January 25, 2007

Expansive Whole Foods facility slated to open in Almaden in 2009

Planned 86,000-square-foot store would be larger than current biggest Whole Foods location

By Ali Abdollahi
Staff Writer

A new Whole Foods Market location is currently in development for the shopping center at the corner of Blossom Hill Road and Almaden Expressway. The store, which would replace the Rite Aid that is presently located at the site, is planned to cover more than 86,000 square feet. The largest existing Whole Foods store is the 84,000 square-foot location in Austin, Texas.

A new Whole Foods Market location is currently in development for the shopping center at the corner of Blossom Hill Road and Almaden Expressway, which would replace the Rite Aid that is presently located at the site.

Due to the expansion and rebuilding that would have to occur to accommodate such a large retail facility, several other businesses in the shopping center have been notified that their leases will not be renewed, and that they will have to vacate the property in preparation for demolition.

One such business is Almaden Lounge, a bar that has resided in the shopping center for over 30 years. Long-time Almaden Lounge patron Joe Yanez said, “This place has been here forever. It’s easy to pick on a little place like this. That’s how the world is. Whoever has more money has all the power and can do everything they want.”

The planned Whole Foods Market location is located across the street from an existing Trader Joe’s market at Almaden Plaza. When asked whether she planned to shop at the Whole Foods store when it opened, Almaden resident Nikki Jensen said, “I’ve never shopped at a Whole Foods before because there was never one in this area. But once there is one here, sure I would shop there.”

‘Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet’
The Whole Foods Market Inc. motto of “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet” is in reference to the company’s stated mission of selling high-quality natural and organic products, and fostering environmental stewardship. The company was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency in December 2006 with the EPA’s Green Power Partner of the Year Award.

Whole Foods also claims an emphasis on fair labor and employment practices. Fortune magazine recently ranked Whole Foods Market number five on its 2007 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

Though Whole Foods Markets Inc. will assume the lease for the for the facility at Blossom Hill and Almaden Expressway in Spring 2008, the store is not projected to be opened until 2009, according to spokeswoman Alicia Balkrishna. The Almaden store will likely be the second Whole Foods in San Jose, with the first scheduled to open at Stockton Avenue and The Alameda in Fall 2008. Currently the closest Whole Foods to Almaden Valley is located on Bascom Avenue at Hamilton Avenue in Campbell.