If You Build It (Organically) They Will Come

By Laura Oppenheimer in Food on Jul 6, 2007 4:30PM

August 8. August 8 is the day some have been waiting for and some have been dreading. The day Whole Foods will open in the South Loop's Southgate Market. We originally disliked the idea. Then we were pissed when it didn't open in the fall. We also worried that Whole Foods might give up on us all together when their profits were falling. But yuppies, hippies, and everyone in between rejoice: South Loop Whole Foods will be open in a mere month.

The 55,000 square foot store will feature a waterfall, meat smokehouse and wine that shoppers can drink by the glass as they shop. Chicagoist once drank a Bloody Mary during brunch and then went shopping so we know from first person experience that Whole Foods is onto something very lucrative here. Let us be the first to tell you not to drink and shop at the same time, unless you really do want to spend your whole paycheck.

Other features of the store include: an in-store coffee-bean roaster and bakery, the standard Whole Food's selection of organically grown produce, cheaper private-label products to appeal to a wider audience, dressing rooms so customers can try on organic and hemp clothing, and a festive train motif throughout the store.

Whole Foods will open new stores at the Center on Halsted on Halsted and Waveland Avenues, on July 25; in Northbrook on Aug. 29; and will relocate their North Avenue store to the intersection of Sheffield and Kingsbury sometime next year.

"Coming Soon," by Joe M500.