Whole Foods opens new flagship store

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Whole Foods Market(R) Opens New Flagship Store in Tarzana With Local Flavors and Community Celebrations
TARZANA, CA--(Marketwire - 05/06/10) - Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFMI - News), the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket and the nation's first certified organic grocer, will open its newest Southern California location at 18700 W. Ventura Blvd (at the corner of Ventura Blvd. and Yolanda) in Tarzana on May 12th at 9:00 a.m.
Inspired by the rich cultural diversity of the Tarzana neighborhood, the 30,000-square-foot sales floor will feature all the local, natural and organic products that Whole Foods Market customers expect plus a spectacular collection of specialties designed to bring the community's favorite international flavors to Whole Foods Market's newest location. With in-store sit-down eateries that offer freshly smoked in-house meat selections and a 40 seat wine bar that serves tapas, beer, wines by the glass and sake cocktails, the store is a new culinary attraction for the Valley. The store will also feature the largest olive bar in Los Angeles, daily offerings of fresh-baked lavash and breads, as well as ethnic and kosher selections that reflect the flavors of the neighborhood. The store is the perfect one-stop-shop for customers looking to satisfy their grocery needs and is also a great place to eat mouth-watering food, taste delicious wines and meet new people.
"On behalf of the store's 200 Team Members and our local businesses, farmers and vendor partners, I would like to thank the Tarzana community for the warm welcome," said George Khoury, Whole Foods Market Tarzana Store Team Leader. "We are proud to be a part of this exciting and unique neighborhood and look forward to building strong relationships with our neighboring businesses and families. We hope to be more than your local grocery store -- we'd love to be your neighborhood gathering place."
More than 40 local vendors will be featured throughout the store. Some of the highlights include:
* Food Bars: fresh-made Persian, Armenian, Greek, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Indian and North African cuisines as well as traditional comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and sliders * Local Flavors: conveniently available selections from the Hummus Bar & Grill Restaurant, Nutty Baklava (formerly Baklava Factory), Salads Galore and many more * Boulevard Bakehouse and Patisserie: Freshly made in the store daily Lavash and bread, like garlic, three-cheese, sundried tomato, ricotta and rosemary. Pies, tarts, petit fours, cookies in bulk and pre-baked cakes sold with frosting kits, ready to take home and decorate * Coffee Bar: delicious Allegro coffee roasted and brewed in-house for your favorite coffee drinks as well as traditional Turkish coffee (cup reading optional) * Kombucha Bar: Kombucha available on-tap * Wine & Tapas Bar: sit-down wine bar that seats up to 40 guests, complete with a panini grill, honey and feta plates, smoky salted edamame and a full calendar of wine-tasting events * Granita/Italian Wine Slushies: frozen cocktails made from sweet wines like Prosecco, Pomegranate, Sweet Pea or Pineapple wines, and fruit * Trail Mix Bar: Create your own trail mix from over 20 different selections making your favorite signature mix to bring to school, the office, parties * More Than 200 Bulk Bins: more than 60 spices and beans, grains, flours, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and candy selections to purchase as much or little as you like * Wine/Beer: large selections of kosher wines, organic wines, everyday sippers and special occasion splurges as well as hand-crafted beers from around the world * Spirits: a new addition to this store, we are offering traditional Spirit selections as well as artisanal, hand crafted selections such as organic vodka * Pickle Barrels: a variety of Alexander Valley pickles in barrels including Manhattan, Bread & Butter and Hot & Spicy pickles * "Umami" section: showcase of the fifth taste including items such as boquerones, mushrooms, cured pork products, blue cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano and many more * Healthy Eating Specialist: an on-site expert to coach, counsel and teach customers shopping, cooking and preparation tips for eating the healthiest, nutrient dense food items for optimal health * Produce: large collection of local vegetables and fruit, featured sections of in-season and unique ethnic selections, an assortment of offerings with high ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) scores; a workstation on the store floor where Team Members can answer cooking and preparation questions while making fresh-squeezed juices, fresh guacamole and fresh salsa * Seafood: fresh, in-season wild caught selections, sustainably farmed options, large kosher pre-packed fish selection, fish smoked in-house daily and frozen bulk shrimp * Meat: specialty meats such as halal lamb and goat meat; expanded kosher poultry selection; Eel River Organic Grass Fed Beef from Humboldt County; smoked lamb; and daily lunch and dinner specials from the smokehouse at the in-store Smokehouse eatery * Whole Body: more than 20 local vendors, hand-crafted natural soaps and bulk bath salts, supplements, bodycare, make-up and a huge selection of organic baby products * Garden Center: organic potted herbs and plants as well as locally grown plants * Home: green household products get greener. Save on packaging with bulk household cleaning products; selection will include laundry/dish liquids and laundry/dish tabs from local vendor, Green Grab
As Whole Foods Market joins the Tarzana community on May 12th, the new community and culinary shopping destination will host a variety of events to allow the community to sample the store's offerings and take some goodies home with them. Grand opening week events will include:
* Grand Opening (May 12th): The first 300 customers in line for the 9:00 a.m. "bread breaking ceremony" will receive a complimentary demi-baguette. There will also be delicious foods to taste and bodycare products to sample, as well as a special appearance from local radio station, JACK-FM's street team. * Opening Weekend (May 15th and 16th): Better to give than to receive? Now, you can do both. Customers who purchase and donate five protein-based canned goods (seafood, meat, chicken, beans, soups and stews) on May 15th and 16th will receive a free FEED 100 Reusable Canvas Bag. All food donations will be given to our partners, Valley Interfaith Council Food Pantry, which works to distribute emergency food for residents in need in the San Fernando Valley. * Community Support Day (May 19th): Demonstrating Whole Foods Market's commitment to building relationships with the community, five percent of net sales on May 19th will be donated to the Tarzana Community and Cultural Center, which provides and maintains a community facility for meetings, activities and programs that nurture community spirit, the arts, education and leadership, and preserve the history and unique cultural qualities of Tarzana. * For additional Grand Opening festivities beyond opening week, please visit the store's online calendar for details: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/storesbeta/tarzana/.
Additionally, Whole Foods Market partnered with Portola Middle School and art teacher, Carol Aron, to engage students in a conversation about where food comes from based on the "Let's Retake our Plates" theme, a campaign Whole Foods Market launched in April 2010 that encourages consumers to take charge of their food choices. The students' interpretations of the theme, using plates as their canvas, will be part of a permanent installation in the store's café.
About Whole Foods Market®Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com), a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America's first national certified organic grocer, was named "America's Healthiest Grocery Store" in 2008 by Health magazine. The Whole Foods Market motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ captures the company's mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to its 53,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by FORTUNE magazine for 12 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2008, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has more than 275 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & Wild™, and Harry's Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Wild Oats® and Capers Community Market™ are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc.