Whole Foods Market® (Nasdaq: WFM) joined the Ottawa community with the opening of the Lansdowne Park store on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. The natural and organic grocery, located at 951 Bank Street, will provide residents in and around the Glebe high-quality, great tasting products.
“The Ottawa community shares our passion for fresh, healthy and minimally processed foods that are responsibly sourced ”said Lisa Slater, the store’s team leader. “They have welcomed us with open arms into their community, and we can’t wait to begin serving them.”
On opening day, Whole Foods Market hosted its version of a ribbon cutting, called a bread-breaking ceremony, at 8:45 a.m., followed by food samplings, giveaways and entertainment. From fresh produce to specialty cheese, this store will have something for everyone.
Whole Foods Market’s strict quality standards for food prohibit artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners and preservatives. Products on the shelves are evaluated on ingredients, but also ideology, philosophy, proper labeling as part of a commitment made to customers to build a business with high standards.
Shoppers will delight in the bright and delicious mindfully grown produce. Whole Foods Market’s recently launched Responsibly Grown, a produce rating system that uses well-regarded scientific and expert industry input to rate produce and flowers as “good,” “better” or “best” by assessing growing practices that impact human health and the environment. This new system furthers Whole Foods Market’s commitment to providing healthy, fresh food with a focus on transparency and improving the agriculture industry.
This level of commitment and transparency extends into other departments.
• 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.
• 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.
These high standards are echoed in the prepared foods department with grab-and-go meals made with natural and organic ingredients. Shoppers can purchase an array of ready-made foods including oven-fired pizzas, tasty sandwiches, freshly made sushi, grab-and-go pastries, and a rotating menu of hot bar and salad bar offerings. Whole Foods Market Lansdowne Park also has an experienced catering department to help build delicious, high-quality menus for home and office entertaining.
Whole Foods Market’s dedication to quality and service extends beyond the brick and mortar of the store.
“Whole Foods Market is committed to the local communities in which we serve,” Slater said. “We’ve worked with local organizations long before we even had a store built and look forward to continuing supporting the community now that we have this beautiful location in the Lansdowne development.”
Over the past two years, Whole Foods Market met with local businesses and entrepreneurs to find the unique flavour that is Ottawa. The 12,400-square-meter (41,000-square-foot) store carries over 100 local products from 50 Ontario and Quebec suppliers such as Byson Farms, Coronation Hall Cider, La Fromagerie les Follies Bergeres, and Rochef Chocolatier. The store will create 150 full and part-time jobs.
The Whole Foods Market Lansdowne Park store 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 go toward an Ottawa-based organization including Ottawa Network School Breakfast Club Program, Ecology Ottawa, The Distress Centre, The Youville Centre and Operation Come Home.
Whole Foods Market opened its first Canadian location in 2002 on Avenue Road in Toronto. The new Lansdowne Park store is the company’s 10th Canadian location.
