Austin’s newest Whole Foods Market store opened January 2014 at The Domain. The new 365 by Whole Foods Market store in Cedar Park will offer fewer items than a standard Whole Foods store.[/caption]
Cedar Park is one of eight cities chosen to launch a new concept store by Whole Foods Market.
The store, called 365 by Whole Foods Market, will open in 2017 as one anchor tenant in The Parke retail development in Cedar Park, which is southwest of the intersection of New Hope Drive and Toll 183A, north of Town Center and Costco.
The 365 store will include a curated mix of products that emphasize efficient shopping and affordable products, said Jeff Turnas, president of 365 by Whole Foods Market.
Cedar Park’s suburban growth made the city a natural choice for one of the new stores, Turnas said. Other 365 stores are planned to open in Houston, California and Oregon. Three are opening in 2016 and 10 more could open in 2017, the company announced.
“We’re targeting urban and suburban markets in both existing and new markets for us as a company,” he said.
The stores will provide shoppers with a less expensive and smaller selection of products than those found at standard Whole Foods stores, Turnas said.
Whole Foods Market is based in Austin and opened its first organic grocery store in 1980 on Lamar Boulevard.
Whole Foods has more than 430 stores in the United States. In September the company announced it is shifting its focus. In a July statement announcing the first five leases of 365 stores, Turnas said the 365 store concept represents the company’s new effort to appeal to customers.
“We think 365 will offer convenience and value while providing the quality standards and transparency that consumers love and expect,” Turnas said in the July statement.
Phil Brewer, city of Cedar Park’s economic development director, said Nov. 10 that 365 by Whole Foods Market will be a key anchor for The Parke shopping center.
“That [365 store] is going to be indicative of the caliber and quality of the other tenants that you’re going to see in this development,” Brewer said.
The Parke could open in 2017 with 365 by Whole Foods and include a total of 300,000 square feet of retail—an investment of at least $50 million, representatives from landowner Endeavor Real Estate Group said.
Charlie Northington, Endeavor managing principal, said Nov. 12 that he is not yet able to reveal the names of other businesses because of confidentiality agreements.
He said Endeavor could possibly announce the business names in late December.
“Some of these [businesses] will be their first locations in … Texas,” Northington said Nov. 12.
On Nov. 12, Cedar Park City Council approved two city incentives for the new shopping center. The city’s incentives include a $2 million performance-based incentive, which Endeavor would receive based on increased sales and property tax resulting from development, as well as a $1.5 million incentive for Endeavor’s construction costs that include utilities, roads and sidewalks.
