ROCKVILLE, Md. (September 21, 2016) – Whole Foods Market Allentown will open its doors for shoppers at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28. The community is invited to join company leaders and store team members 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.
“Whole Foods Market is bringing an exciting new grocery shopping experience to the residents of Lehigh Valley,” said Kevin Paoletti, store team leader. “We’re providing more natural and organic options to this community, and every item we offer meets our exacting quality standards, including our salad and hot bars as well as our in-store pub. Combined with our innovative dishes and talented culinary team, we think Whole Foods Market will be the best choice for dining out when you’re shopping at Hamilton Crossing.”
Everything sold in the roughly 44,000-square-foot store is made without any artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners or hydrogenated fats. The store sources from local suppliers, including Red Earth Farms in Kempton, Pennsylvania. The in-store pub, The Foundry, will feature a hyper-local menu including hand-tossed pizzas and seasonal salads made with ingredients from this local farm.
Giving back to the community is one of Whole Foods Market’s core values and the Allentown store opening will support three local organizations:
- The Rodale Institute, a non-profit committed to groundbreaking research and education on organic agriculture, will receive a check on opening day.
- Gear Up Academy, a program of the Lehigh Valley Health Network and Valley Preferred Cycling Center, promotes healthy lifestyles through inner city youth cycling, and will be the beneficiary of 5 percent of store sales on Oct. 5.
- The Caring Place, an inner-city youth development center for children at risk, 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. Whole Foods Market is also proud to be employing a young person from The Caring Place’s Youth Development Program.
Join the more than 100 new locally-hired team members who are eager to share what makes Whole Foods Market such a special place, including:
- Produce: Approximately 180 produce items with 50-70 locally sourced options at opening.
- Grocery: More than 200 bulk items, four varieties of grind-your-own nut butters and approximately 2,500 organic grocery items, along with foods to accommodate special diets throughout the store.
- Meat: A variety of meat and poultry items from animals raised without added hormones or antibiotics, and raised on farms that are assessed for animal welfare. Local standouts include Martins Fresh Made Sausages in a variety of flavors, locally raised Pennbrook Acres pork, Jandl turkeys, and Bell & Evans line of fresh and frozen chicken.
- Seafood: All wild-caught seafood is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, or is rated green or yellow by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and The Safina Center; all farmed seafood is third-party audited to Whole Foods Markets industry-leading standards; free services include filleting fish, cleaning and deveining shrimp and steaming any seafood purchases.
- Bakery: A full scratch bakery with several varieties of bread mixed, shaped by hand and baked in our hearth ovens daily.
- Whole Body: Every item is reviewed for environmental and human health impact and where there are missing or weak regulations on product claims, Whole Foods Market has established its own body care quality standards.
- Household Products: Whole Foods Market sells only eco-friendly cleaning ingredients with full ingredient disclosure labeling.
- In-Store Dining: Hot and cold prepared foods bars, soup, sandwiches, sushi and the in-store pub – The Foundry – which features 15 local beers and one local cider on tap as well as wine by the glass.
- Décor: A massive exposed structural I-beam pays homage to Allentown’s steel producing roots. The pub is named for Bethlehem Steel’s Iron Foundry and the bike painted high above the store in the back gives a nod to Trexlertown’s bike culture.
The store is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 750 N. Krocks Road.
