EMERYVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 29, 2010) – Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com) is thrilled to announce that it will open its first San Jose store on Wednesday, November 10, at 10 a.m. San Jose Vice Mayor Judy Chirco, UTC Power’s Director of Stationary Business Neal Montany and store leadership will be on hand for Three Wishes bottle-breaking and a commemorative bread-breaking ceremony, which involves cutting the traditional eight-foot long sourdough loaf and welcoming shoppers into the store at 9:45 a.m.
The new store will generate clean, reliable on-site fuel cell power via the PureCell® system provided by UTC Power (utcpower.com). Fuel cells are one of the cleanest energy-generation sources available in the world and meet the strictest U.S. emission standards. Highly energy efficient and virtually pollution-free, fuel cells produce electricity, heat and water through an electrochemical process. The UTC Power fuel cell system will generate 90 percent of the store’s electricity needs. The store will use byproduct thermal energy for heating, cooling and refrigeration for an overall efficiency of approximately 60 percent, nearly twice the efficiency of the U.S. grid.
By generating most of its power on-site with a fuel cell, the store will prevent the release of more than 370 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – the equivalent of planting more than 85 acres of trees. The reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions vs. a conventional power plant are equal to the environmental benefit of removing 92 cars from the road.
“Whole Foods Market is thrilled to be working with UTC and to be as energy efficient as possible,” said Brett Kassell, store team leader, Whole Foods Market San Jose. “We are also excited to be part of this area’s redevelopment and to support South Bay small businesses by featuring local products in our store. I also hope that this long-awaited store will serve as a hub for both local businesses and residents as we have an outstanding team that is here to serve this community – whether it be catering a business lunch, advising on healthy eating or finding the right products for your family.”
The new, 50,000-square-foot store is conveniently located off the Alamaden expressway and features a large indoor and outdoor seating area and interactive and educational kid’s play area; over 200 local Bay Area products; a gluten-free product section; an expanded organic bulk section featuring everything from whole grains and healthy snacks to bath and body care; and a commitment to customer health by offering a Health Starts Here™ consultation area with a Life Cycle BMI and Blood pressure machine.
The new Whole Foods Market is located in the Hoffman/Via Monte Strong Neighborhood, a project area that has received more than $4 million in redevelopment funds.
Highlights that San Jose Whole Foods Market shoppers can look forward to enjoying include:
- Local Vendors – a wide range of products from more than 200 local Bay Area vendors (within 100 miles or less of San Jose) and farmers will be featured including coffee from Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Moksha Coffee, Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting and Verve Coffee Roasters; Coracao Confections chocolate; Mission Minis cupcakes; Sabores del Sur alfajores; Judy’s Love Sticks breads; Grindstone Bakery; Twin Hills; Amorretti; New York Bagel; Sconehenge; Vital Vittles; Black China; Nature Certified eco-baby products; Sukhi’s Indian food; Hodo Soy; Snake Butterfly Chocolate; Farmhouse Culture sauerkraut; Swanton Berry Farm strawberries; Tomatero Farms tomatoes and Small Bees honey and skincare products.
- Meat – special offerings include organic, grass-fed and grass-finished beef and Country Natural grain-finished beef from cattle that spend their entire life on pasture. Also available will be lamb from Pozzi Lamb Growers in Sonoma and Marin counties, Petaluma Poultry and Field to Family air-chilled chicken, buffalo and venison. The store offers the best-tasting, freshest and highest-quality meat available that is carefully raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones.
- Artisan Bakery – featuring Whole Foods Market Artisan Hearth Breads, baked fresh daily along with an array of delectable items like cakes, cupcakes and raw, vegan treats. Also not to be missed are treats from area bakeries including Greenlee’s Bakery cinnamon and raisin bread; California Lavash lavash; Edna’s Success baked goods; and Campbell Bread Baking Company’s delicious breads.
- Prepared Foods – featuring an extensive selection of foods made by a team of talented, in-house chefs. Specialties include a daily selection of house-made soups, extensive organic salad bar, Shawarma station, Italian-style brick oven pizzas and a full-service burrito bar. A wonderful array of healthful and tasty lunch options also will be available on a daily basis including a variety of nutrient-rich items like quinoa, brown rice and kale.
- Kombucha – Kombucha Botanica’s Healthy Living Tonic™ will be available on tap.
- Seafood – a vast array of fresh and frozen selections, as well as all the marinades, sauces, seasonings and herbs to complete a meal with seafood as the centerpiece. Whole Foods Market also offers a selection of sustainable seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and ranked by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program (www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx).
- Coffee Bar – fresh-brewed coffee daily from Allegro® and organic soft-serve Straus frozen yogurt.
- Nut Butters – four grind-your-own nut butters including organic peanut, honey peanut, organic chocolate peanut and organic almond.
- Bulk Section – a large, organically focused bulk department that will feature a variety of bulk bins brimming with legumes, grains, flours, and nuts as well as olive oil, honey, maple syrup and tamari. Also featured will be a “Build Your Own” snack mix bar which features same-priced cartons customers can customize.
- In-Store Dining – the store features plentiful seating inside and outside.
- Store Tours –the store will offer shopping tours tailored to special diets such as gluten-free living and store tours for moms, as well tours themed for how to shop on a budget. Private tours can be arranged by request for organizations such as schools and senior centers.
- Customer Service – unique to this store, there will be an electronic customer comment board. This will feature a touch-screen interface where customers can type questions that will be quickly answered by a knowledgeable Team Member.
- Health, Wellness & Food – Whole Foods Market works hard to stay on top of food and health issues and to educate its customers on healthy eating. The store will have a full time Healthy Eating Specialist on site offering one-on-one consultations, guided tours, demonstrations and more.
- Whole Foods Market Community Giving Days — at least four times a year, Whole Foods Market sets aside a day on which five percent of the day's net sales is contributed to a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
- Nickels for Nonprofits – when customers bring in their own bags for groceries they have the option of receiving a five-cent refund (per bag) or donating the money to a selected charity. The first non-profit beneficiary is Oak Ridge Elementary.
- Donations Out the Back – perishable products that aren’t sold during the day are donated to those in need. Whole Foods Market San Jose is proud to work with Second Harvest Food Bank, Loaves and Fishes, Martha’s Kitchen and World Food Bank Inc.
- Kid’s Club – children ages 2 through 8 are eligible to be Kid’s Club members. Membership cards allow each member to receive one free Kid’s Club treat each time they visit the store. This store features an expanded Mercado, which is a fun, interactive space for kids to play and learn about healthy eating.
Store Information Whole Foods Market San Jose 1146 Blossom Hill Rd.
San Jose, CA 95118 Tel. (408) 266-3700 Hours: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Store Team Leader: Brett Kassell Website: www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/blossomhill Facebook: www.facebook.com/WFMBlossomhill Twitter: www.twitter.com/WFMblossomhill
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WHOLE FOODS MARKET SAN JOSE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER CALENDAR Whole Foods Market San Jose VIP Pre-Store Opening Tours Dates: November 6, 7 & 8. Tour times range from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Cost: FREE Get a sneak peek at the new store during these fun and informative 30-minute tours. All attendees will receive a goodie bag and free lunch. Pre-registration is required via this link: https://tinyurl.com/26duxc6.
Wednesday, Nov. 10: Whole Foods Market San Jose Opening Day 9:45 a.m. – Bread-breaking, 10 a.m. Store opens for business Join our regional and store leadership for the traditional breaking of bread to celebrate the opening of our new store. San Jose Vice Mayor Judy Chirco and UTC Power’s Director of Stationary Business Neal Montany and store leadership will be in attendance.
Whole Foods Market San Jose Holiday Tasting Fairs, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Dates: November 13, 14, 20 and 21. December 11, 12, 18 and 19. From 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cost: FREE Everyone is invited to sample Whole Foods Market Holiday offerings. The store will be sampling a variety of prepared foods like potatoes, stuffing, pies and, of course, turkey! Whole Foods Market San Jose Gluten-Free Shopping Store Tour Date: November 16 & December 14. From 5-6 p.m. Cost: FREE If you are dealing with gluten intolerance, please join this free tour to learn all about healthy gluten-free items for adults and kids alike. Please sign up at Customer Service.
Whole Foods Market San Jose Going Vegan and Vegetarian for the Holidays Store Tour Date: November 18 & December 16. From 2-3 p.m. Cost: FREE Vegans and vegetarians are encouraged to join this free store tour to learn about tasty and healthy options for the holidays. Sampling is encouraged! Please sign up at Customer Service.
Whole Foods Market San Jose Healthy Eating Store Tour Date: December 9. From 5-6 p.m. Cost: FREE Don’t let the Holidays derail you’re healthy eating plans. Take this informative store tour and learn all about tasty, healthy items that are sure to please the palate. There will be plenty of healthy snack sampling! Please sign up at Customer Service.
Whole Foods Market San Jose Holiday Hours November 23 & 24: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
November 24 (Thanksgiving): 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
December 22 & 23: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 24 (Christmas Eve): 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
December 25 (Christmas): Closed December 31 (New Year’s Eve): 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
January 1 (New Year’s Day): 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
