The new, 48,000-square-foot-store, located at 120 New Moriches Road in Lake Grove, is the company’s 292^nd store, and will open just in time to serve area shoppers during the Easter and Passover season. 

“We’ve been looking forward to the Lake Grove store opening and are thrilled to bring Whole Foods Market to the residents of central and eastern Long Island,” said Rob Twyman, regional vice president of Whole Foods Market’s Northeast region.  “Just in time for spring, we’ll be opening our doors to surprise and delight a new group of customers with our wide selection of eateries and offerings that people have come to love and expect from Whole Foods Market, with a few unique twists special for the Lake Grove community.”

The new store will offer a host of signature Whole Foods Market features including a second-to-none produce section with both seasonal and local offerings, as well as fresh-from-the-tap kombucha and fresh-squeezed juices in the department’s juice bar. The extensive bakery department will offer fresh breads, muffins, scones, pies, tortes and other assorted baked goods including gluten-free options. The meat department will offer the highest quality meat and poultry without added growth hormones or antibiotics, featuring responsibly raised products from free range farms in the Northeast, and the seafood department will offer the freshest catches sourced locally in Long Island as well as from around the world.

From ready-made meals to everyday value items such as Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value™ and 365 Organic Everyday Value™ in the grocery department, the new Lake Grove location will provide shoppers with high quality products at everyday value prices. The store’s grocery aisles will provide all the highest quality pantry items, all without artificial colorings, flavorings, preservatives or hydrogenated fats. The store will also feature Whole Body, offering shoppers an array of all-natural health and beauty products.

The prepared foods section will provide plenty of everyday favorites for meals on the go, including hot soups, rotisserie chickens, fresh-made panini grilled to order, and sushi, as well as a full healthy eating bar with a variety of raw, vegan, and oil-free salad items.  Special to the Lake Grove location will be a Vietnamese Ph? bar, serving up a variety of traditional Vietnamese noodle and miso options chock full of fresh cut herbs and spices. The specialty department will feature a wide selection of cheeses from around the world as well as a variety of artisan fresh pastas and sauces and a unique antipasti and olive bar featuring varieties of olives, peppers, pickles and more.

In line with the company’s increased focus on healthy eating, the new store will have a Healthy Eating Center staffed by a healthy eating specialist who will host a variety of classes, demos and educational programs to assist interested shoppers in leading a healthier lifestyle.  

All departments will be ready for both Easter and Passover with a wide offering of holiday menu items for both small and large gatherings.

Those interested in attending the sneak preview event on Monday, March 15, 2010, 5 – 8 p.m., please visit lakegrove.wholefoodsmarketevents.com to RSVP. Or, contact Ivy Goldberg, 646-300-6686 or events@organicworkspr.com.

Whole Foods Market – Lake Grove

Lake Grove Commons

120 New Moriches Road, Lake Grove, L.I., NY, 11755

Telephone number: 631-588-1466

Hours of operation: 8 a.m. –10 p.m., seven days a week

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About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFMI), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company’s motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 53,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 13 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2009, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has more than 290 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The store, located at 808 Columbus Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, opened August 27, 2009 and met rigorous building and energy efficiency standards during construction and its first six months in operation to receive the commendation. The store is the first of Whole Foods Market’s twenty locations in the Northeast region, which includes New York, Northern New Jersey and Southern Connecticut, to receive this certification. Overall, it is the company’s second LEED Gold store in the United States.

“We are extremely excited to be awarded the LEED Gold certification for our Upper West Side location,” said Tristam Coffin, Whole Foods Market’s green mission specialist in the Northeast region. “Minding the environment comes first and foremost in the design and building of our stores. This is the first of what we hope will be many LEED certifications for our Northeast locations.”

Whole Foods Market: Upper West Side earned credits for its LEED Gold certification from a variety of sustainable features throughout the pre- and post-construction phases of the store’s opening, including its choice to locate in an environmentally-conscious mixed-use development in order to support the Upper West Side neighborhood and community. Additionally, 34 percent of the materials used to build the store were purchased locally, significantly cutting down on waste and energy spent in the delivery of goods.

The development’s highlights include a vegetated roof and a photovoltaic installation. The store boasts water efficiency fixtures that allowed it to reduce water usage by more than 45 percent from the calculated baseline design fixture performance requirements established by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. More than a 25 percent reduction in lighting power density was achieved over that allowed by the ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1 2004. A company-wide landmark purchase of 776 million-kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits (RECs) from wind farms in 2009 the project also earned credits in green power.

More than 10 percent of the materials used in the construction of the store were made from recycled content. Moreover, 75 percent of all the construction waste from the project was recycled rather than being placed in a landfill or incinerated. Low-emitting materials from paints and adhesives to furniture and composite boards were used in the project and living décor, including a large green wall in the store’s café, added to the improvement of air quality throughout the store. Furthermore, a thorough flush-out of the building was conducted to ensure the indoor environmental quality of the building was ideal for occupants – customers and Team Members alike.

According to the USGBC, commercial buildings in the United States consume exuberant amounts of energy and resources – more than 30 percent of the nation’s total energy and 60 percent of our electricity annually. Flushing toilets, alone, consume more than five billion gallons of potable water every day. Moreover, an average North American commercial construction project generates upwards to 2.5 pounds of solid waste per square foot of floor space. By building green, to the USGBCs standards, we are helping to reduce the impact and benefit the health of our environment, just as we do with the products we sell, and the communities we support.

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About Whole Foods Market^®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFMI), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company’s motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 53,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 13 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2009, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has more than 290 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“We know that residents of downtown Manhattan have been patiently waiting for the opening of a supermarket that will meet their needs for high quality foods with competitive prices.  I’m very proud to say that Whole Foods Market with our tremendous selection of purely delicious, all natural foods will open its doors next month in Tribeca to serve them,” said Christina Minardi, president of Whole Foods Market’s Northeast Region. 

The Tribeca location will have many new and exciting features for its shoppers, including made-from-scratch bread, a shucking station for oysters and clams, bulk bins for grains, granola, dried fruit and nuts, as well as a Shawarma station with fresh Mediterranean dishes.   Spanning 69,000 square feet, the Tribeca location will be the second largest Whole Foods Market in New York City.  The Bowery location in the Lower East Side will remain the largest with 71,000 square feet of space.

 Thanks for reading this side of the story, and we hope to see you in our stores soon!

“We are truly excited about opening our new Bowery location with dozens of first-time features that we hope will dazzle shoppers and the community. It is fitting that the next generation of food retail will be right here on the Lower East Side,” said Christina Minardi, president of the Whole Foods Market Northeast Region.

The new 71,000-square-foot, two-story store will house three eateries; one of the nation’s only genuine Fromageries featuring 80 exclusive aged cheeses; homemade pies baked fresh throughout the day: as well as foods from a variety of the top-tier local artisans and growers. Innovations at the new Whole Foods Market include mini French and Japanese-inspired bouquets in the floral department; an expanded selection of handmade sausages and a huge selection of smoked in-house meats; an in-house smoked fish section in the seafood department offering smoked salmon, trout, scallops, shrimp, whole red snapper and black sea bass all smoked on the premises.

Environmentally friendly building materials have been used extensively in the construction of the new store including recycled steel, gypsum board in the walls, concrete made with fly ash, recycled glass and tiles, recycled barnwood for the produce bins, bamboo tables, marmoleum floor and paint low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Energy-efficient lighting sets the mood, water use is reduced through flow sensors, and low-flow sinks and toilets were installed. The refrigeration and heating system all operate with energy-efficiency, as well. Waste will be minimized through composting and contributing to food banks.

Whole Foods Market goes out of the way with features that will thrill the most discerning and sophisticated palates. Additional highlights include:

Fromagerie with European-Trained Affineurs and Aging Cave
The new fromagerie is similar to those throughout Europe, and this is the first supermarket to feature an aging cave to mature cheeses in the ideal environment before selling them at their very best. Cheese specialists learned the art of aging and maturing cheese from celebrated affineur Herve Mons, who has created an exclusive line for Whole Foods Market. In addition to Europe’s greatest cheeses, one quarter of the cheeses are from the U.S. cheesemakers such as Chatham Sheepherding Company.

Sweet Supply
The large bakery is the first to offer freshly roasted nuts and granola every day and the very first Whole Foods Market to have a pie station where a variety of pies are made from scratch in front of shoppers. The pies will be sold in reusable pie tins that may be returned for a $1.50 store credit. There is also a confiserie, a virtual candy land for kid in anyone serving a wide variety of truffles, caramels, chocolates and other confections. The confiserie will also feature Lower East Side classic il laboratio del gelato bar with 28 flavors.

Eateries and Dining Venues

Rustica Minardi Osteria: Relaxing in-house dining or take out is available at this Italian restaurant. The chef prepares each selection to order from an array of classic antipasti, fresh pastas, seafoods and meats using the freshest ingredients possible.

Sushiya: Sleek and modern, a Tokyo-style sushi bar offers sparkling fresh sushi available by the plate. Sushi chefs place prepared dishes on a revolving conveyor belt for customers to select and enjoy. Five brightly colored plates indicate price.

Fresh & Wild: The Fresh & Wild salad area highlights farm-fresh salad vegetables and an extensive selection of organic and local ingredients. Create your own or choose from 13 signature salads plus Cindy’s homemade dressings and organic soups from the famed Moosewood Restaurant.

Pommes Frites: A recreation of a Belgian frites stand. Hand-cut russet potatoes are fried to order according to classic double-fry method and served with choice of 17 in-house prepared condiments and specialty salts, such as truffle salt and Chardonnay smoked sea salt. Yucca fries and sweet potato fries are also available.

On the second floor, the Whole Body department is packed with the latest trends in organic clothing and natural body care, cosmetics and nutritional supplements. It expands across a walking bridge to the store’s first Healthy Lifestyle Center where shoppers can go to unwind and grab the most current educational literature on cooking and healthy living. An 84-foot sculptural mural depicting the history of the Lower East Side created exclusively for Whole Foods Market by local artist Roseanne Percivelle runs the length of the back wall on the first floor complementing the already innovative design of the store.

Also located on the second floor is the Culinary Center, which will offer dozens of hands-on classes and demonstrations with some of the best New York and Whole Foods Market chefs, artisans and growers.

Customers will be encouraged to reuse and recycle and will receive refunds for bringing their own shopping bags (10 cents daily or 15 cents in April in honor of Earth Month), bringing a coffee mug to the coffee bar (15 cents), using the reusable green bowls featured at the Fresh and Wild salad bar (15 cents), or returning the metal pie tins that come with the homemade pies ($1.50). In celebration of Earth Month, shoppers will also receive a “Recipe Book” in April with 30 Eco-Action tips with environmentally friendly brands carried on Whole Foods Market’s shelves encouraging shoppers to significantly reduce their carbon footprint.

“We are extremely excited about bringing Whole Foods Market to Brooklyn,” said Christina Minardi, northeast regional president for Whole Foods Market. “Whole Foods Market will not only offer Brooklyn residents a wide array of natural and organic foods, but we also look forward to making our store a valuable community resource.” The new Whole Foods Market will feature a Community Room available to local civic groups, as well as a landscaped, publicly accessible esplanade along the Gowanus Canal.

The store will include on-site parking for 430 cars, and shoppers will access the Whole Foods Market parking lot via entrances on Third Street and Third Avenue. In addition, pedestrians will be served by a covered walkway from Third Street to the store’s main entrance. Featuring large windows into the store on both the Third Street and Third Avenue elevations, the Whole Food Market will maintain a pedestrian-friendly, active and accessible streetscape. In addition, the two-story, landmark 19th century building situated at the property’s corner at Third Avenue and Third Street will remain in place.

Like all Whole Foods Market stores, the Brooklyn store will be designed as a food ‘experience’, featuring approximately 37,000 square feet of retail area displaying a wide range of products, including produce, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and health and beauty products. Throughout the store, specialty counters will offer a wide variety of prepared foods, ranging from soups, pizza, and sushi to salads and coffee. The prepared food can either be taken home or eaten in one of the in-store eating areas. A 9,900-square-foot first floor will contain an eating area with seating for more than 220 people and a Community Room overlooking Third Street.

The Whole Foods Market site is being developed under the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s voluntary “Brownfield Cleanup Program” to ensure that this former industrial site is comprehensively cleaned and re-developed in an environmentally responsible manner. Construction of the Brooklyn Whole Foods Market will take an estimated 13 months and will create approximately 300 construction jobs. The store is being developed in conjunction with Cypress Equities, a national retail development company and an affiliate company of Staubach Retail.

The store will create approximately 550 permanent jobs, ranging from cashiers to store leadership. Whole Foods Market Team Members are offered great benefits, with a full complement of affordable medical benefit options, insurance, retirement, paid time off, and one of the highest store discounts in the industry. Of the 550 permanent jobs, it is anticipated that approximately 90 percent will be full-time positions. The average wage at an established store is approximately $13 an hour. Whole Foods Market understands the importance of hiring from within the community and will work with local groups and officials to ensure locals are informed about the job opportunities coming to the neighborhood.

“We’re excited to be opening an additional Whole Foods Market to serve the area because many Long Islanders have been driving a great distance to our Manhasset location to find the widest selection of natural and organic foods and to enjoy a greater level of customer appreciation. With the opening of our new Jericho store, we will continue to satisfy and delight the Long Island community, as well as reach new shoppers,” said Christina Minardi, president of Whole Foods Market’s Northeast Region.

Like at all Whole Foods Market stores, guests can shop with confidence at the Jericho location knowing that Whole Foods Market takes pride in being highly selective about its product offering. Every product on the shelf meets the company’s strict quality standards to ensure it is free of artificial additives, sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives and hydrogenated oils.

In Jericho, Whole Foods Market will continue its strong commitment by buying local — not just fruits and vegetables, but also Long Island’s very best food producers as well. Set to be in the Jericho store on opening day include Aldo’s Biscotti, Blue Point Beer, Hampton Honey, Jericho Cider Mill, Mary’s Marvelous Granola, North Fork Potato Chips, and Paumonk Preserves.

Spanning more than 35,000 square feet, the new Whole Foods Market store was designed with a vibrant, airy feel. Shoppers enter under a glass-tower atrium that gives the open-air entrance a welcoming feel while naturally lighting the floral and produce departments flanking the entrance. Highlighting the new store will be Whole Foods Market’s continued commitment to buying local produce. During harvest season, shoppers can expect to see the fruits of many New York farmers’ labor with fresh red and green chard, late season lettuces, winter squash and many other Empire State favorites.

Knowledgeable fishmongers ready to recommend the fresh catches of the day greet shoppers in the large seafood department, where fresh fish packed on ice, a lobster tank, and cases for smoked seafood, Dungeness crabs and shellfish will display the freshest seafood available. Within the adjacent meat department, Whole Foods Market offers the freshest, highest-quality natural meats, free of antibiotics and growth hormones and presented by an experienced team ready to provide knowledge and expertise like neighborhood butchers used to do. A mouth-watering variety of all natural red meat, lamb and poultry will be available. One case is dedicated to organic meat and another for dry-aged beef, which is cured on-site.

In both the seafood and meat departments, “Ready to Cook” kits will be offered. “Ready to Cook” is a product line where the meat or seafood is packaged with marinades or other seasonings. Popular “Ready to Cook” selections include one with enough peeled and deveined shrimp and scallops to serve two, plus herb paste for cooking and remoulade for dipping.

Offering up an extensive selection of freshly prepared foods, Jericho’s new Whole Foods Market will be a place where busy Long Islanders can come for a healthful prepared meal, as well as for their grocery needs. A large rotisserie oven will roast chicken, ribs, pork, lamb, kabobs in a basket and small turkeys. In-house corned beef and pastrami will be available, as well as two salad bars, an island serving six varieties soup including chili, and a hot bar specializing in Italian and Indian cuisine. Rounding out the prepared cuisine offered at Jericho’s new Whole Foods Market are stations for sushi and comfort food for fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and roasts that can be carved and served.

Satisfying a sweet tooth can also be easily accomplished with a wide range of desserts including tiramisu, trifle, parfaits, rice and chocolate pudding. The bakery will also offer up European market style self-serve bread, four varieties of fudge sold by the pound at coffee island, and truffles from Christopher Norman. Shoppers with special dietary needs will also find the bakery department suited for them as vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free items will be available.

Upon checkout, nine registers will help shoppers get them on their way, but if they decide to enjoy their fresh prepared food purchases or just linger to people watch at Whole Foods Market, there is a bright and sunny 70-seat café.

“Not only are we here to serve shoppers with a tremendous selection of purely delicious, all natural foods, but with our commitment to customer service, ongoing cooking demos and free tastings, everyone will leave the new Whole Foods Market with a smile on their face and a bag of healthful food for themselves and their family,” said Jennifer Rudback, Whole Foods Market store team leader.

Whole Body™ at Whole Foods Market will offer a large selection of luxurious natural body care items and cosmetics, as well as a broad selection of high-quality nutritional supplements and vitamins. Customers will be able to enjoy a make-up station where they will be able to test selected products and take home samples. All products at Whole Body are made with the highest quality natural ingredients and are free of harsh chemicals and unnecessary fillers.

Whole Foods Market is a uniquely mission-driven company and one of the company’s core values is to be an active community citizen. It donates five percent of profits annually to a variety of non-profit organizations in addition to hosting quarterly five-percent days, where the store donates five percent of a day’s sales to a local non-profit organization.

“We know that residents along the Jersey Shore have been patiently waiting for the opening of a Whole Foods Market of their own, and today, I’m proud to say that we’re here to serve them with a tremendous selection of purely delicious, all natural foods,” said Christina Minardi, president of Whole Foods Market’s Tri-State Region. “Whether you’re seeking the largest selection of organically grown produce, natural and organic meats, fresh artisanal cheeses or simply an enjoyable shopping experience with outstanding customer service, we go to extraordinary lengths to delight our shoppers. We look forward to being a part of the Middletown community.”

Customers can shop with confidence knowing that Whole Foods Market takes pride in being highly selective about the products it sells. All products must meet the company’s strict quality standards to ensure that they are free of all artificial additives, sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives and hydrogenated oils.

Spanning more than 48,000-square feet, the new Whole Foods Market store was designed with a vibrant, airy feel. Some of the exciting features include: a large nut roasting center where ten varieties of nuts and eight types of nut butters are roasted and served fresh daily; knowledgeable fishmongers ready to recommend the fresh catches of the day; an expansive wine and beer department with daily wine tastings from 5 to 7 p.m.; and a bakery island featuring 15 daily baked artisan breads, countless dessert options and donuts made in-house with no transfats.

In the meat department a large rotisserie will roast chicken as well as ribs, pork, lamb, kabobs in a basket, and small turkeys. A chili and stew station will feature three variations of hot, ready-to-eat chili. Within the large prepared foods section, there will be two salad bars, a hot foods bar specializing in Indian and Latin dishes, seven types of soup in addition to stations for pizza, sushi and virtually anything fresh and hot off the grill. Upon checkout, 13 registers will help shoppers get them on their way, but if they decide to enjoy their fresh prepared food purchases at Whole Foods Market, there is a bright and sunny café that can accommodate almost 200 people for gathering and people watching.

“Our store will be great theater — from the nut roasting center to our seafood Team Members in their fishermen jump suits. We’ve turned the chore of grocery shopping into a fun, dynamic experience for Middletown,” said Paula DiMeglio, Whole Foods Market store team leader. “With our commitment to customer service, ongoing cooking demos and free tastings, everyone will leave the new Whole Foods Market with a smile on their face and a bag full of purely delicious food for themselves and their family.”

Also available at Middletown’s new Whole Foods Market is a large selection of gluten-free products from the company’s own dedicated bakehouse for the growing population of Americans with special dietary needs. The Middletown store also features freshly made, “Ready to Cook” kits, including one with enough peeled and deveined shrimp and scallops to serve two, plus herb paste for cooking and remoulade for dipping.

Whole Body™ at Whole Foods Market will offer a large selection of luxurious natural and organic body care items and cosmetics, as well as broad selection of high-quality nutritional supplements and vitamins. Customers will be able to enjoy a make-up station where they will be able to test selected products and take home samples. All products at Whole Body are made with the highest quality natural ingredients and are free of harsh chemicals and unnecessary fillers.

The store opened for a special sneak preview Monday night, raising $49,369 for Clean Ocean Action, a local organization committed to improve the degraded water quality of the marine waters off the New Jersey/New York coast. Almost 1,000 people previewed the new store, tasting dozens of the fine products available at the new Whole Foods Market. In addition to hosting the benefit, Whole Foods Market donated $25,000 to Clean Ocean Action.

“We are thrilled and delighted to create a working partnership with Whole Foods. Their focus on providing alternatives to promote cleaner and healthier living is good news for all of us, and for the whole planet,” said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director, Clean Ocean Action.

Whole Foods Market is a uniquely mission-driven company and one of the company’s core values is to be an active community citizen. It donates five percent of profits annually to a variety of non-profit organizations in addition to hosting quarterly five percent days, where the store donates five percent of a day’s sales to a local non-profit organization.

Contact: Fred Shank
Whole Foods Market
917.691.5412, mobile

“With the spacious layout and exciting features like the grilling station and expanded International selections and the café overlooking the park, this store along with our other Manhattan locations has transformed grocery shopping from a chore in to one of New Yorkers’ favorite pastimes,” said David Lannon, president of Whole Foods Market’s North Atlantic. “We are thrilled to be an integral part of this vibrant community of students, professionals, trendsetters and families, as well as the numerous growers and purveyors of some of New York’s finest products.”

Spanning more than 50,000 square feet, the new Whole Foods Market was designed with an edgy flair including flat screen paneled menus and an abstract chandelier created especially for the Union Square store. Shoppers start their journey downstairs on the “Market Level” to select the highest quality fruits and vegetables, a wide variety of groceries, health and beauty products, pristine seafood and all-natural meats. The butcher shop will provide a wide selection of prime meats and poultry raised to Whole Foods Market’s strict natural meat standards, raised free of antibiotics and added hormones, never fed animal by-products and minimally processed. A 38-foot seafood case features fresh fish and seafood, raised by ecologically responsible purveyors. Navigating to “Street Level” will be easy with the store is equipped with a special shopping cart escalator. There, restaurant quality-prepared foods await shoppers along with a bakery and a grilling station. There are 38 registers for fast checkout. Another highlight of the three-story supermarket is its “Picnic Area” with its spacious 116-seat café with fresh juice bar and a spectacular park view.

At the ‘Almost-Open Party’ Monday night that benefited the Union Square Partnership, more than a thousand people previewed the new store, sampling dozens of the fine products available at Whole Foods Market. Also on hand for the event was celebrity chef Mario Batali, who premiered his own line of innovative, natural and authentic Italian take-out products, including make your own Pizza Kits and fresh Salsa Cruda that will be available exclusively at Whole Foods Market. Through donations, more than $110,000 was raised for the campaign to revitalize and complete Union Square Park, including a matching gift of $50,000 from Whole Foods Market. Also donating funds were Urban Space Management and the GabbeGroup, which contributed $10,000 each, as well as, Con Edison, which gave $25,000.

“We have been eagerly anticipating this store to open as it certainly will be a significant contribution to the community,” said Karen H. Shaw, Executive Director of Union Square Partnership. “The new Whole Foods Market store will be a great force in driving traffic to the area and further enhancing Union Square as a destination spot, and will also provide the neighborhood with a wonderful gathering place.”

Whole Body™ at Whole Foods Market will offer the city’s largest selection of luxurious natural and organic body care items and cosmetics, as well as unadulterated nutritional supplements and vitamins. Customers will be able to enjoy a make-up station where they will be able to test selected products and take home samples. All products at Whole Body are made with the highest quality natural ingredients and are free of harsh chemicals and unnecessary fillers.

In addition to the unrivalled selection of organically grown produce, all-natural and organic meats, and fresh artisanal cheeses for which Whole Foods Market is known, the Union Square store has put special emphasis on locally made New York offerings and on greatly expanding the range of exotic, international offerings. A special Made in New York program boasts local and seasonal products, including some from the Greenmarket farmer’s market and other popular New York purveyors such as Ronnybrook, Peanut Butter & Co., Rick’s Picks, Yancey’s Fancy and many more. The 28-foot International Section spans the globe featuring an unrivalled variety of products, including Lebanese fig jam, preserved lemons from Morocco, Indian curries, Thai rice, stuffed grape leaves from Greece and goulash from Hungary. The prepared foods section will highlight its Grilling Station where shoppers can enjoy grilled-to-order dishes such as Swordfish in Red Pepper Romesco Sauce and Steak with Rich Mushroom Demi Glace.

The Whole Foods Market Gluten-Free Bakehouse offers the largest selection of gluten-free products anywhere with more than 27 delicious baked goods catering specifically to the growing population of Americans with special dietary needs. The Union Square store also features freshly made, all-natural “Whole Meals” like Chicken Parmesan with Penne, Turkey Dinner with all the fixins’, Grilled Salmon, Vegetarian specials and more — perfect healthy options for the area’s numerous college students. Plus, all products at Whole Foods Market are free of artificial additives, preservatives, sweeteners, colorings and flavors and hydrogenated oils.

“We are very excited about becoming part of this dynamic downtown community,” said Otto Leuschel, Whole Foods Market store team leader. “We look forward to meeting our new customers — from the true foodies looking to prepare a gourmet meal to the college student in search of that quick, delicious and healthy bite in a fun and welcoming setting.”