Whole Foods Market will open a new 39,500-square-foot store Fed. 18 at 1801 S. 46th St. in Rogers, Arkansas.
The Rogers location’s product assortment features more than 120 local items from Arkansas and surrounding states, sourced with the help of Dustin Kennedy, forager for local and emerging brands at Whole Foods Market.
Opening morning, customers will enjoy samples from Ozark Natural Breads and coffee from Onyx Coffee Lab. The first 300 customers in line will receive a limited-edition Rogers tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon featuring savings up to $100 off.
Store features and departments
The Rogers store includes a prepared foods department featuring hot food and salad bars with a rotating menu of comfort foods and seasonal options, fresh pizza by the slice or whole pie, a Market Sandwich venue and sushi rolled fresh daily by Kikka Sushi.
The produce department offers certified organic, conventional and Sourced for Good produce. All fresh produce and floral items meet the company’s Pollinator Health Policy to reduce the use of chemical pesticides.
A specialty department celebrates cheesemakers and artisan producers. The cheese counter is overseen by trained cheesemongers who can offer recommendations for any occasion and create custom boards.
The curated grocery section features exclusive brand favorites and products from local suppliers including Onyx Coffee Lab, Ozark Natural Breads, Guenther Apiary Farm and Ozark Mountain Creamery.
Meat, seafood and beverage offerings
The seafood counter provides expert fishmonger service, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meal solutions, and a variety of packaged smoked items. All offerings are either sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed.
The full-service meat counter features animal-welfare certified selections and expert butchers available to cut steaks and poultry to order. Features include made-in-house fresh sausage and marinated and seasoned meats for quick and easy meals. Animals must be raised with no antibiotics ever.
The beverage selection includes more than 650 wines and 190 craft beers. The department also features beer from 12 local breweries, including Bentonville Brewing Co., Ozark Beer Co. and Lost Forty Brewing.
The bakery department offers bread baked fresh daily as well as everyday favorites, such as Whole Foods Market’s Berry Chantilly Cake and brown butter cookies. Local offerings include Emily Kate’s Gluten Free Bakery, Aunt Aggie De’s, The Sticky Toffee Pudding Company and Farrell Bread & Bakery.
Community support and quality standards
To celebrate the opening, Whole Foods Market will provide a food donation to Tri Cycle Farms, which makes regular surplus food pickups from local Whole Foods Market stores to help prevent food waste and serve the surrounding community. The donation is part of Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program, which aims to enhance the ability of local food rescue organizations to transport surplus food to areas facing the greatest need.
Whole Foods Market will also provide monetary donations to CARE Community Center and Feed 479.
All food at Whole Foods Market must meet the company’s rigorous quality standards, which prohibit hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup and more than 300 flavors, colors, sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food. All beauty and body care products must meet the company’s body care standards, which ban more than 240 commonly used ingredients, including phthalates, parabens and microbeads.
Prime members who shop at Whole Foods Market have access to discounts on select popular products each week and an additional 10 percent off hundreds of in-store sale items. Customers can pay in-store with their palm using Amazon One or with the Whole Foods Market or Amazon app. Grocery Pickup will be available shortly after opening.
Founded in 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores and serves customers in more than 545 stores across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
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