Whole Foods Market opened its fifth Austin store Jan. 15 in The Domain, making the 63,000-square-foot store, located at 11920 Domain Drive, the city's second largest location.

From providing fresh produce to decorating the store, Whole Foods worked with many Austin businesses, such as Johnson's Backyard Garden and Austin Roadhouse Relics, which created a wheelbarrow mobile using repurposed painted wheelbarrows that hang above the front doors. Articulture Designs created a living moss and steel wall feature located by the escalators.

The new store will feature products not available at any other Whole Foods store such as salsa verde–flavored chips from Austin-based Paqui Tortillas.

"We focus a lot on our private label," said Rachel Malish, Austin media and community relations coordinator for Whole Foods. "You'll see a lot of the 365 [Everyday Value] items with exclusive flavors. It's also really a great time for vendors to launch new products."

Other store highlights include:

• Draft Shack, which serves more than 45 beers on tap and chargrilled oysters
• a do-it-yourself sushi and sashimi program
• raw oyster bar where customers can purchase oysters by the pound
• 64 square feet of space dedicated to bulk food items such as dried peppers and mushrooms
• 80 feet dedicated to beer with local options such as Austin Beerworks
• fresh-baked bagels and a cookie of the day program
• a full-service cheese case that Malish said is "a cheese lover's dream"
• a prepared foods section with options for pizza, sushi, sandwiches, tacos and ramen where customers may try a Texas ramen
• Public Domain, an outdoor bar serving beer, bratwurst and hot dogs in a converted shipping container; the outdoor area also features a children's playscape and plaza with gas fireplaces
• a coffee bar featuring Japanese Oji water drip machines for cold-brewed coffee
• a juice bar featuring six varieties of cold-pressed juices
• a community room where organizations may rent out space for meetings or where customers can take yoga or cooking classes

Malish said the store is very community-focused, and that Whole Foods wants it to be a place for all of Austin to enjoy.

"It's a great place to eat and have drinks," she said. "We're trying to make it as inviting as we can."

Malish said Whole Foods has been planning The Domain store for years, originally as a relocation for the Gateway store located at 9607 Research Blvd. But after hearing customer feedback, Whole Foods officials decided to keep the Gateway store open. That location, which opened in 1995 and is 34,000 square feet in size, is closed until late February for renovations.

"[Gateway is] a different store experience," she said. "It really changed the game for all of us."

Giving back

Every quarter, Whole Foods hosts a Community Giving Day and donates 5 percent of its proceeds from that day to selected charities. As part of its opening week, The Domain store will donate 1 percent of proceeds for five days to a different charity each day. Benefitting nonprofits are Austin Creative Reuse, Girlstart, Back on My Feet, Emancipet and the Jewish Community Center of Austin.

On opening day, Whole Foods will also present Wells Branch Elementary School with a gardening grant.

For more information, visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com.