Ask Rye residents, newcomers or natives, what they love about town and the list is long and varied. But, an inquiry about what might be lacking, if anything, almost surely would include a desire for a new full-service food market in or close to town.

 

By Caitlin Brown

 

Ask Rye residents, newcomers or natives, what they love about town and the list is long and varied. But, an inquiry about what might be lacking, if anything, almost surely would include a desire for a new full-service food market in or close to town.

 

Until now, that is.

 

For those who have been waiting with bated breath or haven’t yet heard the news…Whole Foods has come to our own backyard. The chain’s third store in Westchester opened October 22 in the Kohl’s Shopping Center, off the Post Road in Port Chester. It is also conveniently located just off I-95 and 287. 

 

The 49,000 square-foot megastore is double the size of the Greenwich location, and, even better, has ample space for parking.

 

Like all individual Whole Foods locations, it offers a specially geared product mix catering to the community. The store, famous as the go-to-chain for all foods and products organic/natural, will introduce “new-to- the-market innovations” and an exciting array of products not available in other locations (Greenwich/White Plains). Among them: a juice bar, and specialty stations for waffles, artisanal pizzas, and Latin American rotisserie chickens (“Fire & Pollo”), and accoutrements.

 

“Beer Alley” boasts a wide array of American craft beers and, in the Whole Foods vein, includes local, specialty selections — one to note, a beer made specifically for the store from New York’s Captain Lawrence Brewery.

 

Those who have joined the juice craze will be happy to find that frozen fruits and vegetables can be bought in bulk allowing for a much more economical juice fix, and for the health conscious in a hurry, “fish in a bag” only requires steaming when you get home and dinner is served.  

 

An entire section of the body products area is devoted entirely to men.

 

Whole Foods is considered by some to be pricey, but as regional manager Michael Sinatra noted, “Organic, grass fed, etc. costs more.”

 

Many individuals and families are making the organic, quality choice, seeing the whole foods route as investing in a healthy life. The Whole Foods commitment to quality is reflected in the price, but with it comes a promise of chemical-free, certified organic, and healthy.

 

When we visited the store a few days before the October 22 opening, 200 “team members” had been gathering for in-store pep rallies and the excitement was palpable.

 

Opening Day was a milestone day for the chain, marking the 365th store opening. To celebrate this occasion, the Whole Foods house brand, “365,” was discounted by 25%. Vendors from all over came to hand out samples of foods and products and 5% of all proceeds that day went to the Port Chester Carver Center.

 

Giving back to the communities it locates in is part of the Whole Foods commitment. At the Edith Read Fall Festival in Rye last weekend, Whole Foods was one of the sponsors. They have announced their arrival in a big community way.