From the lip balm to the meats, each item at Whole Foods Market is produced with no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. The Woodlands store, the 411th in the U.S. and the 10th in the Greater Houston area, opened March 18 at the corner of Lake Woodlands Drive and Lake Front Circle in Hughes Landing.
The 44,000-square-foot store offers more than 300 organic items, including 75 fruits and vegetables, and 20 fresh juice options. The Woodlands Whole Foods also features a wine and beer bar with 24 taps, a wood-burning pizza oven that can cook a pizza in 90 seconds, and a build-your-own taco station.
Store Team Leader Jerry Brown said the store will evolve to accommodate customers.
“We designed it with growth in mind, so there’s opportunity to add additional merchandise so we can adjust as needed,” Brown said.
Brown said a Facebook page led to Whole Foods opening in The Woodlands. Woodlands Whole Foods fans created a page to amass requests for the store to set up a location in The Woodlands.
“The Woodlands picked Whole Foods,” Brown said. “This is the No. 1-requested Whole Foods location in the country.”
Brown said the store is distinct from other Whole Foods locations because the taco bar was designed for The Woodlands. He said none of the Greater Houston stores offer self-service pizza.
Media and Community Relations Coordinator Jeanette Webster said no two Whole Foods stores are alike. She said Whole Foods emphasizes knowing what local residents want from their neighborhood store.
“We want to get to know who our neighbors are,” she said. “It is apparent to us how long the [Woodlands] community has waited for us.”
1925 Hughes Landing Blvd., Ste. 100, The Woodlands, 832-246-5600, www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 8 a.m.-10 p.m.