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Whole Foods’ 500th store offers eateries on four floors

Milestone location includes locally sourced ‘food hall experience’

Russell Redman

April 8, 2019

4 Min Read
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Whole Foods Market has opened its 500th store, a midtown Atlanta location that will serve as the flagship for the Southern region.

The 70,000-square-foot, four-level store, which premiered in a grand-opening event Friday, houses four fast-casual eateries — including a rooftop venue — plus more than 1,500 local items from 250 suppliers. It’s located at 22 14th Street NW, in Related Group’s Icon Midtown residential development.

WFM_Midtown_Atlanta_Opening_Day.pngWhole Foods said the store’s “food hall experience” includes the Canopy Court, 14th Street Bar, Capital Experience and Farm Burger, all offering exclusive food menus, curated selections of locally sourced beer and wine as well as Wi-Fi.

Situated on a rooftop terrace with skyline views, Canopy Court offers stadium seating, games and TVs, with a food truck that serves an assortment of wines, local beers and a rotating food menu. Hours vary according to the season. The 14th Street Bar includes a private, outdoor dining balcony that overlooks 14th and West Peachtree streets plus a screened porch with comfortable seating and heaters for colder days. Customers can order from a selection of wines, local beers and soft drinks. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with seating for 111 people indoors and 28 people on the balcony.

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Whole Foods said Capital Commons is designed to be “a place where friends and neighbors can gather.” Named for its location in Georgia’s capital, the full-service Allegro coffee and espresso bar also serves up wine, local beers, sandwiches and baked goods, including handmade biscuits from Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit. It has indoor seating for 60 customers and operates from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Farm Burger, meanwhile, is slated for an early summer opening. Its menu focuses on 100% locally sourced, grass-fed and grass-finished beef burgers, with other items including chicken burgers, vegan options, farm-fresh salads and children’s fare, as well as a selection of beer on tap. Whole Foods said the eatery will have indoor seating for 86 people and outdoor seating for 28 people and be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Farm Burger is opening at the store through the Friends of Whole Foods Market program, in which the supermarket chain partners with outside culinary and lifestyle brands to bring shoppers unique experiences.

“Whole Foods Market Midtown will be a true gathering space for the community,” Bobby Turner, president of the South region for Whole Foods, said in a statement. “We worked hard to create a place that offers our neighbors a destination to get together, enjoy great food and connect with members of the local community through a variety of culinary, wellness and cultural events. We’re proud that our new South Region flagship has the honor of opening as Whole Foods Market’s 500th store, marking an incredible milestone for the company.” 

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Whole_Foods_Midtown_Atlanta_opening_produce.pngThe midtown Atlanta Whole Foods also features a range of hot and cold prepared food bars with seasonal dishes and options for special diets. They include build-your-own avocado toast and lettuce wrap bars; a skillet bar offering items such as fried chicken, wings and fried fish; a salad bar and soup wells; self-serve pizza; sushi from Genji; a station serving made-to-order sandwiches; rotisserie chicken; plant-focused grain bowls; and seasonally rotating culinary popup stations. In addition, a detox juice bar provides made-to-order smoothies, juice shots, cold-pressed blends and açai bowls.

The store’s fresh produce department offers seasonal fruits and vegetables, including selections from regional growers and an in-store “fruit and vegetable butcher” who cuts produce to order as customers shop. There’s also an assortment of more than 100 beers and 1,000 wines, including products from 44 local producers, along with 150 bins of bulk scoop items (such as candy, beans, grains, dried herbs and spices) and a European-inspired floral shop.

Whole Foods said the flagship store, too, will host regular culinary, health and wellness, and social community events, such as open-mic nights for local musicians and comedians, meet-the-maker events with owners and artisans behind the products sold in-store, an art gallery night featuring local artists and their work, and rooftop fitness (including Zumba, yoga and cycling). There also will be “The Chef’s Table,” an exclusive event providing one-on-one cooking experiences with local chefs and farmers.

Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods had opened its 499th location just a couple of days before, a 45,000-square-foot store in Commack, N.Y. The outlet includes an in-store, fast-casual eatery called the Pizza Parlor, offering a menu of fresh pizza from a wood-burning oven, antipasti, hearth-roasted main and side dishes, and locally brewed beer on tap and wines by the glass. The store marks Whole Foods’ fourth location on suburban Long Island, part of metropolitan New York.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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