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Whole Foods Opens Harlem Store
The 40,000-square-foot store opened in the heart of Central Harlem.
4 Min Read
Whole Foods Market officially opened the doors of its 12th New York City location in Harlem on Friday, July 21. The 40,000-square-foot store, located at 100 West 125th Street in the heart of Central Harlem, celebrated the grand opening day with local vendor demonstrations, giveaways and much more. All events were free and open to the public.
Whole Foods Market's traditional bread breaking ceremony started at 8:45 a.m., with doors officially opening for business at 9:00 a.m.
"We are thrilled to serve the historic and vibrant Harlem community, where I personally have many fond childhood memories," said Damon Young, store team leader for Whole Foods Market Harlem. "Our many Harlem community partners have helped us create a wonderful store that enables us to provide local jobs, support community artisans and serve Harlem residents with the highest quality natural and organic foods."
Whole Foods Market Harlem will feature a combination of innovative, new chef-driven concepts and classic favorites, making it a dining destination for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Innovations include:
The very first Kebab grill at a Whole Foods Market will feature a Mediterranean-inspired menu, giving diners the option to combine fresh-grilled proteins with flavorful dips and sauces.
A Cuban Sandwich venue is also a first for Whole Foods Market. The Harlem store will serve both classic and unique new takes on the hot, freshly-pressed Cuban sandwich.
A Cuban Coffee stand, with additional window service on West 125th Street, will offer convenient breakfast sandwiches made with Cuban bread, as well as a variety of traditional Cuban coffee drinks.
Other Whole Foods Market favorites available at the Harlem location include square pan pizza with local and seasonal ingredients, sushi, hot bar, salad bar, and many other convenient grab-and-go options.
The grocery selection at Whole Foods Market will emphasize healthy eating, wallet-friendly options, as well as unique local Harlem products ranging from classic neighborhood favorites to trend-setting new products.
There are around 20 Harlem brands that will be on shelves opening day, including spices and rubs from Sylvia's, Egunsi Foods' packaged West African soups, Vy Higginsen's Mama's One Sauce, the Harlem Pie Man's six-inch pies and Ginjan's traditional African beverages. The store also features thousands of wallet-friendly options, such as the all-natural 365 Everyday Value product line, Buy Big, Save Big value packs, over 120 bulk bin offerings and added discounts through our mobile app. The salad bar features nutritious, seasonal and on-trend salads, and the Harlem store also has sections for paleo, gluten-free and many other special diet needs.
All food products sold in the store will meet Whole Foods Market's rigorous quality standards, ensuring they are free of artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and preservatives, as well as hydrogenated fats and high-fructose corn syrup. In keeping with Whole Foods Market's core values to support global and local communities, the Harlem store is partnering with several neighborhood organizations:
Harlem Park to Park, a social enterprise representing over 100 local entrepreneurs committed to cultural preservation and small business development in Central Harlem, worked with Whole Foods Market to create their Harlem Local Vendors Program. Around 20 of these vendors will be featured on the shelves of Whole Foods Market Harlem.
The Harlem store will be making fresh food donations three times a week to Food Bank NYC's Harlem food pantry.
Creative Art Works, an organization dedicated to helping under-resourced New York City youth through arts education, hired students from A. Philip Randolph High School to create a collage in Whole Foods Market Harlem's café that reflects Harlem's "Past, Present and Future."
The Harlem store will be holding a "5% Day" on opening day, where five percent of total sales will directly benefit Harlem Grown to support their Saturday enrichment program. This program is dedicated to providing cooking lessons, health education, fitness classes and wellness seminars to members of the Harlem community.
In addition, Whole Foods Market has partnered with numerous Harlem community organizations to create approximately 200 new local jobs. For instance, Whole Foods Market has worked closely with Hot Bread Kitchen in East Harlem since 2011, and the Harlem bakery department will be employing three of their recent "Bakers in Training" graduates. Whole Foods Market Harlem has already hired around 35 Team Members who reside right in Central Harlem.
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