PORTLAND, Oregon (April 15, 2008) — Whole Foods Market® (NASDAQ: WFMI), the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announces that the first suburban store in the Tanasbourne area and the newest Whole Foods Market Portland area store in six years will open Wednesday, April 23, 2008. This new store gives Whole Foods Market the opportunity to deliver a wider selection and a richer authentic shopping experience to better serve Portland communities.

 

Located on Cornell Road in Hillsboro’s Tanasbourne Market Center across from The Streets of Tanasbourne, the 54,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market will combine the expertise and advantages of a farmer’s market, a gourmet store, a grocer, an old fashioned butcher and a fishmonger with a team of chefs making the finest restaurant-quality meals– all under one roof.

“Our number one goal is to provide the Tanasbourne community with the freshest, most flavorful, highest quality products in a contemporary, easy-to-shop store,” said Jim Papenberg, Tanasbourne Store Team Leader. “We invite the Tanasbourne community to come out and experience our store. From our sit-down noodle bowl bar and gelato counter to our locally produced Tumalo Farms raw milk cheeses and our made-to-order sandwiches on in-house baked bread, we have you covered. ”

A pre-opening community celebration will be held at the Tanasbourne Whole Foods Market beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 21st. The official opening of the new Tanasbourne Whole Foods Market will kick off with a bread-breaking ceremony at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23rd, before the doors open at 8:10 a.m. The event will feature Whole Foods Market Pacific Northwest Regional President John Clougher and the new Whole Foods Market Tanasbourne team. In addition the first 200 customers through the door will receive a Whole Foods Market reusable shopping bag.

Built with a number of unique environmentally conscious features, the store has a combination of two clear levels and 14 skylights to reduce the demands for artificial lighting. In addition, all the hot water needs of the store are supplied from the excess heat from the refrigeration system and during the winter the store will also be heated using this excess heat.

Just some of the in store features at Whole Foods Market Tanasbourne include: · A gelato and sorbetto bar; featuring flavors such as Bourbon vanilla.

· A brick pizza oven offering calzones, meatball and chicken parmesan sandwiches.

· A hot food bar featuring Indian and Mexican menus and a choice of six hot soups daily.

· A full-service coffee bar featuring Whole Foods Market’s own Allegro® coffee.

· An olive oil and a balsamic vinegar tasting bar.

· A full service charcuterie.

· Whole Body Experience Bar; guests will be able to comfortably research health and nutrition at this information center. There will be a selection of reference and resource books available.

We look forward to welcoming you into the store!

# About Whole Foods Market® Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer. In fiscal year 2007, the company had sales of $6.6 billion and currently has more than 270 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & WildTM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Wild Oats® and Capers Community MarketTM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc. Whole Foods Market employs more than 53,000 Team Members and has been ranked for 11 consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine.