Whole Foods Market will open a new 47,327-square-foot store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 22. The store is a relocation of the existing Albuquerque store that has served the community for more than 30 years.
The larger location will feature upgraded amenities including expanded prepared foods and bakery departments. It will also carry an expanded product assortment, including more than 400 local items from New Mexico, sourced with the help of Darcy Landis, local forager for Whole Foods.
Store features include:
• A produce department with more than 280 certified organic and Sourced for Good products.
• Bakery department with local offerings such as pastries from Chocolate Maven and artisan breads from Sage Bakehouse.
• An expanded prepared foods department featuring a self-serve pizza station, made-to-order sandwich counter, sushi from Kikka, and hot food and salad bars.
• Specialty department with local items including feta cheese from Tucumcari Mountain Cheese Factory and dark chocolate bars spiced with New Mexico Chiles from the Chocolate Cartel.
• Curated grocery section with local products from New Mexico Piñon Coffee, Heidi’s Raspberry Farm, and Taos Bakes.
• Full-service seafood counter featuring sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed seafood.
• Full-service meat counter offering dry-aged beef, made-in-house sausage, and Desert Mountain Grass-Fed Beef.
• Selection of more than 50 craft beers and spirits, with local options including Mixed-Up Cocktail Co. and Los Poblanos Botanical Spirits.
To give back to the local community, Whole Foods is donating to local organizations Rio Grande Food Project, The Storehouse New Mexico, HopeWorks, and Meals on Wheels New Mexico. Additionally, a Whole Foods Market refrigerated van previously donated through the grocer’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program to nonprofit organization Roadrunner Food Bank will make regular pick-ups from the new Albuquerque store to transfer rescued food to those in need.
The retailer also recently opened a 43,406-square-foot location in Windsor, Connecticut. The store touts more than 1,000 local items sourced from across the New England area.
“Through our knowledgeable team members, high quality standards, and hand-picked selection of local-to-New England products, we look forward to serving this wonderful community,” said Chad Radl, store team leader for Whole Foods, in a statement.
Related: Southeastern Grocers Spins Off Hispanic Banner; Big Y Takes Vacated Amazon Fresh Stores