Whole Foods Market® (Nasdaq: WFM) opens its doors in Elmhurst neighborhood, Wednesday, May 27 at 9 a.m. Located at 215 S. Illinois Route 83, the 50,000 square-foot store is the fifth of seven Whole Foods Market locations to open in Illinois during 2015 and the 24th Whole Foods Market store in Chicagoland.
“Elmhurst is such an amazing town and we are so excited to serve the community that has been so warm and welcoming,” says Jason Krapausky, Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market Elmhurst. “We can’t wait to open our store and provide Elmhurst and the surrounding communities a relaxing and inviting culinary destination. We’ve stocked the shelves with a fantastic selection of natural and organic pantry staples as well as those unique flavors shoppers have come to expect from Whole Foods Market.”
The new Whole Foods Market features a variety of beverage and prepared food options as well as classic Whole Foods Market favorites for shoppers to choose from. These include:
• The Corner Diner – featuring classic diner flavors with exciting new twists and, plus six rotating taps of specialty beers, including Dark Horse Brewing’s Boffo Brown Ale, Perennial Artisan Ales’ Hommel Bier, Solemn Oath Brewery’s Snaggletooth Bandana, Allagash Brewing Company’s Allagash White, Lagunitas Brewing Company’s Pils, and an exclusive brew from Begyle Brewing, Elmhurst Pale Ale
• Gelato Shakes and Sundaes – offering traditional and unique shakes and sundaes made with fresh ingredients and delicious gelato
• Waffles – featuring in-house made original, chocolate chip or double chocolate waffles paired with fresh berries, bananas, chocolate, hazelnut or a scoop of gelato
• Donuts – offering fresh and in-house made donuts in sweet flavors like chocolate cake, crème brulee and vanilla bean
• The Canteen Juice Bar – featuring daily, fresh juices and smoothies made from real fruits and vegetables
• Neapolitan-style pizzas – offering individual pizzas to please a variety of palettes
• The Pantry – featuring a large selection of grains, nuts, and beans in one of the largest bulk food and ingredient departments in Chicagoland
Whole Foods Market Elmhurst also features a scratch bakery, coffee bar, dry-aged steaks, and cut-to-order cheeses along with indoor and outdoor dining areas.
To celebrate opening day, Whole Foods Market will host its version of a ribbon cutting called a “Bread-Breaking Ceremony” with Whole Foods Market Team Members and Elmhurst neighbors beginning at 8:45 a.m. Doors and shopping officially begin at 9 a.m. The first 500 customers through the doors will receive a Whole Foods Market Gift Card with a mystery value between $5 and $50. One customer will receive a $500 gift card.
Upon entering the store, the bright, colorful and delicious Responsibly Grown Produce will delight shoppers. Whole Foods Market recently launched a Responsibly Grown Produce rating system that uses well-regarded scientific input to rate produce and flowers as “Good,” “Better” or “Best.” The scientific input assesses growing practices that impact human health and the environment. This new system continues Whole Foods Market’s commitment to providing healthy, fresh food without the expense to nature.
This level of commitment and transparency extends into other departments as well. Whole Foods Market’s strict Quality Standards for food prohibits artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives. Products on the shelves are evaluated on ingredients, but also ideology, philosophy, proper labeling and careful evaluation as part of a commitment made to customers to build a business with high standards that flow through all aspects of the company. These commitments include:
• Prepared Foods: The Prepared Foods Department’s grab-and-go meals and diverse food venues are all made with high quality natural and organic ingredients.
• Meat: All beef, pork, chicken and turkey in the Meat Department comes from farms that have achieved certification in the Global Animal Partnership’s 5-StepTM Animal Welfare Rating Program.
• Seafood: The Seafood Department has the highest Quality Standards for seafood in the business by working with scientists, fishermen, government agencies and environmental organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council to gather information about aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries, ensuring customers can make the best environmental choices when purchasing seafood.
Whole Foods Market’s dedication to quality and service extends beyond the brick and mortar of the store.
“At Whole Foods Market, we are committed to serving the communities where we do business and begin working with local organizations long before opening day. We’ve already partnered with some great organizations that we hope to continue these relationships well into the future,” adds Krapausky.
Whole Foods Market’s new store in the Elmhurst will also empower Team Members and customers to support local causes. In celebration of opening week, the store will hold five “Days of Community Giving,” where 1 percent of each day’s net sales will be donated to an Elmhurst-based organization including Elmhurst Children’s Assistance Foundation, Elmhurst Children’s Theatre, Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst YMCA and North Eastern DuPage Special Recreation Association.
Another way Whole Foods Market supports the community is with the One Dime at a Time program. The program provides an incentive to customers who bring their own bags for shopping. At the register, customers will have the option to receive a 10-cent per bag refund as cash back off their receipt or they can choose to donate it to that month’s selected charity organization. Whole Foods Market Elmhurst’s first One Dime at a Time recipient will be People for Elmhurst Parks.
