EMERYVILLE, Calif. (August 15, 2006). Whole Foods Market® (NASDAQ:WFMI), the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket, is scheduled to open its new Los Altos store in September at 4800 West El Camino Real at Showers Drive. In response to heightened demand from the growing community of Los Altos, Whole Foods Market comes to the area with the goal of providing the highest quality, best tasting and freshest natural and organic foods. Part of a multiple store strategic growth plan, Whole Foods Market Los Altos is the first to open of 12 stores currently in development.
Located on the site of former office space, the 55,000 square-foot store appeals to a variety of customers from health-conscious households to aspiring gourmets by emphasizing the highest quality and best-tasting fresh produce, chef-prepared foods, baked goods, natural meats and delectable seafood. The Whole Foods Market private label family of brands offers thousands of products priced for everyday value.
An extensive prepared foods area offers shoppers delicious meal solutions from grab-and-go lunches, complete meals for entertaining or side dishes to complement a home-cooked dinner. Convenience-seeking shoppers can enjoy fresh-baked pizza, made-to-order and ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads, as well as gelato and hot desserts. All prepared meals are made with the same high-quality natural and organic produce, meats and ingredients customers expect from Whole Foods Market.
Celebrating the diversity of Northern California, the prepared foods section also features a diverse selection of ethnic foods including made-to-order sushi, noodle bowls and other Asian specialties from the Asian express bar; marinated, skewered meats from the Tandoori oven; Indian dosas from the made-to-order crepe station; and self-serve Latino and Indian food bars. Dining areas both inside and outside the store allow shoppers to enjoy meals or beverages on-site.
The new store will include a Salud! Cooking & Lifestyle school. Salud! is Whole Foods Market's unique education program for those hoping to learn techniques for incorporating natural and organic foods into their daily meals. Additionally, Whole Foods Market Los Altos will offer a two-level parking garage, as well as parking in front of the store, providing shoppers with approximately 275 parking spaces total.
The Whole Foods Market in Los Altos will add more than 200 jobs to the economy of the region. Whole Foods Market team members take pride in helping educate and inform customers, and providing excellent customer service. Competitive pay, benefits and a work culture based on creativity, respect and empowerment have made Whole Foods Market one of Fortune's “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the ninth consecutive year. For a list of available job openings, visit https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/jobs/.
“Whole Foods Market joins the Los Altos community with a commitment to provide the highest-quality foods available, including organic and local products. Delivering on this promise has always been a cornerstone of Whole Foods Market's success,” said Anthony Gilmore, Northern California regional president of Whole Foods Market. “Whole Foods Market is thrilled to join the many innovative companies that help make Los Altos a thriving place, and we look forward to partnering with the Los Altos community to create memorable neighborhood events.”
Whole Foods Market will continue to fulfill its mission of supporting the environment by utilizing sustainable building materials. The Los Altos store utilizes natural cotton fiber insulation that increases heating and cooling efficiency, resulting in energy and cost savings. The natural fibers used to manufacture the insulation are 100% recyclable, reducing landfill waste.
As part of Whole Foods Market's commitment to support locally-grown agriculture, the Los Altos store will offer produce and meats that are locally grown or raised, and build relationships with local vendors who employ sustainable practices. In keeping with Whole Foods Market commitment to strict quality standards, the Los Altos store will feature natural and organic foods free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated oils.
In the Northern California region, there are currently 19 Whole Foods Markets. They are located in Berkeley, Campbell, Cupertino, Fresno, Los Gatos, Mill Valley, Monterey, Palo Alto, Petaluma, Redwood City, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Walnut Creek. The new Los Altos store is located at 4800 West El Camino Real and will be open 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week. For more information on this location, please call the store at 650-559-0300. For a complete list of store locations, visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com.
