ATLANTA, GA (March 11, 2011) – Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI) announces the newest store opening in North Raleigh at 8710 Six Forks Rd. Wednesday, March 16th. The sixth store in North Carolina will hold a free breakfast in the parking lot at 7:30 a.m., followed by the traditional Whole Foods Market bread-breaking ceremony at 8:30 a.m., and the doors will open at 9:00 a.m.
North Raleigh Whole Foods Market Store Team Leader, George Jones, said, “We are so excited and so proud to open the doors of our first new store in the Tarheel state in ten years. This is the greenest store we’ve built in the South and our team members are ready to tell our customers all about it.”
The 40,000 square-foot store features loads of environmentally-friendly design and materials and many local products unique to the state. Whole Foods Market designed and constructed the store interior to meet the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v2.0 Commercial Interiors, and partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Commercial Building Partnerships, an effort to dramatically reduce energy use in both new construction and existing commercial buildings using cost-effective strategies.
The greenest store in the South region for Whole Foods Market features a giant cistern that will harvest more than 10,000 gallons of rainwater for use in the store’s toilets and energy efficient coolers throughout the store. Décor includes skylights, providing plenty of natural light, low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints and finishes, reclaimed barn wood from a farm near Fayetteville, and many recycled materials. Bicycle racks and two Electronic Vehicle charging stations provide transportation options for customers and team members.
The new store will employ just over 200 team members many of them coming from the existing stores in the Triangle. Guided preview tours of the store are on Sunday, March 13th and Monday March 14th. For a suggested $5 donation to the Finley YMCA “We Build People Campaign” or the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, tour attendees get a sneak peek at the store, samples and a goodie bag. Pre-registration required: https://northraleigh.wholefoodsrsvp.com/
Features/highlights of the new North Raleigh Whole Foods Market include:
- Fresh, all-natural salsa and guacamole bar – we’ll make it as hot or as mild as you’d like!
- Local Kombucha on tap from Buchi’s in Asheville. Fill up a 64-ounce growler and go!
- Certified organic produce on salad bar in prepared foods.
- “Cooking North Raleigh” – a cooking and learning station in the bulk department. A healthy eating go-to resource for all of your cooking questions.
- Focus on local and regional beers, with all back-stock kept ice cold. Huge wine selection with over 600 wines in stock.
- Bulk detergent, dish soap, honey and pet food options to reduce packaging.
- Freshly-ground nut butters and huge bulk grains section.
Grand Opening Week Calendar of events:
- Wednesday, March 16th: Free breakfast in the parking lot from 7:30 am – 8:30 am, Bread-breaking ceremony at 8:30 am. Store opens at 9:00 a.m.!
- Thursday, March 17th: St Patrick’s Day Stout beer tasting, 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday, March 19th: ONE WHOLE DAY event, a benefit for the Whole Planet Foundation, 10 am-6 pm. Gift basket raffle and Whole Planet-inspired recipes sampled all day!
- All week long: Product samples and demos throughout the store.
