EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (April 26, 2007). Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI), the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket and the nation's first certified organic grocer, opens the doors to its new 65,000 square foot store in the Los Angeles area located at 760 S. Sepulveda Blvd at Plaza El Segundo on Thursday, April 26 at 9:00 a.m. Regular store hours will be 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. The opening of this store created more than 400 jobs in the El Segundo/Manhattan Beach communities.
“The Plaza El Segundo store offers a culinary experience that has yet to be seen in the Southland,” said Bill Lombardi, Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market, Plaza El Segundo. “In addition to being the neighborhood produce stand, butcher shop, fish market and florist, we are blending the concept of an upscale, healthy, organic eatery and supermarket — we will have a sit down restaurant with a local and seasonal menu in addition to a wine and tapas bar. We're taking the freshest ingredients that we're already selling and bringing them to our customers in an exciting new way.”
Highlights include:
- Wine and tapas bar — featuring amazing wines from around the world, along with delicious cheeses, charcuterie, olives, nuts and more.
- Smokehouse and Seafood Grill — Chicken, beef and seafood cooked or grilled to order — from fish and chips, seafood pasta, barbecued beef and pulled pork sandwiches, along with wine by the glass and seasonal draft beers — all offered in a sit-down venue within the store.
- Butter bar with hand crafted flavored butters made daily
- Extensive wine department with more than 1,200 selections to match any occasion, meal or budget and enomatic wine machines so shoppers can taste various selections before they buy.
- Sit down tea bar with tea specialists
- Churrascharia and taqueria featuring South American rotisserie style meats including garlic top sirloin and lamb and Brazilian sausage. The taqueria offers made-to-order burritos, nachos, tamales, enchiladas and more.
- More than 300 hand cut cheese varieties
- Custom cake decorating
- Fresh donuts made by the hour
- Savory bakery treats made fresh daily including pretzels, foccacia, ham and cheese croissants
- 6,500+ square-foot produce department featuring more than 600 items daily
- Tortilla machine making fresh corn and flour tortillas
- Eco-chic apparel, accessories and home goods
- Chocolate island with more than 50 chocolate choices and white and dark chocolate fountains
- Free wireless internet access
Seafood Department
- A “Custom Catch” program where shoppers select any available seafood and customize with marinades or seasonings. Team members will cook to order: charbroil, bake, steam, deep fry, sauté, or smoked with an in-store seafood smoker
- Seafood bars loaded with hot, fresh-cooked seafood offerings and seafood salads
Prepared Foods
- A variety of Asian dishes to enjoy at the bar or to go, including made to order sushi; vegetable or shrimp tempura, Korean BBQ, Yakatori, noodle and rice bowls, plus organic sake and bottled beers.
- Made to order: burritos, pizza, pasta, sandwiches and more
- Rotisserie chicken station and meat carving station for hot sandwiches
- More than 30 feet of self-serve hot and cold food options and salad bars
- Soup and stew stations with a wide variety of selections daily
- Extensive selection of raw foods
Bakery Department
- A chocolate case offering artisan chocolate candies, caramels, barks and fudges
- A bakery featuring fresh hot cobblers, bread puddings and crisps
- A gelato scoop bar
Meat Department
- The widest selection of the best tasting, freshest, quality meat raised to the strictest standards in the industry in a full-service meat department. Shoppers can receive custom cuts, cooking tips and personal recommendations
- Harder-to-find items including game, duck, sausages, low-fat cuts, range-grown turkey and natural chicken
- Oven-ready meats; stuffed meats and kabobs; a selection of tender dry-aged beef, which is dry-aged in the store; on-site fresh smoked meats; BBQ pulled meats and more
Specialty Department
- Nitrite and nitrate-free sliced meats and charcuterie
- Fresh pasta and pizzas
- Locally sourced products
Grocery Department
- A full selection of grocery items including Whole Foods Market's own family of brands: 365 Everyday Value, 365 Organic Everyday Value, Whole Kitchen, Whole Pantry and much more
- Wheat and gluten-free offerings and foods to accommodate special diets
- Ethnic offerings including Brazilian, African and Thai/Asian foods
- Fresh nut butters
Produce Department
- Bountiful bins of organic and conventional fruits and vegetables, hand-stacked; an unusual selection of seasonal, exotic and specialty products like cippolini onions and cactus pears; and appetizing displays of fresh-cut fruits
- “Veggie Grill” program – a daily rotation of fresh picked items, ready to be grilled to order by in-house chef
Organic Garden Center
- Floral shop and extensive garden center with more than 100 varieties of fresh cut flowers, full selection of plants, annuals and garden supplies.
