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Arroyo Store Blog
Intro to Arroyo
by arroyo, August 17, 2009 | Permalink
Outside Arroyo
After being opened almost two years (November!), it just dawned on us that we should introduce our beautiful Arroyo location to all that are unfamiliar. And we can always spot the newcomers; the jaw drags across the floor as they look around with glee and wonderment.
We’re not bragging, believe me. We really do see this reaction. In fact, ask the team members about their original reaction upon entering the store for the first time. “I was overwhelmed,” says Whole Body Leslie. “Honestly, I thought it was nice, until I rode the escalator upstairs, and I was in awe. I couldn’t believe how big it was,” Lyle recounts. Other noted sound bites: “It reminded me of an airport”, “I just loved looking and thinking about all the yummy stuff in here!” It goes on and on.
But this post is to help you get around, and show you some shortcuts, treats, or hidden treasures you might (have) missed.
Let’s start outside. Many customers have told us they drove right by us, and didn’t see us. And we sometimes get phone alls about where to park. So the basics: We are on the Northwest corner of Arroyo Parkway and Bellevue. Bellevue is between California and Del Mar.
Our parking structure is underground (perfect to keep the sun off your car, and the rain!), which you can get to from Bellevue. I suggest, usually, skipping the first floor parking. The waiting and searching time can take a minute, so do yourself a favor and skip 1st floor, head to the second, and I can almost guarantee a closer spot to the elevators (or stairs) to take you up to the first floor.
So now you are heading upstairs, and the elevator opens to our entrance. Checkout the sign holders, as they will give you the latest coupons, sales, and notices of events (yes, we hold in-store events!).
Produce opens to all your senses. Depending on the season, you can pick-up the freshest, local, in-season produce right up front. There is no questioning what is eating good: we stack it high right in the beginning so you don’t have to guess. And take a look at our wet rack- it holds over 100 feet of local and organic greens, vegetables, and herbs.
But here is a secret not everyone takes advantage of: we LOVE sampling! Not just the samples already provided, but ask a team member about what is eating good, and they will gladly cut open the juiciest peach, crispest apple, or sweetest pineapple. And before you leave our produce section, check out the back wall for the “exotic” and interesting produce we might have in-stock. And again, ask a team member how they recommend eating it. We just love to talk food.
So we’re in… take a look around, taste a few samples, and get a massage! That’s right! Behind our produce department we have a massage chair ope from 12-8pm. Treat yourself before we go on… its only $7 for 5 minutes!
Arroyo’s Partners and Donations for June 2009
by arroyo, July 7, 2009 | Permalink
South Central Farmers
As we move into another month (yikes! Already…), we would like to take an opportunity to express our gratitude and honor to the many groups, organizations, businesses, and people that we have been so fortunate to work with both this past month and beyond. We thank our community for your tremendous support and for bringing such life, excitement, and perspective into our store. We love our neighborhoods, and our proud to be apart of these dynamic communities.
June 2009: We have either donated, supported, sponsored, or partnered with the following during the month of June (in alphabetical order): Another Year in L.A., Camp Laurel, Coalition for Clean Air, Councilmember Ed P. Reyes’ Vegan Bake Sale for the Los Angeles River Keepers, Downtown Women’s Center, Fallen Fruit, Friends of Levitt Pavilion, Integrative Nutrition, L.A.C.E., Lioness L.A., Los Angeles Historic Italian Hall Foundation, Marengo Elementary School PTA, Old Town Cooking School, Options for Youth, Project Angel, Side Street Projects, South Central Farmers’ Cooperative, Southern California University of Health Sciences, South Pasadena Educational Foundation, Pasadena Library, Pasadena Moms Club, Talent 1 Media Film Festival
If we forgot any, we apologize! We will update this each month, so our community can see our reach. Thank you all and have a wonderful month.
Seafood Standards i.e. What is MSC?
by arroyo, May 30, 2009 | Permalink
We’re careful about how we source all of our seafood – we ranked #1 in Greenpeace’s survey for seafood sustainability among retailers! Here is a quick detail about our seafood, and specifically MSC certified seafood. Hope this helps explains our commitment. And if you ever have questions about seafood, please just ask our seafood department. We have so much information and passion to share!
· For a decade, we’ve been offering seafood from MSC-certified sustainable fisheries.
· Look for the blue Marine Stewardship Council sticker on seafood packaging.
· By choosing MSC-certified products, you reward sustainable fisheries and encourage other fisheries to be responsible too.
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC):
· The MSC is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable fisheries around the world by using market based incentives.
· The organization is committed to the long-term viability of the global fish supply and healthy marine ecosystems.
· They have set up a third-party certification program to deem well-managed, responsible fisheries sustainable.
· Customers purchasing this seafood can rest assured that their fish was not overfished or harvested in ways that harm the ocean.
Breakfast for Berry Season
by arroyo, May 23, 2009 | Permalink
Its my favorite season right now: Berry Season! We have raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries on sale right now, and they are just spectacular. And new this week, we have cherries! Our red cherries are on sale too, for $3.99/lb.
So with these prices in mind, I wanted to share my new favorite breakfast. I look for a high fiber (5g or more) and high protein (5g or more) cereal for the morning, which might not be the most exciting cereal to break my fast with, but you really have to be careful about what you put in your body first thing in the morning. You need to combine protein with any kind of sugar (fruit) in order to slow the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. My solution is to use my “good for you” cereal, and add a little bit of the tasty cereal I crave on top, over assorted berries, and topped with hemp milk. This way, I get fiber, protein, fresh fruit, and an added bonus of omegas from the hemp milk, plus the taste of the “naughty” cereal gets me excited to eat in the morning, which can sometimes be tough for me.
Are there any other delicious breakfast solutions for our new season out there?
South Central L.A. Farmers, Featured in 2008 Academy Award-Nominated Documentary, Bring Hope and Produce to Pasadena
by arroyo, April 8, 2009 | Permalink
South Central Los Angeles farmers, whose story was told in the 2008 Academy Award
Nominated documentary, “The Garden,” begin a new chapter in their lives. They will lead an
organic cooking demonstration; sell local, organic produce from their new farm in Shafter, CA;
and host a roundtable discussion about Locavore community food initiatives.
On Saturday, April 11th from 12-4pm the farmers will be in-store to talk about their new farm,
and offer tastings of their organic produce.
At 1pm, a Round Table Forum/Discussion will begin with the farmers of South Central, The
Dervaes Family of Path to Freedom (urban homestead), the creators of Fallen Fruit (urban
foraging), and Cisco Pinedo (Cisco Home).
Join us, for the launch of our partnership with the South Central Farmers, and the authentic
discussion on locavore and food issues.
Whole Foods Market Arroyo Parkway
465 South Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena CA 91105 · (626) 204-2266
An end to poverty on our Whole Planet?
by arroyo, March 17, 2009 | Permalink
Whole Planet Foundation’s annual fundraising campaign has already reached its goal of over 1 million dollars to end poverty worldwide, and it has only been 4 weeks.
For anyone who doesn’t already know about it, Whole Planet Foundation is a 501c3 organization which has as its sole mission the eradication of poverty in the world. That’s it. That simple.
How do they accomplish this goal? Through microcredit to those impoverished individuals. Whole Planet Foundation works with the Grameen Trust, which was created by Nobel Laureate Muhammud Yunus. We locate communities where we source product, and begin centers to bring the women of the area together. The target of the loans is women, because children and women are the poorest people on the planet. And when a woman’s income grows or changes, it has direct impacts on her family.
The Foundation was started about 4 years ago, and we are now in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Kenya, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, East Timoor, and Queens, NY. The loans on average are $200, which the women use to start their own business. The business has nothing to do with Whole Foods Market- they don’t have to sell product to us, or check with us on their decision.
There are more than 1 billion people living on less than $1 a day (in US currency). Today through March 31st at all U.S. Whole Foods Market locations, you can empower the poor. Make a donation of $1 at the registers and help raise $1 million for microcredit. Last year, thanks to shopper generosity, we were able to expand into Africa to fund microcredit loans for the very poor in Ethiopia and Kenya. This year we are expanding to a community in Peru where Whole Foods Market sources onions, with additional potential projects in communities in Mexico, Haiti, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Paraguay.
I met some of the women who have received these loans. The success they have had is immediately apparent on the faces and in the lives of their children. For many, it represents a chance at education, and ending a family cycle of poverty. Check out more information at: http://www.wholeplanetfoundation.org/about/
Locavore Grows As SCFC Comes to Arroyo.
by arroyo, March 3, 2009 | Permalink
Locavores take note! We are proud to offer organic, local produce from the South Central Farmers’ Cooperative (SCFC), the subject of the Academy Award Nominated Documentary “The Garden”. SCFC is a grassroots economic development of the South Central Farmers’ Health and Education Fund, a 501c(3) public benefit organization, that is committed to engaging and empowering community members around attaining food sovereignty and access to high quality organic produce.
All produce is grown and harvested on land that is currently leased by SCFC located in Shafter, California. Community members from Los Angeles, travel to the Bakersfield farm each week to plant, clean, and harvest the produce. By growing the business, the opportunity for more community members to work the land in sustainable, healthy ways arises.
We are currently the only retailer for South Central Farmers’ Cooperative. By selling their produce at retail prices, they are able to offer the organic produce to community members at a lower price, extending access to high quality food for all. Some call that margin blending, we call it good business.
Shopping local and organic makes a huge difference for our community, our planet, our food diversification. Choose SCFC for their beautiful loose leaf spinach, their grand cilantro, colorful greens, and you make a difference in the lives of the farmers, and the community of South Central Los Angeles.
Rawk n Roll!
by arroyo, February 26, 2009 | Permalink
Raw food fans, inquisitors, and skeptics alike- take note! Robyn Chadonnet is the mastermind and chef behind Nude Foods. Her cheesecakes sell like…well, hot cheesecakes. She hosted a raw-kin’ hand-on non-cooking class on Monday night, which successfully lifted me out of the no-football blues that Monday nights often bring on these post-bowl days. But really, I didn’t miss the pig skin at all. Accompanied by her raw-some assistant, Mat, the more than 2 hour demonstration allowed us all to get down and dirty with delights of raw food.
Sometimes overwhelmed by scope of the job of going raw, Robyn reminds us to take it slow. You don’t have to go from 10% to 100%! Just add some new recipes into your repertoire, mixing and matching. Start simple, and of course, have fun. And what’s not fun about a delicious pistachio dip, Creamy Tomato Soup, or Jicama Ravioli with Pistachio Pesto? And you won’t believe the finale: Nude Foods Cheesecake and Apple Mixture with Macadamia Nut Whip Cream. YUM~!!!!!
Wine Mania!
by arroyo, February 13, 2009 | Permalink
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, flight and four-legged friends, our 20% wine promotion is INCREDIBLE and going fast! Six bottles of wine or more will grant you 20% off! I would like to take an opportunity to run down the choices for the VIPs… the smart and loyal following of Arroyo Parkway. In order to get the full scoop, I talked to our Associate Team Leader and Beer and Wine Specialist, Randy Clemens:
Me: “So Randy, can you tell me how to get the most out of this three day promotion?”
Randy: “Well, Arroyo, (my code name) there are a few secret ways to use this sale to your advantage. One technique is to purchase 6 of our fantastic $10 wines, which would bring your average bottle price down to only $8! Another fantastic trick I just witnessed was purchasing an expensive bottle of wine, and then filling up the six-pack with some of our least expensive wines. That way, the 20% really counts against a bottle of wine that you might not otherwise purchase. And then of course, you can really make a splash if you load up on the higher end wine, and save it for your special occasions.”
Me: “Wow Randy, you have really thought this out!”
Randy: “Not only did I give you my low down, but my friend is getting married in April, and he purchased all the wine and champagne now! He will just store it until his big day! Now that is planning ahead.”
Amazing savings! One and half days left folks. And you can count on getting the inside scoop here.
Lost in Winter Sale
by arroyo, February 3, 2009 | Permalink
I was walking through the store, and noticed a strange sale sign, which caught my eye and made me double take. Next to the Nut Station, a funny looking Sale Sign highlighted that it was a “Manager’s Special”. Well my friends, these special signs denote incredible deals, so I dove deeper… and got lost in the winter-wonderland of beer. Lost Coast Winterbraun is on Manager’s Sale (which means this location only!) for $5.99 a six pack (regular price is $8.99)! And it doesn’t stop there! Anderson Valley Winter Solstice in on Manager’s Sale for only $6.99 a six pack- regularly $9.99! These two delicious winter brews from two Californian breweries are melting into a Spring memory fast, so put on your parka and ski, snowboard, sled, or telemark your way over to the Arroyo store to pick up these sixers… afterall, in sunny Southern California, winter won’t last long!
