Fresno grocery store offering employees free COVID-19 vaccine doses on site

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A local grocery store is taking a unique approach to keep employees safe during the pandemic.

The new El Toro Loco market in west central Fresno is offering free COVID-19 vaccines for all of its employees on site, at its Shields and West location.

On Friday the store partnered with Express Pharmacy to get employees vaccinated without ever having to leave work.

"I wanted to make sure all of my employees are safe and that way customers can feel safe," said store owner Jimmy Mohsen.

Just two weeks after its grand opening, El Toro Loco is offering its employees the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot.

"We thought this would be the most appropriate because we're coming to this site so we don't need to do a second visit. Also it's significantly easy to do and less side effects," said pharmacist Alex Hussein.

Management plans to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all of its employees across twelve Central California stores but this location is the first to do so.

"We want to be a pioneer in helping get this COVID era over and behind us. Our employees come first, taking care of them and their families is our number one priority," said Hussein.

The shot is being offered to all 25 employees, including meat department manager Luis Gonzalez, who is thankful for the opportunity to get vaccinated while on his shift.

"I thought it was a really great idea because everybody is trying to get their vaccine, but you have to make appointments, but they make is easy to do it here during your work time," said Gonzalez.