Fresh & Easy will begin construction on its new store location near USC on Nov. 8. (Creative Commons/Flickr)

Just across Jefferson Boulevard from USC on South Figueroa, the new Fresh & Easy store will be built underneath University Gateway, a brand-new, privately owned apartment complex designed for student housing.  Fresh & Easy offers their own brand products and freshly prepared meals for competitive prices, making it an appealing place for college students to do their grocery shopping.

USC students have, for awhile now, expressed the need for a grocery store close to campus, as not all students have cars to make grocery runs off-campus.  There is a Ralph's located a half-mile mile away from campus, though many students find it difficult to carry multiple bags of groceries home with them, which can be up to a 25 minute walk.

"I can't wait for Fresh & Easy to come to Gateway," said a USC sophomore. "So many students wanted a grocery store closer to campus.  The school really needed it."

University Gateway, which opened just over a year ago, has already filled most of its street-level storefronts, including Freebirds Burritos, CVS Pharmacy, Subway, Yogurtland, Seattle's Best Coffee, STA Travel, and Soy.  Last year's addition of CVS Pharmacy received very positive feedback from USC students, who wanted a close and convenient place to get necessities like shampoo, snacks, medicine, etc. 

Fresh & Easy is also expected to draw business from the surrounding community, and is expected to open as early as December or January, according to University Gateway.  The City of Los Angeles mandates that construction can begin at 7 a.m., though Gateway has asked the construction company for Fresh & Easy to hold off on any construction that can be heard in the residential areas of the building until at least 8 a.m.

Reach Veronica here.  Follow Veronica on Twitter here.