Sprouts Opens October 30 at Old Vail and Houghton
Sprouts opens store #58 at 10015 E. Old Vail Rd. on Oct. 30, anchoring a new southeast Tucson center. What opens next door, and what is still on paper.
The grocery anchor of a new Larsen Baker center is the first retailer on that corner to open. A First Watch, a Costco and a larger Walmart are still on paper, and their timelines differ.
Sprouts Farmers Market has put a date on the corner southeast Tucson has been watching all year. Its Arizona store list shows store #58, Tucson-Rita Ranch, at 10015 E. Old Vail Road, opening Friday, October 30, 2026. The store anchors a new retail center at Old Vail and Houghton roads marketed by Larsen Baker, and it is the first of three big-box projects on that stretch of Old Vail Road to reach opening day. The other two are still plans, and that difference is what matters if you are buying or selling nearby.
- Oct. 30
- Opening date on Sprouts' Arizona store list; the company notes dates can shift
- #58
- Sprouts store number for Tucson-Rita Ranch, at Old Vail Rd. and Houghton Rd.
- 7th
- Sprouts in the Tucson area, according to the Arizona Daily Star
- Q1 2027
- Target for the adjacent pads, including a First Watch, to open
What Opens on October 30
The store sits at the Old Vail and Houghton intersection in ZIP code 85747. As of October 16 its page lists no phone number or hours, which is normal for a store still two weeks out. The Vail Voice reports a grand opening on Friday, October 30, with activities running through the opening weekend. At earlier Sprouts openings the company has handed out reusable tote bags, flowers and samples, and the paper points readers to its Facebook page for the local schedule.
The five Tucson stores Sprouts lists today are on River Road, Broadway Boulevard at Broadway Plaza, First Avenue, Speedway Boulevard, and South Landing Way near I-19 and Irvington Road. Rita Ranch adds a sixth Tucson address, and the farthest southeast of them.
A Chain Opening Stores at Its Fastest Pace
Phoenix-based Sprouts ended its second quarter on June 28, 2026 with 490 stores in 25 states after opening seven that quarter. It told investors to expect at least 15 openings in the third quarter, its largest quarterly pace to date, and raised its 2026 plan to 42 net new stores. The Rita Ranch store shares its opening date with a South Scottsdale store on North Scottsdale Road, and a Mesa store on West Southern Avenue follows on November 6.
The Rest of the Old Vail Road Pipeline
- Sprouts Pads (Q1 2027, First Watch, Larsen Baker): The Vail Voice reports First Watch and other retailers on pads beside the Sprouts, planned to open in the first quarter of 2027.
- Costco (158,000 sq. ft., About 22 acres, No opening date): Plans filed with the City of Tucson call for a 158,000-square-foot warehouse and fuel station on Old Vail Road near Houghton, the Tucson area's fourth Costco. The city is reimbursing required road work, including a new turn lane and traffic signal, through a sales tax incentive. Ted Herman of Larsen Baker told The Vail Voice he understands the project is close to fully permitted.
- Walmart Supercenter (170,000+ sq. ft., $6.99 million land buy, Construction Q1 2027): Walmart paid $6.99 million for about 33.23 acres in Houghton Town Center at 10052 E. Old Vail Road. The existing Walmart at Houghton and Old Vail stays open until the new store does, and its building is then expected to be re-leased to two or three retailers.
Quick reference (October 16, 2026): Sprouts Farmers Market, Tucson-Rita Ranch (store #58), 10015 E. Old Vail Road, Tucson, AZ 85747, at Old Vail and Houghton roads. Listed opening date Friday, October 30, 2026. Hours and phone number not yet posted. Opening dates and events can change, so confirm with Sprouts before planning a trip.
Open Versus Filed, for Nearby Buyers and Owners
Herman put the developer's case plainly: "SE Pima County is one of the few areas that make sense to invest in ground up construction." He has a center to lease, so read that as a view, not a finding. But the filings line up with it: in 2026 a grocer is opening a store, a warehouse club filed plans and a supercenter bought land, all on the same stretch of Old Vail Road.
For anyone comparing homes in Rita Ranch, Rocking K or the Houghton corridor, the useful distinction is between what is open and what is filed. After October 30 the Sprouts is a fact on the ground. The pads are a target date. The Costco and the new Walmart are planned projects with no announced opening date. Price a home on what exists, and treat the rest as a reason to check back.
Expect construction, too. Each project brings road work, and the Costco alone requires a new signal and turn lane. If you drive Old Vail Road daily, expect it to look busier while the Costco and the new Walmart are built than it will once they are finished.
Sources
Sprouts Farmers Market — "Arizona Stores" — sprouts.com/stores/az/ — accessed October 16, 2026 (for store #58, Tucson-Rita Ranch, at 10015 E Old Vail Rd., Tucson, AZ 85747, Old Vail Rd. & Houghton Rd., opening October 30, 2026; and for the South Scottsdale opening on October 30 and the Mesa-Southern Ave. opening on November 6).
Sprouts Farmers Market — "Tucson, AZ Stores" — sprouts.com/store/az/tucson/ — accessed October 16, 2026 (for the River Rd., Broadway Blvd., 1st Ave., Speedway Blvd. and Irvington Rd. store addresses, and for the Rita Ranch store page listing no phone number or hours).
The Vail Voice — "Sprouts Set to Open" by Lucretia Free — thevailvoice.com/sprouts-set-to-open/ — accessed October 16, 2026 (for the Friday, October 30 grand opening and opening-weekend activities; past opening giveaways; First Watch and other pads planned for the first quarter of 2027; Ted Herman of Larsen Baker on Costco permitting and his quote; and Sprouts being Phoenix-based).
Shelby Report — "Sprouts Sales Up, Comps Down In Q2; New Store Pace To Grow In Q3" — theshelbyreport.com/2026/07/30/sprouts-sales-up-comps-down-in-2q-new-store-pace-to-grow-in-3q/ — published July 30, 2026, accessed October 16, 2026 (for 490 stores in 25 states, seven openings in the second quarter, at least 15 planned in the third quarter, and the 42 net new store plan for 2026).
Arizona Daily Star / Tucson.com — "Costco and Sprouts set to open on Tucson's southeast side" by Gabriela Rico — tucson.com/news/local/business/article_27d04e50-2f56-4dac-8a5f-e486dcb98553.html — published January 11, 2026, updated March 27, 2026, accessed October 16, 2026 (for the store being the seventh Sprouts in the Tucson area, Larsen Baker marketing the center, and the 158,000-square-foot Costco on about 22 acres as the area's fourth).
Connect CRE — "Walmart Building Supercenter in SE Tucson" by Mike Boyd — connectcre.com/stories/walmart-building-supercenter-in-se-tucson/ — published August 3, 2026, accessed October 16, 2026 (for the $6.99 million purchase of about 33.23 acres in Houghton Town Center, the 170,000-plus-square-foot Supercenter at 10052 E. Old Vail Road, the first-quarter 2027 construction start, and the plan for the existing store).
KGUN 9 — "Retail boom on Old Vail Road" by Craig Smith — kgun9.com/news/community-inspired-journalism/southeast-side-news/retail-boom-on-old-vail-road — accessed October 16, 2026 (for the City of Tucson sales tax incentive reimbursing Costco's required turn lane and traffic signal).
All details are current as of October 16, 2026; opening dates, hours and project timelines change, so readers should confirm current information directly with the business or the City of Tucson before relying on any single figure. This post is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase real estate. Kyle Berglund and Tierra Antigua Realty fully support and comply with the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.
Topics
- New Business
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Old Vail Road
- Houghton Road
- Rita Ranch
- Commercial Real Estate
- Southeast Tucson