The much-anticipated opening of the Whole Foods Market just over the line in Pennsylvania finally happens Wednesday, and there’s a good chance Delawareans will be flocking with their canvas bags in tow.
At least the new supermarket’s head honcho thinks so.
John Frei is the Glen Mills, PA store’s “team leader,” which is what Whole Foods calls its managers. He used to run the Devon, PA, supermarket and many of his customers came from the First State. Now that the store is just up the road from the state line, he said, “I’m expecting we’ll get lots of Delaware customers.”
Whole Foods Market opens in Glen Mills, PA.
DFM News examines Whole Foods' PA new location and its potential impact on nearby Delaware residents and businesses.
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Indeed, the store’s debut has been the buzz among many foodies in the state, especially since the chain owners had planned on opening the store in Delaware but were shot down because of congestion fears and increased competition for local grocers.
It’s unclear how many residents will make the trek over the border but clearly Whole Foods is adding something unique to the supermarket landscape in the area – an unmatched organic foods selection and a couple of firsts, even for the grocery chain.
The 38,000 square foot store includes an outdoor patio with seating for more than 40 people; and a coffee, beer and wine-serving café called the Brew & Brau, which can seat 63. The café is the first in the Whole Foods chain offering all organic coffees, and Frei said it could be rolled out through the company depending on its success.
There’s local beer available on tap, but mainly from Pennsylvania at this point. There is, however, local brewer Dogfish Head available by the six-pack. “We might get Dogfish on tap,” said Kate Harbin, a team member at the supermarket.
As for wine, she added, all the selections are from local wineries, but legal restrictions do not allow the store to sell bottles. Carafes will be sold for consumption in the café or on the patio, not in the store.
The location also boasts a cooking department that will have cooking demonstrations and offer seasonal food recipes. It will also include a “cooking coach” to help customers figure out how to make those seasonal meals when they get back home.
Seasonal is a big theme for the Whole Foods stores nationwide, and the emphasis on local foods is expected to be evident in the new location, including products from Delaware vendors and farms, said Mandi Kelley, a Whole Foods team member from Cleveland who was in town Tuesday to help with the launch.
Signage in the produce section includes how many hours items have traveled to get to the Glen Mills store.
One Delaware company that has a prominent space at the new store is the Spring Thyme Herb Farm of Hockessin. All the herbs sold at the location are coming from Spring Thyme, Kelley said.
“We’ve worked with them in the past at the stores in the Philadelphia area,” said Marjorie Lamb, manager of Spring Thyme. “They’re a key customer for us.”
Lamb said her company has been able to work with the chain because all their products are certified organic.
The new store, she added, will be a boon for business; and it could also mean more sales for other Delaware firms.
It’s all about getting as many local products as possible, Frei said, and he encourages all vendors and farms to contact him if they’re interested in selling products at the store. In fact, Frei recounted having a Delaware farmer approach him in the parking lot of the store recently to give Frei his card.
“We try to put a big focus on local and be a part of that community and develop it,” he explained. He could not provide a percentage of how many Delaware-made products are going to be sold at the store but he said, the state “is going to be part of our family as well.”
The expanded family will likely create serious competition for supermarkets in Delaware, especially those in Northern Delaware on Route 202. The grocery stores in that area, all within about five miles of each other — include ShopRite, Giant, Acme, Trader Joes, and a Target with a major food section.
Paul Weitzel, managing partner of the consulting group Willard Bishop, said consumers are willing to travel within a five-mile radius to grocery shop, but most supermarkets in the area have maintained they aren’t worried.
Late last year, Jamie Miller, a spokesperson for Giant said, “We are going to stay focused on our business principles — quality, value and service.”
Giant has also seen a demand for budget items. “We’ve expanded our corporate brand products over the past few years with the downturn in the economy,” he noted. “Consumers are looking for value and alternatives, and our corporate brands have caught on quite a bit and the quality has improved.”
While Whole Foods does have some so-called “value” products on its shelves, including fish and cereal, the merchant has long had a reputation of being pricier than most other supermarkets and is often jokingly called “whole paycheck” by consumers.
But store management believes their niche will bring consumers in who are looking for a large selection of gluten-free products and organic foods, including one of the only all-organic salad bars in the area.
Other unusual supermarket offerings for region include a wood-fired pizza oven that reaches temperatures of 1000 degrees where pizza will be cooked everyday; a make-your-own granola section; bulk offerings of honey and syrup that’s sold by the pound; and a seafood department with fish that includes sustainability status for environmentally-conscious shoppers.
“I don’t think we’re really trying to compete with anybody necessarily,” Frei said. “We’re trying to do what we do, and that’s being the very best in organic and natural foods. And we encourage everyone to do like we do. We know we’re selling a great product that great for you.”
The store will be open from 8 am to 9 pm everyday.