Whole Foods

[Dustin]

For those of you that haven't gone yet, this website: http://www.anorganicwife.com/2011/10...homa-city.html has some good photos of the inside.

[shriekingviolet]

You're absolutely correct that Norman is more likely than south OKC but your generaliztion of that area as Wal-Mart shoppers is very incorrect. Some of the wealthiest developments in the entire metro are in south OKC.

The "Wal-Mart shoppers" was also the same generalization throw at Oklahoma City residents at large because of the percentage of the grocery market Wal-Mart had captured. But clearly, we will happily shop elsewhere in large volume if presented with better opportunities.

[Larry OKC]

^^^
Correct. I am not sure what Wal-marts share of the market is but it isn't like it is 100% (even with the multiple Supercenter & Neighborhood Markets), there are plenty of other choices all over the metro area including southside.

[soonerguru]

You're absolutely correct that Norman is more likely than south OKC but your generaliztion of that area as Wal-Mart shoppers is very incorrect. Some of the wealthiest developments in the entire metro are in south OKC.

You mean "neuveau riche" Wal-Mart shoppers? Yes. The southside has lots of those.

[Questor]

I did my weekly shopping at Whole Foods this week to see what I thought about it. I used to shop at them a long time ago in Texas, but most recently have been shopping at Natural Grocer in Norman. From my perspective, here are the pros:

• The store is big. As best as I can recall this is a real, full-sized Whole Foods. The only thing missing is of course the liquor selection, but I didn't miss it.
• It's nice to finally have a store in OKC that isn't 100% health food or 100% mass products. It's so great to be able to buy, for example, Organic Valley products and Coke at the same time in the same store.
• I had forgotten how much I missed the fantastic deli and meat markets of Whole Foods. In addition to deli meats and fresh breads, there is a line where you can have a pizza made fresh for you as you like it, there's a sushi bar, there are numerous pre-made dinners ready to go, if I remember correctly the standard sandwich and coffee bars are there, they have a salad bar, and they have a large buffet bar where you can grab lunch or dinner and go. The buffet includes traditional American foods, Asian dishes, and East Indian dishes. I took some Indian home with me and found it to be surprisingly good.
• Fish from the meat market was quite good.
• There is an outdoor terrace but it wasn't in use while I was there. It will be interesting to see if they do live music and things that are common in other cities.

The cons as I see them:

• Prices are high. Some items were double what I have been paying at Natural Grocer.
• Their selection of special dietary requirement foods was not as large as I had hoped. Other stores in the metro have way, way more gluten free and vigen options.
• I was surprised at how wilted and day-old some of the vegetables I purchased looked considering I was there on Day 2. Green onions were quite horrible looking... I expected better quality control.
• I was hoping they would have a larger selection of Kettle chips and Envirokids breakfast products. Other WF stores I have been to have had more flavors/choices.
• The outdoor terrace that I mentioned... it was getting dark but if I remember correctly it is just sort of surrounded by parking lot. The Whole Foods I used to shop at in Texas had a landscaped park that their terrace faced (WF built the park). It's not a big deal just an aw shucks would have been nice.
  
  
  One not-exactly negative is that there are a lot of people going there right now just browsing and not buying anything. The store was extremely crowded when I went, making it difficult to actually shop, but when I got up to the counters there were very few people in line compared to the number of people in the store so that went quickly. Come to think of it another negative just due to it being a new store was that not all of my items rang up properly and took some extra time to do a price check. I am sure that will get better in time.
  
  So in summary, I think if you plan on shopping here I would wait another week or two and let the crowds die down. If I lived in OKC I would probably make this my weekly shopping store (although I have not been to Sunflower so I can't compare it to that). Since I don't live in OKC I will probably stick with Natural Grocer in Norman because honestly I like the products they have better from a weekly shopping standpoint. I still plan on hitting Whole Foods every now and then for their unique deli and store brand items that I can't get anywhere else.

[metro]

You're absolutely correct that Norman is more likely than south OKC but your generaliztion of that area as Wal-Mart shoppers is very incorrect. Some of the wealthiest developments in the entire metro are in south OKC.

Subdivisions maybe but retail no

[Pete]

I wouldn't expect them to open a second location any time soon. There are lots of bigger markets with only one Whole Foods, and the OKC location is somewhat centrally located.

Also, keep in mind that CHK gave them big incentives.

[lasomeday]

I wouldn't expect them to open a second location any time soon. There are lots of bigger markets with only one Whole Foods, and the OKC location is somewhat centrally located.

Also, keep in mind that CHK gave them big incentives.

Whatever Pete! Tulsa is getting a second Whole Foods in south Tulsa. If they can have two then we should have at least two. Edmond could support one and so could Norman!

[ChargerAg]

Finally made it over. It is probably the smallest wholefoods i have ever been in but it has all the essentials. the outdoor eating area is the nicest of any i have ever seen at a whole foods. I can't help but wonder if they have other plans for it in the event the laws are changed regarding alcohol sales. It is weird how you can see the stair in the back from the outside but not from the inside of the store.

[Larry OKC]

http://city-sentinel.com/?p=1833

Whole Foods Market has opened its 41,000-square- foot whole and organic foods store in Midtown, featuring a wide variety of healthy food fare, including artisanal products from Oklahoma, company officials said. ...

Midtown???

[ljbab728]

You mean "neuveau riche" Wal-Mart shoppers? Yes. The southside has lots of those.

Sayeth the expert on all things Southside. LOL
Get back to us when you know what you're talking about and can quit looking down your nose.

[bluedogok]

I doubt OKC gets a second store for a long time. If they do it will go in the NW area of town (Edmund). I couldn't see Norman ever getting one.

Finally made it over. It is probably the smallest wholefoods i have ever been in but it has all the essentials. the outdoor eating area is the nicest of any i have ever seen at a whole foods. I can't help but wonder if they have other plans for it in the event the laws are changed regarding alcohol sales. It is weird how you can see the stair in the back from the outside but not from the inside of the store.

They are in expansion mode again and the overwhelming majority of the new stores being planned are about the same size as the OKC store. They are opening up 4 new stores in Austin and relocating the current north side store to The Domain. The relocated store in The Domain is slated to be an 80,000 sf but it was planned back in 2007 before the crash, they have started construction of it and maintained the same size. The new stores in Austin (there are currently only two stores) are all around 35,000 sf, they have gone away from developing the larger stores and are going into doing multiple smaller stores. We haven't had one in South Austin but there is one planned near the Costco store. So I could see Norman getting one next and an Edmond location some time later.

[Urban Pioneer]

Found out last night at a party that they are doing quadruple their estimated opening week in seafood sales. The most in the country of all their stores in fact.

[ChargerAg]

I could believe those sales numbers. Last night when i checked out they had ever lane open and the line were still back into the aisles. I went to look at the deli case and it was almost sold out.

[Pete]

I said they won't add a second store "any time soon", not ever.

They may well put one or two more in the metro but I bet it won't happen for at least a couple of years.

[BG918]

I was hoping they would put a patio with outdoor seating facing the creek. They really boggled the site plan IMO.

[Pete]

If they wanted, they could easily extend that outdoor patio towards the creek on the east side; could even wrap it around the back and facing the creek if they wanted.

They are spending a lot of money to terrace/landscape that creek and the store has it's back completely turned to it:

[soonerguru]

Sayeth the expert on all things Southside. LOL
Get back to us when you know what you're talking about and can quit looking down your nose.

Trust me. I know the Southside very well. Chatanay Square? Check. Rivendell? Check. Lots of fast food diners and Wal-Mart shoppers? Check check.

[soonerguru]

I agree with the comment about the store being small. It is surprisingly small. The prepared foods section is somewhat disappointing also.

[ljbab728]

Trust me. I know the Southside very well. Chatanay Square? Check. Rivendell? Check. Lots of fast food diners and Wal-Mart shoppers? Check check.

Trust me. You don't know the Southside any better than I do. Just because Walmart stores and fast food places are busy is no validation of your point. Check out how busy the Walmart stores and fast food places are in north OKC and Edmond. You have no inside information about the shopping habits or desires of the upscale Southside residents. This discussion really adds little to the subject matter at hand anyway so I'm not taking it any further.

[lasomeday]

I agree with the comment about the store being small. It is surprisingly small. The prepared foods section is somewhat disappointing also.

The store is smaller than the ones I have been to in Chicago and Houston, but it is about the same size as the one in downtown Portland. It doesn't have the massive wine or beer sections that those stores have, so that might be why it is smaller.

[soonerguru]

The store is smaller than the ones I have been to in Chicago and Houston, but it is about the same size as the one in downtown Portland. It doesn't have the massive wine or beer sections that those stores have, so that might be why it is smaller.

True on the beer and wine, but the prepared foods sections seems smaller than the one in Tulsa. They have the pizza bar, sushi bar, a little coffee-shop type thing and that's about it. The one in Tulsa seems nicer. Am I imagining this?

[metro]

I think the prepared foods section is bigger than Tulsa, as is the store. Also keep in mind that the BBQ station and a soup station is in the NW corner of the store by the meat counter. Since this was built from the ground up, I just think it has a smarter layout than Tulsa so it may appear smaller in some departments because it has a more efficient layout.

[Pete]

Can't beat this deal every Thursday:

[Head]

Went on Tuesday for the first time, and found crowded aisles, reasonable prices, helpful friendly staff, piss poor parking, great stuffed tilapia, and outdated produce.
If they could lose the "crowd"(hopefully the new will wear off) it'd take care of two negatives. Kind of a wash though, actually.