The New Whole Foods

[franktex]

I just got back from a trip to the new Whole Foods, and it is truly unbelievable. I did not spend a whole lot of time there, because it was quite hectic, but it was fun anyway. There's nothing that they don't have, I swear. First of all, if you go, you might try parking at the old one and walking, just to avoid the congestion (it actually moved fairly fast withall the parking kids working) until the newness wears off (sometiome on 2006!!), and for maximum 'wow' factor.

Things that blew my mind initially:

The prepared foods- you can have lunch in a different part of the store everyday-just great. Notable-cooked whole duck, and nearly every fish they sell fresh, the cook too.

Seafood-LIVE Alaskan King Crab!! OK, so it's $19.99/lb, with each crab weigh in at 5-8 lbs, it will take about 2 lbs of melted butter!

Wines-LOTS of great wines under $10.

Produce-shrooms shrooms shrooms!!!

Beer-I know they carry Saint Arnold, but not sure about anything else :o)

Lots of Express check-outs too.

While it won't keep me away from Central Market South, it will be a pleasure to go by to 'check the beer stock at Whole Foods.

[NewYorkTexan]

Did you have a chance to try their bag valet?

My understanding is that after you leave the cashier, you can drop of your grocery bags at a kiosk. The bags are tagged and then sent via a conveyor belt to the parking structure. As you pull out of the garage, you show the attendant your receipt and they place your shopping bags in your trunk for you. Perfect for us lazy shoppers.

[coolranch]

I really want to check it out---and we're due for a shopping trip--but it looks like it will be a madhouse for some time. I may go today, just to scope it out.

On the news last night, they were interviewing some woman who was there for SIX HOURS, just eating the free samples!

[franktex]

I drove by today, and it is much lighter than yesterday. Yes, I did see the grocery pick up in the garage, but will probably wait a while to use it-I'mn sure there's a bug or two that needs to be worked out.

[Tonyy13]

Did you have a chance to try their bag valet? 

My understanding is that after you leave the cashier, you can drop of your grocery bags at a kiosk.  The bags are tagged and then sent via a conveyor belt to the parking structure.  As you pull out of the garage, you show the attendant your receipt and they place your shopping bags in your trunk for you.  Perfect for us lazy shoppers.

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What will they come up with next? Automatic Ass-Wipers? Geez, that's taking it too far....

[fifi]

Ah, mais non, Tonyy13. Us Texans like our little luxuries.

I would kill to have a Whole Foods like that within 40 miles of where I live. This whole thread is inviting gross envy.

[irodguy]

Yes it's quite interesting really. The whole foods here in plano was a trashy little store rather crowded.

Then the EVIL Central Market opened! Amazingly enough Whole foods doubled in size, widened their isles and became a pretty nice store.

While I still mostly shop at Central because I normally drive home that way. I sometimes drive the city route and stop at Whole foods.

[shoutsandmurmurs]

<---newbie here, feeling rather geeky at the newness of it all.

i decided to stop lurking and finally post.

i live in san marcos, and haven't yet gone over to the new whole foods. i'm a little apprehensive about the whole thing--i know i will end up going a little crazy and have a whole cart-full of groceries. yes, it's fun, but it's kind of dangerous when you're a poor college student like me. although i'm unable to get a LOT of things here in san marcos... i really should just suck it up and go.

anyhow, i just wanted to introduce myself to the texas eGulleters. you will be seeing more of me.

[fifi]

Welcome to the Society and to the Texas Forum, shoutsandmurmrs.

I hear you about the overfull grocery basket in these places. I live alone and when I get home I realize that there is no way I will cook all of that, much less eat it!

San Marcos is cool. They have a Le Creuset outlet there!

[NewYorkTexan]

I scheduled a meeting downtown this afternoon just so I could get a look at the store.

The good:

Outstanding selection of well priced and delicious looking prepared foods.

baked goods looked wonderful, especially the breads

The bad:

chaotic. People with shopping carts dodging people carry trays with prepared foods looking for tables to sit at mixing with tourists strolling the aisles.

Friendly but not very knowledgeable staff (the staff by the cheese counter is a clear exception, they are great)

The ugly

You do not feel like you are in Texas when you are shopping there. The shopping experience was the same as the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle. It was a generic chain like experience. I felt like I was going to a mall, complete with an underground parking lot (there are almost no underground parking lots in Austin so it is a novelty)

[slbunge]

Ah, this thread makes me think about all the water over the dam since I was in Austin in 1990 and managed to find my way into a what looked like a crunchy old grocery store converted into sort of a large natural foods place. I distinctly remember the nut-butter section. I was used to 'whole food' coops because we lived in Madison, WI. I didn't realize I was looking at the future but I should have guessed.

[Catherine Nash]

There's also supposed to be a butter counter where they'll cut off as much as you want to order (a pound, two pounds, whatever) and where you can add fresh herbs and spices. Anyone tried it yet?

[NewYorkTexan]

Interesting article in USA Today about the new store

USA Today article

[jerkhouse]

Where is it? Did they redo a previous location, or is it brand new?

[fifi]

Interesting article in USA Today about the new store

USA Today article

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No kidding! Those numbers in the article are certainly impressive. Are they publicly traded?

Whole Foods is waving goodbye to those smallish, 31,000-square-foot stores and saying hello to 50,000-square-foot versions, 58 of which will be built in the next four years.

*jumping up and down, waving frantically*

ME! ME! ME! Hey . . . Hey, Mr. Mackey! Southeast Houston is a high end grocery wasteland. You would be in virgin territory here. And we have lots of money.

[jerkhouse]

I went there today. It's like a carnival there or something; I think people may have been hanging out there just because they didn't have anything to do. Whoever posted about the mushrooms was right, they had so many. Anyway, it's a really cool place, but I'll have to go back there when I have about 2 hours to explore. I'm not even sure I made it into every section of the store; I got kind of disoriented. The "fishmonger" was amazing. The meat department looked a little more expensive than central market. I had my eye on a lambroast, and I think it was 20/lb compared to 18/lb at central market, but that might have been 18.99. What is it with these places and sausage? Every time I go to central market (and now whole foods) I think, "who the hell is eating all this sausae?" but it looks good. Maybe I'll pick some up next time.

[fifi]

Heh . . . I have thought the same thing about the sausage. And the other stuff for that matter. We do have what I think is a good sized Central Market here. I have only been a handful of times because it is a special trip for me. A looooong special trip. I look at all of those gorgeous premade food selections and how much there is of it and I worry. How on earth will they ever sell all of this stuff? I would bet that they have their market figured out and know pretty well how much to make of different things. But I still worry.

I actually find the place pretty overwhelming so I am sure that I would be in the same fix in the Really Big Whole Foods as well, or maybe worse. I suppose that if I get there, or even in the case of our local CM, I need to do it sometime that I am not on a clock so I can just mosey at my leisure.

[jerkhouse]

Heh . . . I have thought the same thing about the sausage. And the other stuff for that matter. We do have what I think is a good sized Central Market here. I have only been a handful of times because it is a special trip for me. A looooong special trip. I look at all of those gorgeous premade food selections and how much there is of it and I worry. How on earth will they ever sell all of this stuff? I would bet that they have their market figured out and know pretty well how much to make of different things. But I still worry.

I actually find the place pretty overwhelming so I am sure that I would be in the same fix in the Really Big Whole Foods as well, or maybe worse. I suppose that if I get there, or even in the case of our local CM, I need to do it sometime that I am not on a clock so I can just mosey at my leisure.

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That's the same thing I thought about the now whole foods. I was thinking, "can they really afford to run this place on a day to day basis?" They seem to have way more prepared food than Central Market, but it may just be the layout; everything is spread out a little more. But the place was bumpin' and if any city can support a giant whole foods, it's Austin; people are fanatical about that place. Anyway, I hope it does well; it's in a far more convenient location for me than central market. I still like central market better though, mainly because they sell a lot of basic stuff at normal HEB prices; whole foods seems a bit more expensive, and I'm in school. But if I ever need to make a dish that calls for 75 different kinds of mushrooms, I'll be headed straight to whole foods.

[Kevin72]

Yes it's quite interesting really.  The whole foods here in plano was a trashy little store rather crowded. 

Then the EVIL Central Market opened!  Amazingly enough Whole foods doubled in size, widened their isles and became a pretty nice store. 

While I still mostly shop at Central because I normally drive home that way.  I sometimes drive the city route and stop at Whole foods.

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I noticed that about the Plano Whole Foods too! I went a few years ago and it was so small and I left angrily promising never to shop there again. I went recently and it has really improved. Usually between Central and WF I can find what I need and I'm often surprised by the Plano WF. Still, Central's the one for me.

It's not mentioned in the USA Today article, but Whole Foods bought out an outfit in Atlanta called Harry's Farmer's Market which was, ironically, also the model used for Central Market when they were researching it. It really took off there (the shopping segments of Good Eats episodes are often shot there) and I was wondering how long before they tried nationalizing it. Guess they tweaked it even more though.

[Dawn]

Hello everyone. :)

I must say I love egullet already. This is a great site.

I can't wait to get over to Whole Foods!! It's the kind of place where I can spend an entire afternoon. ;) Of course I'll end up spending too much, hubby will yell at me, and it'll turn into a huge mess.

Edited March 14, 2005 by Dawn (log)

[fifi]

Welcome to the Society, Dawn.

Please report back when you go. I think we would be especially interested in a report on food and wine that you got to appease hubby.

[Dawn]

Hi Fifi. Thanks for the welcome. I sent hubby the USA Today article and told him he had to go with me when we get back from our Vegas trip next week.

He played dumb and said he didn't know where it was.

I'm wearing him down, I can feel it.

[SuperLuckyCat]

Do they have those HORRIBLE plastic gargatuan kiddie carts shaped like cars or whatever??? Those would only add to the chaos and crowds. For the life of me, I don't know why grocery stores try to encourage bringing little children to the grocery store and then ensuring that their visit will infringe even more on people like me who want to move easily in the aisles and access everything quickly by putting them in huge plastic carts.

[shoutsandmurmurs]

superlucky, they do have those annoyingly huge kiddie carts. and you're right, all it does is add to the chaos of the place.

i finally went yesterday. (last week i was stuck with an endoscopy and wisdom teeth removal, back to back. )

i was totally and completely overwhelmed, and spent almost two hours in the place, even though it wasn't a very practical idea since it was so packed.

i'm in luuurve. i spent money i don't really have. on food. what a great college kid i am.

welcome, dawn! i'm new here too.

[Dawn]

Hi shouts! Nice to meet you.

Sorry to hear about the wisdom teeth and the endoscopy. Hope you're feeling better now.

Edited March 16, 2005 by Dawn (log)