Vallarta, a Mexican-style grocery chain, is opening a new supermarket in National City in March and plans to hire up to 150 people, many of them local residents.

"It's a reflection that the economy is bouncing back," said Jacqueline Reynoso, National City Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer.

The chamber, which is playing an active role in the city's economic development, has job applications available at its offices at 901 National City Boulevard.

National City residents are being encouraged to apply for positions at the supermarket, which will be on Euclid Avenue near E. Plaza Boulevard. Jobs range from sales clerks and meat cutters to managers.

"Local hires will help keep money circulating in our city and build our economy," National City Councilman Luis Natividad said.

Because Vallarta will be in the city's enterprise zone it is eligible to receive tax credits for local hires, Reynoso said.

Last year El Súper, another Mexican-style supermarket, opened on Highland Avenue near 30th Street, and hired mainly local residents, according to the chamber.

Vallarta operates more than 40 supermarkets in six counties in Central and Southern California, including in Escondido.

The stores cater to Latinos and feature bakeries that serve traditional Mexican sweet breads as well as tortillerías and cremerías with wide range of Latino-style cheeses and salsas. Latinos make up more than 60 percent of National City's population.

The Vallarta chain was founded by the González family from Jalostotitlán, in Jalisco.

The family immigrated to the United States in the 1960s and members worked in restaurants as quick cooks and busing tables, according to the Los Angeles-based chain's website.

The family opened its first store, a 1,000-square food market, in Van Nuys in 1985.

The Vallarta Supermarket in National City will take up about 40,000 square feet and include a 5,000-square foot kitchen that will sell hot meals along with a bakery and tortillería and 120-foot meal aisle, said Dan Aaseth, superintendent for Los Angeles-based Porter Development, which is building the supermarket.

The supermarket will be decorated in bright colors with columns made to look like palm trees. "They take a lot of pride in the decoration," Aaseth said.

Construction began in September and the supermarket is scheduled to open March 15, he said.

Word that the supermarket is hiring is spreading. Several people were filling out applications in the chamber's lobby Wednesday.

Jobs available include kitchen clerk, loss prevention, maintenance clerk, meat cutter, produce clerk, booth clerk, butcher, cashier, cook, courtesy clerk, driver, front end manager.

To learn more about job positions visit the National City Chamber of Commerce website and click on the Career Center link.

Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com