LOS ANGELES (Oct. 30, 2015) – Whole Foods Market will open its downtown Los Angeles store Wednesday, Nov. 4., at the corner of 8th Street and Grand Avenue.
Located beneath the recently opened Eighth & Grand residences, and designed with the needs of local residents, professionals and businesses in mind, the expansive 41,000-square-foot retail destination brings a culinary wonderland for shopping, dining and entertaining to downtown’s historic core. The store will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Featuring a juice bar, fresh poke, expanded vegan options in all departments, a coffee bar (with cold brew on tap), more than 1,000 hand-picked wines, home delivery via Instacart and bar-restaurant The Eight Bar, this location offers an array of options for health enthusiasts, devoted foodies and shoppers looking for convenience and products without artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives.
“This store was designed to provide an eclectic mix of the best ingredients and foods available for shoppers of all diets and lifestyles,” said Patrick Bradley, president of Whole Foods Market’s Southern Pacific Region. “From the large prepared foods section for professionals on the go with self-service pizza and delicious vegan and paleo options, to a new, affordable DTLA option for happy hour or brunch, to our wide range of curated wines, beers and spirits, and even down to offering smaller cuts of meat and fish for singles or families of two—there is something unique for everyone.”
The store will open at 9 a.m., following a “bread breaking” ceremony with team members and city officials. Shoppers will receive free samples and giveaways from downtown Los Angeles’ own Cabo Chips and can learn about all that this location has to offer. There will be food and beverage demos with sampling, live entertainment and a photo booth throughout the day.
This store is infused with downtown Los Angeles’ culture and history. Inspired by street vendors in DTLA, the meat department offers hot dogs wrapped in bacon served with onions and peppers. The spirits aisle includes local Angel City brews and spirits from GreenBar craft distillery–the only L.A. distillery since prohibition to specialize in organic spirits. And the décor ties it all in–with designs that emulate the art deco style popular in historic downtown Los Angeles buildings, but with a contemporary twist.
In the grocery aisle, shoppers can pick up grab-and-go, cold-brew coffee and can browse downtown Los Angeles’ largest bulk section of nuts, beans and grains. In the produce department, there are chile lime fruit cups and three varieties of fresh-pressed pomegranate juice. Prepared foods offers a fall-inspired menu that includes pomegranate glazed game hens, ginger glazed salmon, paleo candied kabocha squash, grassfed meatloaf and porquetta, including porquetta sandwiches. The sandwich menu includes creative vegetarian options like the DTLA buffalo cauliflower grinder with vegan kite hill chive spread and a cauliflower and three cheese melt.
With a rotating seasonal menu and more than 200 indoor and outdoor seats, The Eight Bar is a fitting addition to downtown’s restaurant row. The menu includes daily specials, 36 beverages on tap, a brunch menu and craft cocktails like the “City of Angels,” “Urban Garden,” and “Griffith,” using local and organic ingredients. Shoppers can indulge in “boozy gelato,” created by Nancy Silverton and L.A. Creamery specifically for The Eight Bar. Flavors include bourbon, chocolate whisky, pina colada and rum raisin.
Additional amenities include more than 170 parking spaces and bike lock-up section in the parking structure, free Wi-Fi in seating areas throughout the store and an interactive “Vinyl Lounge,” a hangout spot with vinyl records and many locally made accessories like wooden postcards, candles and handmade items from Made by DWC.
As the company does in every neighborhood in which it opens, Whole Foods Market Downtown Los Angeles partnered with like-minded organizations to foster and support the community, including Hope Street Family Center, which will receive 5 percent of the store’s net sales on Nov.12, and A Place Called Home, the store’s Feed Four More recipient.
Opening week highlights include local wine sampling by Hearst Ranch on Nov. 4 and a holiday table on Nov. 7, where shoppers can get advice and ideas for seasonal meal planning, and can sample holiday food.
Store Highlights
Home delivery: This store will have a dedicated Instacart register and on-site storage for home delivery and personal shopping. The first Instacart delivery is free.
Prepared Foods: Whole Foods Market chefs work in the in-house kitchen, creating handmade pizza, whole or by the slice (including stout-crust pizza!), made-to-order sushi, in-house chips, custom-made sandwiches and meals-on-the-go. Includes a large rotating hot bar, organic salad bar, daily breakfast, eleven soup wells and global cuisine (jambalaya, paella, and more) made on site. Catering is available for office and home entertaining needs. Charcuterie, deli meats, many made and roasted in house using organic, local and grass-fed options, are free of added synthetic nitrates and nitrites. The selection includes an exclusive Cotto Ham from Creminelli, a step-rated and Non-GMO Project-verified ham. Locally sourced ingredients include Mary’s Chicken from Sanger, California, and salad greens from Kenter Canyon. Prepared foods items meet the same standards as all products sold in the store.
Coffee Bar: A beautifully designed coffee bar with an Italian-crafted espresso machine and cold brew coffee on tap, offering custom espresso drinks and hand-brewed coffee made with organic, fair trade and Whole Trade Guarantee™ coffee beans and featuring Stumptown Signature DTLA blend on drip–shoppers can choose from three rotating single-origin coffees and can select from a range of brewing methods (Hario V60 Pour Over, Chemex Pour Over, French Press).
Juice & Smoothie Bar: A smoothie and juice bar that offers made-to-order smoothies with choice of toppings, juices and “boost-ups” like pressed ginger, turmeric and wheatgrass.
Produce: Includes an extensive selection of organic fruits and vegetables from local Southern California growers such as Kenter Canyon, Be Wise and Valpredo Farms; organic dragon fruit from Greenleaf Nursery of Bonsall; and orchids from Formosa Orchids. Seasonal culinary selections include varietal and exotic items from around the world. Plus, cut fruit, vegetables, veggie pasta noodles, salsas and guacamole are made in-store daily.
In-Store Bakery: Offers Whole Foods Market’s first Non-GMO Project-verified cookies with 10 to 15 varieties baked in-house, artisan, hand-kneaded, hand-shaped, scratch bread that begins with a living 20-year-old starter made with unbleached flour and without artificial preservatives or hydrogenated fats. Raw and vegan desserts made in house, new local gluten-free desserts from Hana and local pan dulce from La Reina.
Seafood: Includes made-to-order poke and hand-sliced smoked salmon daily, sustainably sourced fresh fillets, steaks, local and seasonal seafood. Seafood is delivered up to six days a week. Weather permitting, local items include black cod and Pacific Gold oysters from Morro Bay, California, sea urchin and Luna oysters.
Meat: Butchers can provide any cut and size of the highest quality meats from animals raised without the use of antibiotics and added hormones. All beef, chicken and pork are step-rated, using Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step Animal Welfare rating system, and adhere to Whole Foods Market’s stringent quality standards. The store features full lines of 100 percent grass-fed organic beef and organic chicken. Smokehouse offerings include rotating daily specials, marinated and ready-to-cook meat and poultry.
Whole Body: Boasts a large “active living” selection of protein powders, supplements and clothing, including a Los Angeles-based line of organic cotton and flax clothing made by Relax LA exclusively for Whole Foods Market. All supplements sold at Whole Foods Market are free of artificial colors, flavors and hydrogenated oils; and products with the “Premium Body Care” seal meet the strictest standards for quality sourcing, environmental impact, results and safety.
Specialty (beer, wine, cheese): Features a hand-picked wine collection of more than 1,000 wines, with eco-friendly and biodynamic wines starting at $2.49 per bottle. More than 100 bottles are less than $10, and offer a varied selection of hard-to-find, special-occasion wines and grower champagnes. The department includes 36 feet of chilled beer with an assortment of local craft beers, domestic favorites and unique imports. A comprehensive selection of raw, grass-fed, farmstead and artisanal cheeses can be cut to order and sampled at any time. Check out Whole Foods Market’s Top Ten Holiday Wines, a curated selection for perfect meal pairings at value prices.
Grocery: Offering items exclusive to the store, like Cabo Tortillas in three flavors, East L.A. Elote Cantina Tortilla Chips, Tava Life Gourmet Ghees and Wildbrine Kimchi Tonics. Customers can choose from hundreds of 365 Everyday Value™ products, locally made packaged goods, frozen meals, Whole Paws pet food products, home and cleaning products bearing the Eco-Scale label, indicating environmental impact. The bulk section offers dozens of grains, flours, nuts, spices and candies available by the pound. Shoppers who buy a case of any product in the store receive 10 percent off.
For details on all upcoming events and activities, click here, or follow the store on Facebook or @WFMdtla on Instagram.
Store Contact Information
Mike Bowen, Store Team Leader, Mike.Bowen@wholefoods.com
Sylvia Gonzalez, Marketing Team Leader, Sylvia.Gonzalez@wholefoods.com
Twitter: @wfmlosangeles
Instagram: @wfmdtla
Facebook: facebook.com/wfmdtla
