A construction crew doing excavation work struck a gas line just outside a new supermarket just hours before it opens.
Firefighters were called to 2720 Via de la Valle in Del Mar at 7:30 a.m.
Construction crews working at the Flower Hill Mall shopping center hit a 2-inch-natural-gas-line.
Approximately 150 people were evacuated from the stores including a soon-to-open Whole Foods Market where employees were finishing up before a planned opening tomorrow.
Barry Robins owns nearby Milton's restaurant. He estimates his business lost about $2500 because the restaurant was closed for an hour and a half.
"We're usually full in the morning and we bake all of our goods fresh so we had to stop the bakery and stop production and get everybody out," Robins said.
Workers from San Diego Gas & Electric arrived and replaced the line.
After almost two hours, everyone in the center was given the okay to return to their stores and businesses.
There were no health related problems or injuries from the ruptured gas line according to San Diego Fire Rescue.