required for team members working in preparation rooms.
The company asks applicants to email completed applications to s.morita@osakamp.com. People interested in working at the new location should verify that the Pleasant Hill position is still available before applying, since the hiring page may change as the opening approaches.
The date Pleasant Hill shoppers are waiting for
The project was initially announced as a mid-2026 opening, but that target passed without a public grand-opening date. The latest hiring activity is the clearest indication so far that the store is moving closer to welcoming customers, but it does not by itself establish a specific opening day.
For now, the most accurate description is that Osaka Marketplace is coming soon and appears to be in active pre-opening hiring. Once the company announces an opening date, the event is likely to draw shoppers from throughout Central Contra Costa County, including people who currently travel to Fremont or the Peninsula for a broader selection of Japanese groceries and prepared foods.
Bay Area Telegraph will update this story when Osaka Marketplace confirms its opening date, store hours or grand-opening plans.
