Whole Foods

[metro]

Here's the address if you would like to write a letter for a Trader Joe's downtown, unfortunately they do not have an email contact:

117 Kendrick Street, Suite 700
Needham, MA 02494

[TStheThird]

The Cellar Super Store is a pretty good place to buy wine in OKC. It is on May Ave. and it is giant. They have a great Itian red selection. The store is the size of a Hobby Lobby... Plenty of wine for all... heck of a deal.

[BDP]

Good info pulse. I agree that the liquor laws are more due to special interest concerns by liquor stores and our liquor distributors (those guys don't want anything to change).

In the end, I wouldn't mind having to go to another store to buy liquor, as long as the access wasn't prohibited and they could chill their inventory. Not being able to buy a bottle of wine on Sunday is extremely annoying, as is not being able to buy properly chilled wine or beer.

[floater]

Downtown would really be best-suited with 3 smaller grocery stores than one giant one. One on the north side of Bricktown (in the middle of future Bricktown residential and Deep Deuce), one near the Arts District (near future residential in the CBD and west side of downtown), and one in midtown for those there and the Mesta Park/Heritage Hills neighborhoods. It would be great to see local grocers instead of nationals like Whole Foods, Albertsons, etc. Maybe Tulsa-based Reasors or even Duncan-based Goodners? Are there any local grocery chains in OKC?

I agree. Key to satisfying downtown residents is walkability. Can you walk to the grocery store with your groceries? Or does the store offer delivery for a fee that's not outrageous? For this reason, I think BG is right: there needs to be not big one, but at least three smaller ones (about 2500 sq ft), one for each of the sides he(she) mentioned.

I think downtown leaders think the grocery has to be niche in order to attract non-downtown residents who can supplement neighborhood sales. But in all likelihood, what these residents will do is shop at the local groceries for their immediate needs and shop at the lower-priced grocers elsewhere on the weekends for their longer-term needs. That's what my neighbors did when I lived downtown. If a purpose of downtown is living in a pedestrian-friendly environment, then what's the appeal if a Bricktown resident has to drive to Midtown for their basic groceries?

Of course, we can have a large niche grocer like Trader Joes and a couple of smaller groceries, but would that really happen?

[BG918]

Instead of going after Whole Foods, maybe OKC should work on getting Wild Oats. They are very similar to Whole Foods, and the one in Tulsa has been a huge success. They also have an organic cafe and deli/bakery that would be an awesome addition to downtown OKC. Or what about Tulsa-based Akin's Natural Foods, they already have 2 locations in OKC why not downtown or midtown?

[metro]

Akins is selective in content and doesnt have a cafe' nor is it very upscale. I think a Wild Oats would be best fit and most easy to attain. Lets get a group mailing going!!

[BG918]

^ You should just send them an e-mail, they take that into consideration when choosing a new location. I sent them an e-mail about coming into Norman and they replied that they are currently looking at expanding somewhere in the OKC metro soon. They said they have had a lot of success in Tulsa (they are expanding the store there) and believe they can do well in OKC as well. We'll see how long this takes to happen though...

[gqofoklahoma]

akins is a poor excuse for a health food store compared to wild oats and whole foods...im sorry

[Patrick]

I think it's interesting watching some of the people that go into Akins. Some of them literally look like they're on their last leg. Quite a few people that go in there think they're getting the cure to all of their ailments. Most of what Akins sells is snake oil. I suppose they do have a nice vitamin section though, if you can get around the sour smelling herbs.

[foodiefan]

The commercial real estate transactions in today's paper had a listing for Whole Foods in Walnut Square. . . 3500+ sw feet. Does anyone know if this is the REAL Whole Foods?? If so, any thoughts as to why in S OKC?? I know it's growing, but. . .

[mranderson]

The commercial real estate transactions in today's paper had a listing for Whole Foods in Walnut Square. . . 3500+ sw feet. Does anyone know if this is the REAL Whole Foods?? If so, any thoughts as to why in S OKC?? I know it's growing, but. . .

3,553 to be exact. I doubt it. I think the Whole Foods you are mentioning is a supermarket. 3,553 square feet is about ten percent of the space a supermarket needs. It is probably some type of other specialty place.

If they use Whole Foods, then that trademarks it in Oklahoma thus barring the use by the larger chain.

[foodiefan]

RATS!!!!! I thought the SF was small and couldn't figure the location but was hoping just the same. Wonder how can they use the Whole Foods name. . .then again, guess you can do anything until someone tells you to cease and desist.

[mranderson]

RATS!!!!! I thought the SF was small and couldn't figure the location but was hoping just the same. Wonder how can they use the Whole Foods name. . .then again, guess you can do anything until someone tells you to cease and desist.

The name of a business must be registered with the governing body that regulates corporations in each state. In Oklahoma, it is the secretery of state. The only way out of it may be a blanket nationwide registration.

If it is registered to someone else, they have exclusive rights.

[Decious]

I believe that the national registered trademark for the chain is "Whole Foods Market", so they'll be okay whenever they decide to enter our trade area. I actually think that a Whole Foods Market would do well on the south side. The areas around Rivendell have really boomed.

[mranderson]

I believe that the national registered trademark for the chain is "Whole Foods Market", so they'll be okay whenever they decide to enter our trade area. I actually think that a Whole Foods Market would do well on the south side. The areas around Rivendell have really boomed.

You may be correct. However, Whole Foods could file a protest due to similar names. It happens on occasion.

[Spartan]

I'm pretty positive we'll be in their next round of expansion locations coming out at the end of this year.

I can't say where it will in all likelihood be, mostly because there's a lot of sites they may be looking at, but I'm 60% positive that Tulsa's location will be between Tulsa and Jenks in a massive new-urbanist development called Tulsa Hills.

[Turanacus]

I wish we would get a Whole Foods Market in the downtown area, it's really the only thing keeping me from moving down to the Triangle area.

[Saberman]

I'm not sure, but they may be referring to Whole Foods Nutrition Stores. Why they would go in at Walnut Square is beyond me. Isn't that where the Health Food Center is located?

[metro]

I emailed them to clarify. I also emailed Wild Oats again to see what's stopping them from locating in OKC.

[Turanacus]

The conglomerate, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, etc etc - - They will not entertain offers from Oklahoma because of our liquor laws. Those stores make considerable revenue from Spirits sales, they can't do any of those sales in this state because the octogenarians in the capital won't wake up and smell the roses.

[metro]

Yes Turanacus, we've already discussed that numerous times, although funny enough everytime I've talked to them, they never mentioned that was the reason why. Also riddle me this Batman, how come Wild Oats built in Tulsa 7 years ago and the store still remains? Last time I checked Tulsa was in Oklahoma! They're Marketing Manager even publicly asked OKC why we didn't try and persue them instead of trying to lure Whole Foods. Now they're the same company. Wild Oats was just as good in my opinion. Now instead of having a few Wild Oats, we're stuck with nothing but our own Akin's.

[Turanacus]

Ah, I see that Whole Foods Market did acquire Wild Oats, as Whole Foods often does with competitors. I didn't know there was a Wild Oats in Tulsa, this fact still doesn't negate the point about Whole Foods Corporate being uninterested in our market place because of ignorant laws. We probably should have pursued Wild Oats while we had the chance, but 7 years ago we would have had little bait to interest them in a Downtown/Midtown location.

We need something to cater to Block 42, Deep Deuce, Centennial, Legacy, The Hill, many other lofts and condo's residents not to mention the commuters leaving downtown. I'd hit the store often while leaving the Downtown Y to head back up to 42nd and Penn. The only options I have are Ghetto Homeland and War zone Walmart.

[metro]

Yes Turanacus, but there had to have been something to lure Wild Oats to Oklahoma dispite the liquor laws. I know you're a fairly new member of this site as we've already discussed this topic in length before, however my point is all these "organic markets" if you will operate on the same basic model. Apparently Oklahoma was enough for Wild Oats. Why can't they or Trader Joes, Whole Foods or anyone else land a store in the OKC metro. It would still be a huge success dispite the liquor laws. Not to mention the OKC metro is far more lucrative and booming than Tulsa. I've been to the Wild Oats Market in Tulsa and I was not impressed by the location. It's in an older section of town, tucked in a small older shopping center and is almost hard to notice from the outside with the poor signage. If Tulsa can support one for 7 years plus now, I know OKC can support at least one without it having to sell liquor.

[Turanacus]

I've read all of the (previous) threads on this topic, they were all lacking my valuable insight which is why I am revisiting. Also, my interest has gained new momentum as living in the Block 42 area has become quite attractive to me.

[metro]

I'm not sure what you're bringing that is "new". Many posters have already mentioned the antiquated liquor laws being a hindrance. Many have also mentioned the downtown housing boom and thousands of people migrating downtown this year. Triangle (which includes Block 42, Deep Deuce, Maywood Park, Flat Iron, and more!) as well as Bricktown, The Arts Quarter, Midtown, Automobile Alley, CBD and other downtown districts with housing. Nothing I read was new, OLD NEWS. We all know and so do potential developers about luring a downtown grocery store is appealing to all these districts and developments.

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-are...+grocery+store