Whole Foods Market will open a new flagship store Nov. 11 in the Bloom on Third shopping center at 355 S. Ogden Drive in Los Angeles. The store at the intersection of 3rd and Fairfax is a relocation of the retailer’s original Fairfax store next door, which opened in 2002.
The store’s flagship billing owes to its scale and assortment. A typical Whole Foods Market averages around 40,000 square feet; the new L.A. store is 63,082 square feet. Beyond its larger footprint and a dedicated parking structure with more than 600 spaces, the location carries more than 1,900 local items from more than 400 California-based suppliers, with sourcing led by Patrick Wyman, forager for local and emerging brands at Whole Foods Market. The store opens at 9 a.m. on opening day, with regular hours of 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
The store opening will come just days after the Austin, Texas-based specialty grocer opens its 40 Florida store in Bradenton.
Experiential venues anchor the format
The store introduces a taproom pouring wine by the glass and local beer on tap, with selections from Massican, Field Recordings, Bernardus Winery, Los Angeles Ale Works, Russian River Brewing Company and Golden State Cider. Customers at the bar can order cheese and charcuterie plates from an adjacent charcuterie venue, and the taproom will host events from 2-7 p.m. on Nov. 14 and Nov. 21 featuring a DJ, wine tasting and demo activations.
The elevated specialty department offers pre-curated or build-your-own cheese and charcuterie boards, overseen by trained cheesemongers and a Certified Cheese Professional. A coffee and juice bar serves made-to-order coffee, tea, juiced-to-order blends and signature smoothies, along with drinks such as the Brown Butter Cookie Latte and Berry Chantilly Latte.
Local sourcing throughout the store
California suppliers run through every department: varietal herbs and salads from Kenter Canyon Farms, collard greens and kale from Cinagro Farms and spring onions from Coke Farm in produce; charcuterie from Gusto, chocolates from Chuao Chocolatier and fresh mozzarella and burrata from Angelo & Franco in specialty; smoked salmon from The Santa Barbara Smokehouse and Tsar Nicoulai caviar at the seafood counter; Mary’s air-chilled chicken, True Story Foods hot dogs and sausages and Pozzi Ranch grass-fed lamb at the full-service meat counter; and Tartine Bakery breads in the bakery.
The beverage selection includes spirits, more than 780 wines and more than 600 craft beers, with local options including Luli Wines, Union Sacre Winery, Le Machin Wines, Topa Topa Brewing Co., Common Space Brewery and Los Angeles Ale Works. Prepared foods venues include hot food and salad bars, fresh pizza, a Market Sandwich venue, a Market Plate venue and sushi rolled daily by Kikka Sushi.
Opening day and community investment
Opening morning, customers will receive coffee from Canyon Coffee and samples from Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co. and Urban Remedy. The first 300 customers in line will receive a limited-edition 3rd & Fairfax tote bag, with the first 100 receiving a mini version, and a Secret Saver coupon with savings up to $100. Veterans can receive a signature brown butter chocolate chip cookie at the customer service counter on opening day.
In celebration of the opening, Whole Foods Market is providing food and monetary donations to Food Cycle LA, which makes regular surplus food pickups from local Whole Foods Market stores. The nonprofit previously received a refrigerated van through the retailer’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program.
The retailer also will present supplier Reprise Health with a low-interest loan through the Whole Foods Market Lending Program to support the brand’s expansion into about 135 Whole Foods Market locations. Since 2006, the program has provided loans to more than 300 small-scale, local and emerging suppliers, representing roughly $42 million in capital.
Founded in 1980, Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market is part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores and serves customers in more than 560 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
Related: Whole Foods Market To Open 40th Florida Store Nov. 5