Whole Foods Gets a Taste for Tampa

Whole Foods Market is trading up in Tampa, Fla., where the Austin-based grocer will open a new 48,000-square-foot store at 3740 Midtown Drive on July 7. The store replaces the Tampa Whole Foods Market location just minutes away at 1548 North Dale Mabry Highway.

Like all its stores, the new Tampa Whole Foods will emphasize local in every department.

“West Tampa is a reinvigoration of an existing market,” Joanne Neugebauer, Whole Foods Market local forager, Florida region, told WGB. “For the midtown Tampa store, we focused on deepening our partnership with existing suppliers and with 800 local products and 160 local brands found throughout the store, there is already a lot of local to celebrate. For the exclusive items to Whole Foods Market midtown Tampa, we focused on brands that would add excitement to our shelves and a new spin on existing customer favorites.”

Among the special features of the new Tampa Whole Foods, is a full-service seafood counter with local Florida options such as red snapper and grouper from Halpern’s Steak and Seafood and Key West pink shrimp from Cox’s Whole Seafood in Tampa.

Local flavors can also be found in the produce department, which offers salsa from Tampa-based Sunset Salsa and sprouts from Miami-based Fullei Fresh; the full-service butcher that sells Florida-raised beef from Adams Ranch; the vast cheese selection overseen by an in-store American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional; and in the specialty foods section featuring local treats like toffee from Pinellas Park’s Toffee to Go.

Related:Inside Whole Foods' New Toledo Store

From newer local suppliers, Whole Foods Tampa will feature a Lemon Rose probiotic drink from Sunny Culture and custom chocolate pirate ships from 5150 Chocolate. From its long-term local partners, the grocer will spotlight an Eternal Summer blend from Buddy Brew Coffee, a Hello Neighbor Key Lime IPA from Cigar City Brewing, and 813 Midtown Hazy IPA from Coppertail Brewing Co.  

“It is these partnerships that help drive us forward with over 950 new brands and 10,000 new items in 2020, we are committed to this now more than ever,” said Neugebauer.

Whole Foods Forager Joanne Neugebauer

‘Taste of Place’

As a forager for Whole Foods, Neugebauer has a nose for success and a palate for place.

“The goal is quality over quantity. We want each local brand to have their own niche on the shelf to make them successful at whatever scale they operate on, whether it’s a metro, a state, a region or the entire company,” she said. “We also strive to make our local assortments reflect our communities and the most innovative products from the region.”

Beyond unique and delicious local products, Neugebauer is looking for foods and beverages that exude a sense of place.

She points to Beat Culture Brewing Co., the latest addition to the grocer’s Florida local beer assortment. The brewery was started by a former microbiologist and his brother (sons of Cuban immigrants) who fell in love with anaerobic and aerobic respiration and decided a brewery should be the end result, explained Neugebauer.

“From the flavor profile of the Cortadito Milk Stout to its equally innovative can art of a Cuban coffeemaker over the South Beach strip, they make non-traditional beers that are love letters to their city. Hearing their passion for the product and tasting their beer you cannot help but fall in love with this brand,” she enthused.

For Neugebauer, Beat Culture Brewing Co. is significant for several reasons. While it was her first product launch in Florida, the beers also have what she calls, “a taste of place—a product that the moment you consume it, you are transported to that location. One sip and you will be with me in South Florida.”

Shoppers at the new Tampa Whole Foods will find the brand, as well as two beers from the company.

“Local is what personalizes our stores to each community we serve,” said Neugebauer. “To promote local products, we have focused on merchandising placement and in-store signage, as well as telling supplier brand stories through Whole Foods Market digital and social channels. We also talk about the products with our team members as our in-store team members are the best ambassadors for local products to our customers.”