In stunning speed for a weekly news cycle, news broke a few days ago that the soon-to-be closed Safeway at Curtner & Almaden could possibly become a second Willow Glen Fresh & Easy.

Wanna Bet? We’re still waiting for the first WG F&E.

Sure, WGx joked about Zanotto’s before anyone knew about the apparently secret Fresh & Easy negotiations with property owner Joe Kovalik.

Kovalik informed Safeway of the negotiation. According to Kovalik, Safeway made a better lease offer, but he had already entered into contract with Fresh & Easy.

Fresh & Easy regional real estate director Schuyler Jackson confirmed the move.

“The site fits well within the network we are trying to set up,” Jackson said.

Yeah. Right. Did it occur to anyone else that an exclusive negotiating agreement prevents anyone else from opening a store to compete with the pending Fresh & Easy, which beat out locally-owned Zanotto’s for the rights to open a store at Bird & Pine.

Bottom Line: Don’t count your Fresh & Easy chickens before they hold their grand openings.