IGA supermarket coming to Jan Juc as general store owner seeks fresh start

Change is coming on two fronts within the sole shopping precinct of a growing Surf Coast community.

Jin Zheng has flagged the closure of the Jan Juc General Store he has run for almost a decade. Picture: Alison Wynd.

A Surf Coast shopping precinct in set for a major shake up with the addition of a supermarket and the departure of a long-term business.

A Ryan’s IGA will be built at 24A Princes Tce in Jan Juc, adjacent to the Beach Hotel and within the only commercially zoned land in the area.

Just a short walk away, the general store – known by locals as the “milk bar” – will close at the end of July after operator Jin Zheng chose not to renew his lease because of “financial factors”.

In a letter addressed to the “wonderful community of Jan Juc”, Mr Zheng said the decision was a difficult one after nine years at the location.

He thanked customers for their support and said the community was “truly special”.

“While it is incredibly sad to leave this place and this business that I’ve poured my heart into, it also feels like the right time to move forward onto a new path,” he said.

“I have absolutely loved my time operating in Jan Juc. This community is truly special – warm, welcoming and incredibly supportive.

“I’ve met so many wonderful people over the past nine years, and I am genuinely grateful for all the help you have given me, both in running the business and simply navigating life in general.”

Mr Zheng says he will “give his absolute best to serve the community” before his store’s closure at the end of July. Picture: Alison Wynd

Mr Zheng said while he was looking forward to the next chapter, he wasn’t sure what that would entail and asked the community to keep him in mind for any job opportunities.

He said one option being considered was attaining the necessary qualifications to work in aged care.

The announcement of the general store’s impending closure comes as the finishing touches are put on the design of an IGA that will become Jan Juc’s first supermarket.

Plans for a supermarket and apartments within Jan Juc’s commercial zone have been approved more than two years after the application was lodged.

The application process, which commenced in February 2023, was drawn out after an opponent of the project took the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after the Surf Coast Shire indicated their support.

But the matter never went to a formal hearing after an outcome was negotiated at a compulsory conference between the parties.

The block of land has long sat empty.

The IGA will have approximately 850 sqm of floorspace – a quarter that of a standard Coles or Woolworths – while a second level will be home to six apartments.

A basement car park also forms part of the development.

The project was scaled back from three storeys to two after concerns were raised by council.

It is unclear when construction will commence.

Originally published as IGA supermarket coming to Jan Juc as general store owner seeks fresh start