Wellness chain next for Whole Foods co-founder

Whole Foods Market co-founder John Mackey is planning a second act when he retires from the Amazon-owned grocer next month: building a chain of plant-based restaurants and wellness centers that offer fitness and spa services.

Corporate records list Mackey, 68, as a partner in Healthy America LLC, a startup that raised about $31 million from investors earlier this year and aims to launch a “national network” of medical wellness centers and vegetarian restaurants.

One now-closed job posting calls the venture “an evidence-based lifestyle company, leading the convergence of culinary, healthcare, and wellness. For the first time ever, we are bringing together all three under one roof, to meaningfully transform the health and wellbeing of individuals.” The posting envisions Healthy America offering both a membership program and a-la-carte public access to its facilities.

Incorporated in 2020, Healthy America is based in Austin, Texas, like Whole Foods and staffed by veterans of the high-end grocer. Its chief executive officer is Betsy Foster, a longtime executive who left Whole Foods in 2020. Walter Robb, Whole Foods’ co-CEO when he departed in 2017, is listed alongside Mackey as a partner. Former executives from Whole Foods’ store development, finance and human-resources departments have also joined the startup, according to their LinkedIn profiles.

Robin Kelly, a spokesperson for the new venture who previously worked in public relations at Whole Foods, declined to comment.

The first Health America location, under the brand Love Life!, is expected to be in southern California, according to a person familiar with the plans, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss them publicly. A bare-bones Love Life website teases a 2023 launch date and asks visitors to sign up for updates.