Whole Foods prepares for Thursday opening in Exton
It’s been a wait for fans of the upscale, Amazonowned grocer; on Tuesday, workers were getting shelves stocked and ready
Like the proverbial pot one waits on to boil, it seemed to take an unexpectedly long time for the Whole Foods store in Exton to open.
The wait is just about over now, though.
On Thursday, shoppers are expected to gather at the store that is the newest attraction to Exton Square Mall. Festivities will begin in the store parking lot at 8 a.m. with a DJ providing tunes and with hot chocolate, coffee and gift cards available to those gathering before the official 9 a.m. opening.
If it seems years ago the trendy, upscale grocery store chain announced its intentions to move to the site of what had been a Kmart on Route 100 just north of Route 30, well, that’s because it is. In July 2015, Whole Foods announced the plans (stores have since opened in Center City Philadelphia and in Wynnewood on the Delaware County/Montgomery County border).
And, of course, the company has become part of Amazon.com between the announcement and the opening.
“Everyone is just really excited for us to be open,” said Alison Marcantuno, store team leader who has worked at Whole Foods for 14 years. “They know it from when they’ve trav- Whole Foods in Exton opens Thursday morning.
eled (and perhaps from the Glen Mills and Devon locations) but now it’s here for them. I’ve heard from a lot of them – when are you going to open.”
Rachael Dean Wilson, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods, said the sale of the chain to Amazon did not cause the delay, but she couldn’t give specifics about what did.
“I would just say each store is different and each project has its own set of challenges,” Wilson said. “One thing you will notice about our stores is each one is different to reflect the community it serves.”
Whole Foods is currently building stores in Newtown Square and in Spring House, Montgomery County, which do not yet have opening dates.
The Exton store, at 50,000 square feet, will be a bit larger than the typical Whole Foods, and includes a 4,000-square-foot rooftop deck for outdoor dining. The store’s normal operating hours will be from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days
a week.
A rundown of the features:
• Pike’s, an in-store venue with a retro diner ambiance, serving tortas and tacos as well as beer, wine and a selection of mezcal and tequila.
• More than 100 local supplier products ranging from seasonal produce to local pork and chicken and a selection of ceramics, jewelry and gifts.
• A large cheese department featuring exclusive local cheeses from Yellow Springs Dairy in Chester Springs, as well as a national and international selection of sheep, goat and cow’s milk offerings.
• Full-service meat and seafood departments featuring Global Animal Partnership 5 Step AnimalWelfare-rated meat and sustainable seafood staffed by expert meat cutters and fishmongers.
• Made in-house specialties including: hand-tossed pizza, corn & flour tortillas and tortilla chips made with local Castle ValleyMill grains, and a selection of dips such as rutabaga, collard green, and guacamole. • A children’s play area. The Whole Foods in Exton will employ around 180 and is still in the process of hiring, Wilson said.
The store does have an Amazon connection, with Amazon lockers available for shoppers who want to return something to the online retailer or who don’t want delivered packages sitting on their doorsteps.
Also: “There’s been a couple of rounds of price drops” since Amazon took over in August, Wilson said.
Hundreds of workers were busy Tuesday preparing for Thursday’s opening. One of those preparing product wasMikeMastrocola, whoseMastrocola’s Famous Philly Roast Pork is available in seven Whole Foods as well as delis in Philadelphia’s suburbs.
“They’re great to work with,” Mastrocola said. “We’ve been working with Whole Foods since 2016 and they’ve really helped us build out our fan base.” – To contact Business Writer Brian McCullough, call 610-235-2655 or send an email to bmccullough@21stcenturymedia.com.