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The new Whole Foods in Lincoln Park opened yesterday and it's huge. Really huge. Third largest in the world, in fact, behind a London store and the flagship Austin, Texas branch. 75,000 square feet of organic goodness. Even Mayor Daley was on hand to check out the new store and, we assume, buy some granola bars. We didn't get a chance to swing by and check it out but rest assured, we will soon. Luckily, readers Steve Koo and JoeM500 stopped by and took some pics.
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Now we may proceed to buy overpriced groceries to pay for that very expensive-looking food emporium.
I am weaning myself off WholeFoods. There is no way I can justify those prices anymore.
When you're paying over $200 a week to feed two people that's insane. I got everything I needed for the week, this week, at Trader Joe's and spent $120 (and that included some vitamins).
I just read an article about a married couple who tried an experiment, to live for one month on what the government would give them in food stamps, which was around $240. For one month.
They did it, survived it and didn't hate it.
I think I could do it...but my son HATES beans. You can't hate beans and whittle your
grocery bill down to $240 a month. A lot of beans have to be involved to live that cheaply.
It's very difficult to eat healthy, organic food on a strict budget...but I would love to be able to get my grocery bill down to less than $300 a month...and it ain't going to happen at Whole Foods, that's for sure.
It looks really shiny. It sounds really shiny. I've actually never been inside a Whole Foods, but I love big shiny grocery stores and Trader Joes because I am a food dork.
But even if there were one nearby, I don't think I could justify shopping there. I love Caputo's and Meijer and both have great prices. The husband and I spend about $175 a month on groceries. Maaaybe $200 when we splurge a bit. So I can't imagine spending that much a week. (And we do eat pretty well, not much red meat. We like beans. And pasta dishes. I would buy more fresh vegetables, but I'd be the only one eating most of them.)
The point is, I'd want to go inside the WF and stare and wander and have a cup of fair trade coffee, but I'd never buy regular groceries there.
I like the CONCEPT of Whole Foods (bringing healthy, organic food to us city dwellers), but, yeah, those prices...
I can get produce that just as good, even a lot less, at several places in the city, including good ol' Stanley's on North Ave.
Still, they'll do fine there. They won't be hurting financially one iota just because I won't be going there.
Produce from Stanley's goes bad in a a few days though
I think that's a good thing. I don't want tomatoes that last a month. Something is probably wrong with that.
You can also get inexpensive fruit & veggies at Jerry's in Niles & Oakton & Milwaukee.
You need a car even though the bus does go there. And don't go on a Saturday or Sunday until late, the place is a zoo then!
Plus he has lots of closeouts on candy & some frozen foods.
I absolutely love shopping at Whole Foods -- I don't really like shopping for clothes or anything else, so I think it meets my instinctive gathering needs as a woman.
But I too am trying to wean off of the WF a bit, to save money. Lately I've been hitting Dominick's first and getting the things that aren't appreciably better at WF -- canned olives, soy milk, even cereal, bread, etc. While walking through the Dominick's at Fullerton and Sheffield makes me throw up a little, I'm amazed at how much cheaper it is. Especially lately, when everything there seems to be on mega sale. So then I hit the WF for my produce and other wonderful things that Dominick's can't do. And then sometimes to Trader Joe's for the cheap wine. These places are all within a few blocks of each other, so I can hit them all on my bike or car pretty easily.
I've found that our weekly grocery bills have gone from about $150 to $100 on this plan. Of course, once I start hitting the farmers markets, that number is gonna double...
it's f-ing huge. i visited today.
If anyone's interested, read my blog post about it...
http://www.totesobvi.com/2009/05/21/new-whole-foods-absolutely-positively-fucking-ooc/
I kind of have to go check it out. If you work at a WF for a few years, there's this instinctive need to go and see what they improved upon. Produce Team was where it was at! They gave you a goddamn knife to carry around!!!
Trader Joes is where its at. Much cheaper, but if you have cash burning a hole in your pocket go to this new Whole Foods for some pricey eats then hit the strip club across the street. That's a good way to blow through $400 right there.
By the way, that street that runs through there is jacked up. I can't wait to see the mess this store will create for traffic. Madness. That whole area is insane with adding tons of stores but not working on the infrastructure to support how people get through there.
I was sad to read that the new store is located in the same area as the old one. I usually take my bike to get groceries, and this area is terrifying to ride through. North Ave doesn't have much shoulder space and there are some messy pot holes in the street. Going north on Clybourn is fine, but the traffic is usually bad, which puts car drivers in a bad mood who sometimes then take it out on me.
It is near the red line CTA stop, which is nice, but I wonder if accessibility for those without cars was ever a concern when choosing the location.
This also partially ruins my "secret" route to work on the rare occasions I drive to Grand and Halsted to park and ride the Blue Line one stop to the office. The potholes were bad enough...now this congestion too? Dang.
The only reason Whole Paycheck does so well in Chicago is that there is no other natural foods-type coop supermarket here. There are a few smaller things, but nothing substantial. Most other big cities I've lived in have them (SF, Boston, etc.). I hear rumours that a place is thinking of opening up in logan square though, so that should be nice if it actually happens.
Whole Foods definitely needs some competition here.
You are thinking of the Dill Pickle Coop. They are making a lot of progress, and hope to open this summer on Fullerton Ave. An easy google search will direct you to their website. This will be a great addition to the grocery industry in Chicago, and it's a mystery why we don't have a coop already.
It's funny to hear people going to Dominick's to save money. I only go there in an emergency because it's the closest to me. Last I checked, they had red peppers 2/$4. Yeah, no.
Shop at Aldi for all your staples and save thousands a year. Eggs, butter, canned goods, garlic, wheat bread, hot dog buns, cereal, boxed/bagged snacks. It's all the same as the brand names. I get 85% of my stuff there and the rest from a local market. Yet people who turn up their nose at Aldi come over and marvel at the food we make.
Maybe they're just being polite.
Love it! Been a low income shopper at WF's for 13 years. I also pinch hit at my local and great Latino Market.
I have always shopped the sales. Use a small and tight grocery list. Hands down the Whole Foods 365 line beats the other stores by far in QUALITY and price.
Cannot beat the freshness, quality and shelf life of my fav green vegetables I eat daily from Whole Foods. Almost always near or same price at
a tastier and not far from Dominicks these day. D's and others produce just isn't as good. ( D's is usually higher for organic).
The household detergents, cleaners and specialty items I rarely buy because those are higher. Paying for 'green'
I guess. This WHOLE PAYCHECK cliche is just that.
My non dairy box beverages are almost ONE WHOLE DOLLAR higher at Dominicks and the others. So it really depends. Yes, often the produce goes bad in a few days from Dominicks and indies.
Trader Joes..NO WAY. Crummy stores, idiotic and rude staff.They carry many off brands that are are horrible and I got ripped too many times.
They also are known as being the big buyer of almost out of date warehouse lots. I have been burned there too.
Years ago when I bought wine form TJ's 3 x in a row I became sick the next day. I am talking 3 glasses in an evening. Take a good look at those labels. They buy the rot of the vine , the stuff that would be tossed out. I know that business through a wine somelier friend .
I bet Whole Foods makes less mark up because TJ's is probably paying .75 a bottle for most of their crap wine.
Haven't been to a Trader Joes in years and never will.
My sister likes it but shops Whole Foods for the good stuff.
It is very noticeable that Trader Joes bashes other stores in reviews all the time. Someone told me it is part of the owners religion.(?) Came upon it before and rarely add comments but had a moment this sunny day.
The New Whole Foods is proof it is top dog/cat and that is why so many people like to bash it.Kissing the publics butt with this store..and making big $ too.
Because of this article I went to the Whole Foods website and found out
they have a low cost loan program for local artisans. local artisan companies. Damn cool! That is another reason I prefer supporting that company, they do tons of giveback. Take a look at their website and see what they do. Lets face it they are the best at what they do..run good stores and have a superior model.
I am an appreciative customer and have been for years
so look for Rubberlips at the Lincoln Park store.
Funny how passionate we are about our fancy grocery stores while a good portion of the world starves.
We are really decadent aren't we?