whole foods coming to west orange?

[hitmanoo]

Looks like the Whole Foods is closer to realization in West Orange. Baristanet reports:

Whole Foods sign is now up in WO

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Nice! Being on the verge of purchasing a home in W. Orange, I'm very excited to have a new Whole Foods nearby!

[Deldino]

According to the Stores in Development page of their web site, there are TWO NJ locations coming:

Paramus

Whole Foods Market

Paramus, NJ

77,000 sq. ft.

Opening date to be announced.

West Orange

Whole Foods Market

Mt. Prospect & Eagle Rock

West Orange, NJ

55,430 sq. ft.

Opening date to be announced.

Of course, now I want to know where in Paramus they're getting 77K sf!  Hopefully it's not what's being squeezed in to the intersection of 17 and 4...anyone know?

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What I have been hearing about the Paramus one is that is will be in/by the Bergen Mall which is on RT 4.

[Peter Conway]

Yes it looks like Whole Foods will be going to the old Pathmark in West Orange.

I also heard a rumor that Trader Joe's is going into the Montclair WF location.

[hitmanoo]

Yes it looks like Whole Foods will be going to the old Pathmark in West Orange.

I also heard a rumor that Trader Joe's is going into the Montclair WF location.

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From what I heard the WF in Montclair had no intention of closing. It would be odd to close a successful WF and allow one of your stronger competitors to take over...

[ghostrider]

TJ's isn't exactly a WF competitor, as they sell mostly packaged / prepared crap. High-end & some interesting stuff, to be sure, but you aren't gonna find produce or fresh Maine shrimp there.

Not that WF has had the shrimp for several weeks now.....

[hitmanoo]

TJ's isn't exactly a WF competitor, as they sell mostly packaged / prepared crap.  High-end & some interesting stuff, to be sure, but you aren't gonna  find produce or fresh Maine shrimp there.

Not that WF has had the shrimp for several weeks now.....

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We'll agree to disagree. While TJs may not be on the same level as WF, they both specialize in a higher quality product that is geared toward the organic and healthier shopper.

I think that TJ is more of a competitor to the WF shopper than a conventional supermarket, or most other businesses that could take the spot of the Montclair location.

I think this may all be moot though, as from what I've heard and read, WF will stay open both in West Orange and Montclair.

[ghostrider]

I think that TJ is more of a competitor to the WF shopper than a conventional supermarket, or most other businesses that could take the spot of the Montclair location.

I think this may all be moot though, as from what I've heard and read, WF will stay open  both in West Orange and Montclair.

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That I'll certainly agree with.

As for Montclair - I work at an area business that is patronized by a # of Whole Foods employees, which is where I picked up the info above, that, long-term, WF has its eye on the Pathmark at Lackawanna Pz. The problem with the current space is, of course, space.

WF also leases the current Montclair space, they don't own it, & thus are not in a position to control who might take over the space once they're gone.

[jwjojo]

Read this article and cut this excerpt...interesting....

For people concerned about potentially lowering their exposure to pesticide residues, Consumer Reports said it's worth routinely paying more for organic items such as apples, peaches, spinach, baby food, beef and milk. Unless you have deep pockets, the magazine recommends passing on organic items such as asparagus, broccoli, onions and sweet peas because it says they're lower in pesticide residues.

The limited presence of pesticide residues in Americans' food isn't a big risk to human health and shouldn't guide buying decisions, said Fergus Clydesdale, head of the food science department at University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Pesticide residues on any food marketed in the United States have to fall within federal guidelines, he said. Consumers should wash produce well, whether organic or not, Clydesdale said, noting the focus should be on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains of any kind.

"If you have the money and you want to buy this and it gives you better peace of mind, then do it by all means," he said. "One could say there is the potential for less risk, but I haven't seen cause and effect for that risk."

[hitmanoo]

Read this article and cut this excerpt...interesting....

For people concerned about potentially lowering their exposure to pesticide residues, Consumer Reports said it's worth routinely paying more for organic items such as apples, peaches, spinach, baby food, beef and milk. Unless you have deep pockets, the magazine recommends passing on organic items such as asparagus, broccoli, onions and sweet peas because it says they're lower in pesticide residues.

The limited presence of pesticide residues in Americans' food isn't a big risk to human health and shouldn't guide buying decisions, said Fergus Clydesdale, head of the food science department at University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Pesticide residues on any food marketed in the United States have to fall within federal guidelines, he said. Consumers should wash produce well, whether organic or not, Clydesdale said, noting the focus should be on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains of any kind.

"If you have the money and you want to buy this and it gives you better peace of mind, then do it by all means," he said. "One could say there is the potential for less risk, but I haven't seen cause and effect for that risk."

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For me, there's more to Whole Foods than just the organic aspect. I think they have better/fresher seafood than most of the other grocery stores in the area, not to mention an interesting variety of prepared foods.

Certain organic items like milk and apples are usually available at Shop Rite, and for much better prices.

[Anonymouze]

I need dates! Dates! Heh, damn my lack of patience. My Grandmother lives in West Orange so now I'll have a place to take her to pick up some good food if she will go. I am overjoyed that there will be one in Paramus, closer than Ridgewood or actually more convenient to get to - by Chuck-E-Cheese across from CVS.

[bergen]

It seems like it was announced about a year ago that Whole Foods was coming to Paramus. Does anyone know if this is not coming anytime soon. I do not see any progress or anything new at the Bergen Mall where it was said to be located.

[Mommy Dearest]

I drive by the West Orange location every day. The Whole Foods "Coming Soon" sign has been up for about a week. It will definitely take over the old Path Mark spot next to KMart.

I stopped by the vacant store and looked in. Nothing has been done as of today's date so I can't even imagine it opening by July 2006 but I surely hope it does!!

I go to the Montclair WFs and as you know, parking is tough and it's a small store to maneuver around.

The old PathMark store is huge so I'm hoping the square footage in the new West Orange location will stay huge.

[SusanGiff]

Here is my dream: When WO opens, they close the Montclair Whole Foods with its so-so inventory. Then Trader Joe's comes in and takes that space.

Susan

[hitmanoo]

Here is my dream: When WO opens, they close the Montclair Whole Foods with its so-so inventory. Then Trader Joe's comes in and takes that space.

Susan

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So-so inventory is right! It's amazing how much more they have to offer in the Edgewater location than they offer in Montclair. In all honesty, the Montclair location needs to make a move on the space occupied by Starbucks. Starbucks would do just as well in another location nearby on Bloomfield Ave.

[SusanGiff]

Here is my dream: When WO opens, they close the Montclair Whole Foods with its so-so inventory. Then Trader Joe's comes in and takes that space.

Susan

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Starbucks would do just as well in another location nearby on Bloomfield Ave.

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Don't get me started...

[jg70124]

It seems like it was announced about a year ago that Whole Foods was coming to Paramus.  Does anyone know if this is not coming anytime soon.  I do not see any progress or anything new at the Bergen Mall where it was said to be located.

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I seem to remember reading in the Bergen Record over the winter that the space has some tricky zoning because of its proximity to a residential neighborhood, and so Paramus had denied the construction permit pending a redesign of the store.

[Mommy Dearest]

Update! Update!

Construction has begun on the West Orange Whole Foods sight! As of last week, renovations on the old Pathmark began and if they stick to schedule (which, goodness knows, THAT never happens) they could feasibly be open late July 2006.

M.D.

[jo-mel]

I drove by a few days ago and they seemed to have gutted the old store. You can see waaaaaay inside and it looks like it might be a pretty BIG place! Lets hope so!

At the Montclair store, I try not to use a cart because of the movment difficulty. Over by the deli/bread section, even a basket makes it hard to move when shoppers browse -- and they all seem to browse!!

[hitmanoo]

I drove by a few days ago and they seemed to have gutted the old store. You can see waaaaaay inside and it looks like it might be a pretty BIG place!  Lets hope so!

At the Montclair store, I try not to use a cart because of the movment difficulty. Over by the deli/bread section, even a basket makes it hard to move when shoppers browse -- and they all seem to browse!!

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Gutted is right. All that's there is framework. I'm surprised that they didn't just try to convert the existing supermarket into their own.

I'm excited to see what they come up with. The most recent opening date I heard through the grape vine is October.

[Mommy Dearest]

I don't want to wait until October 2006. I'm a terrible Waiter. I used to peak into my Christmas Gifts before the big day!

Anyway, like the other posters mentioned, I also stopped by the other evening to take a look at the Old Pathmark.

Yes, it is completely gutted and they've removed 1/4 of the roof too! Let's hope for an early opening!

M.D.

[jo-mel]

I drove by today, and the place is like an open-aired garage! But there is no floor. Just ground, and a matter of fact -- a mass of mud! No cockroaches are going to survive!!

[njduchess]

The West Orange Whole Foods has lots of activity of late. They seem to be building a second floor on the left side of the building. There is a "front" to the building on the right side. They are actually working on Saturdays, too. October is just two months away. I think the date may be way too optimistic.

Marie

[hitmanoo]

Last I heard, Whole Foods was scheduled to open in October, but driving by there several times a week it doesn't look like they are that close.

I think that sometime before the end of 2006 would be a reasonable time to expect them to open in West Orange.

[bill70]

Last I heard, Whole Foods was scheduled to open in October, but driving by there several times a week it doesn't look like they are that close.

I think that sometime before the end of 2006 would be a reasonable time to expect them to open in West Orange.

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[bill70]

Last I heard, Whole Foods was scheduled to open in October, but driving by there several times a week it doesn't look like they are that close.

I think that sometime before the end of 2006 would be a reasonable time to expect them to open in West Orange.

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agree- no way it will be open in a month.