PITTSBURGH (Jan. 18, 2017) – Whole Foods Market South Hills will open its doors at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The community is invited to join store team members and company leaders at 8:45 a.m. for Whole Foods Market’s traditional bread-breaking ceremony. Opening day shoppers will be greeted with door-buster deals and an array of in-store product demonstrations and samples.
“I’m excited to offer families in the south metro a grocery store that’s done the homework for them. Every single item on our shelves is free of artificial preservatives, flavors, sweeteners, colors and hydrogenated fats,” said store team leader Casey Dill, referring to the Quality Standards which are applied to every product sold or prepared by Whole Foods Market.
Dill is a 27-year veteran of Whole Foods Market who also opened Pittsburgh’s two other locations. “I love to share my passion for food with our shoppers, and I look forward to leading our knowledgeable team members in providing a level of personal service and product knowledge you simply can’t find anywhere else,” he said.
The South Hills location will offer more than 40 local products on the shelves, including exclusive items like Goat Rodeo cheese, Mediterra Bakehouse bread, Mezze Foods new “black and gold” hummus flavors (Spicy Black Bean and Honey Habanero), and a special collaboration beer with Full Pint Brewing Company only available on draft at the in-store venue, 1788 Pub. Other local favorites include herbs and microgreens grown in vertical greenhouses using robotics from Pure Sky Farms, local produce from Clarion River, cider from Trax Farms and three-plant edible herb mixes from the non-profit Drew Mathieson Center to name a few.
The store’s Whole Body department will feature cards, prints, bags and baby clothes with local Pittsburgh art. This is also the first retail location in the U.S. to carry the new Live Clean® baby body care line by Hain Celestial Group which meets the Whole Foods Premium Body Care standards.
The in-store pub has a full bar with signature cocktails, 24 beers on tap and wine by the glass. The pub’s surf and turf menu features responsibly farmed and sustainable seafood and fresh meat from animals never given added hormones or antibiotics.
Shoppers can enjoy gourmet coffees and freshly made juices in the store’s café seating area or on the outside patio. Made-in-house prepared foods options include an Italian hoagie station, self-serve wood-fired pizza, sushi and an extensive organic salad bar featuring freshly grilled vegetables.
As part of Whole Foods Market’s overall commitment to giving back to local communities, the South Hills store opening will support three local organizations:
- Tree Pittsburgh, a non-profit committed to protecting and restoring Pittsburgh’s urban forest, will receive a check on opening day.
- Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center will be the beneficiary of 5 percent of store sales on Feb. 1.
- Hillman Center for Pediatric Transplantation at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC will be the store’s first “Nickels for Nonprofits” recipient. Whole Foods Market will donate a nickel each time a customer uses a reusable bag (instead of paper) to shop.
The store is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 111 Siena Road, in Upper St. Clair.
