Tucked into Downtown Los Angeles, just beyond the iconic Disney Concert Hall, a spacious new Whole Foods opened it doors to the public today. Complete with a bar and outdoor seating area, Stumptown Coffee, juice and smoothie bar, and a wide selection of prepared foods – the grocer will be a substantial addition to the area. Ellen, Julieta and Christina got a sneak peek at this new location.

Whole Foods DTLA
788 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Julieta: Although this store is located on Grand, it has a big parking lot for its clientele and it also features a 3 mile radius home delivery service to make it more convenient for those that can’t go to the store. It has already created partnerships with downtown favorites Stumptown coffee and Roy Choi’s Chego.

Some of the highlights were: cold press juice and smoothie bar, in-store bakery, coffee bar, and an extensive prepared food section that includes a wide variety of gluten free, paleo and vegan options.

Christina: They started us off with some tasty bites that will be available at their in store bar and restaurant. The cauliflower nachos and butternut squash and radicchio flatbread was so good! I plan on visiting for their happy hour special of a burger, fries and brew for $13! After those snacks we took a tour of the entire store, meeting a number of local vendors and department heads. I got to try dragon fruit for the first time!

Ellen: Of note were the delicious Macaroons in the bakery. Made from Almond Flour they have a heavenly crunchy softness to them, and the flavors were delightful. I can’t help but think that all the desserts in Whole Foods might give next door’s Bottega Louie a little run for their money. Whether they will boost each other’s business or compete for the same customers will be interesting to see.

 

 

Christina: What really impresses me about Whole Foods is that while they can’t avoid being a large company, they are conscious of the community they are joining. They carry a lot  of local, unique products and will even work with local vendors to bring their quality up to the whole foods standards. All of the department heads we met were super passionate and interested in doing something unique. These were not just people looking for a job but people who actually care about what they stock in their department. You can also buy products that support local community organizations such as the DTLA women’s shelter. I welcome a store that is so community conscious and I can’t wait to frequent their smoothie and juice bar!

Ellen: The Stumptown Coffee bar was also quite impressive. They did not skimp on its set-up. It is everything you’d expect from your favorite cafe. You can order the exclusive DTLA Blend of Stumptown coffee (surprisingly balanced and flavorful), your favorite espresso drink, or even get Cold Brew Stumptown coffee on tap (which is SO good). For once when you need to grab coffee at the grocery you won’t be sacrificing on quality for convenience.

Julieta: I was particularly impressed with their in house restaurant-bar: The Eight Bar. It offers an array of healthy foods for the shoppers and foodies that are looking for meals without artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives and the best part is that the food tastes really good. I loved the cauliflower nachos.

 

The 8^th and Grand WF was completely packed on opening day. They had a lot of in-store deals and it was interesting to see how the store will function on daily basis.