ENCINITAS — Just Peachy Market faces an uncertain future tied largely to a pending immigration case.
Owner Norberto Ambrosio Sr. is scheduled to appear before the San Diego Immigration Court on Nov. 25, his family confirmed publicly.
Ambrosio was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, and settled in North County San Diego as a teenager, according to his son, Norberto “Junior” Ambrosio Jr.
He raised his children in Carlsbad and Encinitas, where Junior attended Carlsbad High School.
Ambrosio worked at Just Peachy Market for over five years before purchasing the business from its previous owner in 2022. The market opened in 2004, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Junior said if the court decision at the end of the month doesn’t go their way, he would have to take on a larger role in the family business to keep the popular market open.
Sofia Ambrosio, a manager at the market and Junior’s sister, said the family has been consulting attorneys about their father’s legal standing. She said the case was recently reopened, catching everyone by surprise.
“This came out of nowhere,” Sofia said, who did not elaborate on his immigration status.
Through August, immigration judges issued removal or voluntary departure orders in nearly 55% of the 470,213 completed cases this year, according to data collected by TRAC Reports. That rate rose to more than 77% in August, the data shows.
“We’re hoping that’s not the case — that he goes in and doesn’t come out,” Sofia said. “Unfortunately, that’s the case for many families.”
She added that the family plans to take Saturday, Nov. 15, off for a family gathering, though she worried it could be “potentially our last family day together.”
Sofia and Junior both expressed interest in organizing a show of support for their father outside the courthouse on the day of his hearing.
“People want to be there, but obviously not everyone can be in the courthouse,” Junior said.
They said plans for the gathering remain uncertain and will be shared through the market’s Instagram page, @justpeachymarket, as details develop. Sofia said they’re also using direct messages to communicate with regular customers and encouraged anyone wishing to support the family to reach out that way.
Junior said they’re also working with Un Mar de Colores, an Encinitas-based nonprofit that promotes coastal access for underserved youth through surfing, environmental education and other activities.
A mural on the market’s east-facing wall is dedicated to the organization.
