Tuesday, January 27, 2009
City / Chow Whole Foods in Interbay: Smaller, Later, Poorer
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Whole Foods has settled a dispute over moving into a custom building in the Interbay area (the valley between Queen Anne and Magnolia). The company had planned to delay the opening, which triggered a lawsuit from the property developer. Then in December, Whole Foods announced it would scale down the size of new stores, from around 60,000 square feet to under 40,000 square feet. In the settlement reached today, Whole Foods agreed to occupy only 38,000 square feet of the Interbay building and find sublessors for the remaining 20,000 square feet.
It seems like rough economic times to open a Whole Foods... considering it sells bananas priced like caviar. I've been subsisting almost entirely on a Trader Joe's diet for the last few months, and employees at the Trader Joe's by my house say the store is busier than ever. Meanwhile, folks in the restaurant business have complained of very slow business. So maybe this grocery craze spells fortune for Whole Foods: People's idea of fine cuisine—rather than going out to eat at Campagne—is shopping at Whole Foods instead of Safeway.
But Whole Foods is still too expensive for some folks. Gothamist has an interview with a shoplifter who steals up to $50 of stuff from Whole Foods at a go. Here's an excerpt of the whole, delightful interview:
Do you remember the first thing you shoplifted? Of course, it was a sausage. It was a really expensive sausage that I put under my pants.
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1
Last night the checker at the UW Trader Joe's was telling me all about the new Ballard Trader Joe's.
It's actually a great time to expand, if you watch your cash flow.
Land is cheaper, construction firms are hungrier, and organic foods aren't going to go away.
It's actually a great time to expand, if you watch your cash flow.
Land is cheaper, construction firms are hungrier, and organic foods aren't going to go away.
2
You're an idiot. Go comparison shop at whole foods for once. The bananas are not priced like caviar. The past week or two they have had avacados for $1 per. Avacados at Safeway? about $2 per. Tomatoes at Safeway? $4 per lb, $3 per at Whole Foods. Again -- you're an idiot. But you keep rockin that anti-establishment wisdom, dude. You'll go far with that kind of ignorance.
4
Seattle, actually it used to be a landfill. I remember the millions of seagulls that were there when I was a kid. The actual site of the land fill is the now the driving range just north of the new whole foods.
7
I don't like Whole Foods. I always feel overwhelmed when I go in there. I know they are going for the whole "shopping experience" thing, but i just feel like it's too much. too crowded, too much merchandising, too crazy.
it's not even really the prices. i just think it's TOO MUCH.
it's not even really the prices. i just think it's TOO MUCH.
9
Trader Joe's is NOT a grocery store. Who the fuck wants a shrink-wrapped cucumber (besides your mom)?
10
Delightful interview? I assume you're being sarcastic as the guy sounds like a complete douchebag.
11
@1
I just dropped off an application for the Ballard Trader Joes (supposed to open at the end of Feb), they told me they have received 1000+ apps. The U-District one was certainly packed with shoppers when I was there a couple days ago.
As for Whole Foods, they are sort of The Man of upscale grocery stores, but they have some damn tasty stuff.
I just dropped off an application for the Ballard Trader Joes (supposed to open at the end of Feb), they told me they have received 1000+ apps. The U-District one was certainly packed with shoppers when I was there a couple days ago.
As for Whole Foods, they are sort of The Man of upscale grocery stores, but they have some damn tasty stuff.
12
You can get 10 for $10 sales on avocados sometimes at Safeway, QFC too probably.
I've never been one to go out that often anyway, but all this grocery shopping lately is saving me a bundle.
I've never been one to go out that often anyway, but all this grocery shopping lately is saving me a bundle.
15
Whole Foods' brand is as stale as Starbuck's. There was once a time when that store focused on organics and bulk food items, but now it's 90 percent prepared food -- bland, greasy prepared food. Their desserts used to be hit and miss, but are now all miss, and their coffee tastes like crap.
17
Madison Market has the rudest staff and the longest lines. I hate shopping there. One time a checker asked me if i enjoyed raping cows because i bought some milk. If you don't mind standing in line for 20mins before you check out, don't mind the high prices and the holier than thou attitudes, then it's a great place!
18
All the whole foods hate...You know what? If there's one thing I'm not willing to bargain shop for, it's food...or really anything that has to do with my overall health. It's nice to know that if I'm buying something from the market I don't usually need to check and see if it has high-fructose corn syrup in it.
19
Funny, I wrote a song inspired by a visit to Whole Foods today. It's called, "I Don't Want to Pay a Lot (for that Pepper)".
Whole Foods is the only place in the South Lake Union area that I have discovered where I can get a lunch (food and drink) for under $5 - slice of pizza and Whole Foods brand soda. Sure, you can spend way more than that there, but you don't have to.
Lastly, neither I nor my mommy want a shrink wrapped cucumber from Trader Joe's. That's silly.
Whole Foods is the only place in the South Lake Union area that I have discovered where I can get a lunch (food and drink) for under $5 - slice of pizza and Whole Foods brand soda. Sure, you can spend way more than that there, but you don't have to.
Lastly, neither I nor my mommy want a shrink wrapped cucumber from Trader Joe's. That's silly.
21
@17,
Prove it. I've bought milk, eggs, and MEAT at Madison Market and didn't hear shit from the checkers.
Prove it. I've bought milk, eggs, and MEAT at Madison Market and didn't hear shit from the checkers.
22
@ 21 Just because they didn't call you a rapist doesn't prove that the checkers and other staff at Madison Market are customer service focused or even just polite. Madison Market employees do seem to have more than the usual amount of attitude and I for one second the sentiment expressed by 20 and 17.
23
@21: That's a thoughtful response. "Prove it. It didn't happen to me, so therefore it didn't happen to anyone."
I haven't been called a rapist there, but the employees definitely have some attitude -- particularly considering they're working as supermarket checkout clerks.
I haven't been called a rapist there, but the employees definitely have some attitude -- particularly considering they're working as supermarket checkout clerks.
24
@22: I concur with keshmeshi. I buy meat there all the time and never get shit from them. I've also found the cashiers way more charming than other places, and the people doing produce are always helpful. And I don't think I've ever waited in line more than ten minutes, if that.
26
@23,
On an anonymous blog post? You bet your ass it's a thoughtful response. Anyone here can claim anything just to be an asshole. A claim like that is just too convenient for Sloggers who hate hippies and vegetarians.
Anyway most service workers in this city are really rude and standoffish.
On an anonymous blog post? You bet your ass it's a thoughtful response. Anyone here can claim anything just to be an asshole. A claim like that is just too convenient for Sloggers who hate hippies and vegetarians.
Anyway most service workers in this city are really rude and standoffish.
27
I think the staff at Madison Market have had a change of heart... I used to think they were rude and avoided going there, but lately they've all been friendly & helpful.
28
Maybe with some people it's readily apparent by their demeanor whether they do or don't enjoy raping cows, while with certain others you're not so sure and so feel compelled to inquire.
29
I'll take some diversity over fake happy any day. Madison Market will actually employ people who don't look like straight, white, upper-middle class college students, unlike Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Plus, it's a local store that sells local goods unlike those two chains. And, the prices are generally cheaper than Whole Foods and some of the same products are cheaper than Trader Joe's.
If you go any time other than 6-7pm on a weeknight, Madison Market's lines are fine. The checkers probably won't smile and ask you how your day is like the chain grocers require, but who cares? Get some friends or family to do that. The "rapist" comment is completely ridiculous and obviously a lie - they clearly take a lot of pride in their meat and dairy sections.
If you go any time other than 6-7pm on a weeknight, Madison Market's lines are fine. The checkers probably won't smile and ask you how your day is like the chain grocers require, but who cares? Get some friends or family to do that. The "rapist" comment is completely ridiculous and obviously a lie - they clearly take a lot of pride in their meat and dairy sections.
30
Oh, hey, you know what? You can blame Madison Market for there being no actual chili visible in the frito pie picture in the Gentlemen of Slog Calendar.
31
@ 17 & 20: I'm sorry you had that experience, that was inappeopriate. As one of the many co-owners of Madison Market I will direct our managers to your comments here. Madison Market is one of the most amazing 'groceries' in the Puget Sound region because it's owned by (many) of the shoppers and the employees. No, it's not your typical grocery experience. Many of the people shopping there are very educated when it comes to food, how it's produced, how to get truly healthy real food (instead of 'food produccts'), and have a long history of supporting local and organic small farmers. In many ways Madison Market is what Whole Foods wants to appear to be but they are really an industrial corporation wrapped in co-op's clothing. So no, Madison Market is not your typical consumer shopping experience, but hey, they have Melon Diva on staff . . . bet not many groceries can beat that!
32
Staples at Whole foods are actually very inexpensive. They have the cheapest butter in town - I think it's currently $2.79 a pound. Sale price for butter at Safeway? $3.00 - $3.50, depending on the sale. Local milk, $2.19 a half gallon. (I am probably off by a few cents) I am an oddball and a foody, so I shop all over hell and high water for different things. Whole Foods is definitely the place for eggs, butter, flour, etc. Some of their house brand stuff is good and cheap, too. Their mac-n-cheese kicks ass, is less expensive (.99)than Kraft and has no chemicals or weird things I can't pronounce. The tuna is an extremely good deal, and waaaaay better than any national brand. Some of the store brand stuff does suck - never buy the laundry detergent.
33
This is a bit of a tangent, but I cannot stand the layout of the Roosevelt Whole Paycheck; if you dare to enter the store from the corner at 12th, and you make it past the jacket-tugger from Greenpeace, you have to navigate the funnel of traffic that forms at the bottom of the stairs at the end of the coffee bar. There are people facing every which way and soccer moms with legions of kids running around. It makes me homicidal.
TJ's down the street's no better. What's with the screwball diagonal aisles and the lack of traffic flow in there? Customers wander around with glazed looks and no peripheral vision. It makes me want to kill there too.
On a positive note, I do think the employees at both of these stores are consistently nice and helpful. And the staples at both are pretty fairly-priced. Their prepared foods are over-priced so I don't buy them. I just cringe at the thought of all of the food they throw away every night.
TJ's down the street's no better. What's with the screwball diagonal aisles and the lack of traffic flow in there? Customers wander around with glazed looks and no peripheral vision. It makes me want to kill there too.
On a positive note, I do think the employees at both of these stores are consistently nice and helpful. And the staples at both are pretty fairly-priced. Their prepared foods are over-priced so I don't buy them. I just cringe at the thought of all of the food they throw away every night.
37
I've been eyeing that site for awhile, fantacizing that it could be a mini-Winco. Found myself in Kent last weekend, so I stopped at Winco and loaded up. Avocados, $0.67 per; bananas, $0.53/lb; 1/2 gallon Silk (choc and light), $2.49; Yoplait, $0.50 12 grain bread, $2.39; delicious Black Forest ham, $3.49. Whole Foods shoppers eat your heart out.
With RE prices plumetting, maybe it would pencil to knock down a whole big tacky block of Aurora and erect a Winco. Put another one in Burien. They would definitely blow Safeway, QFC and Albertsons out of the water. Of course, it's a completely different demographic than Whole Paycheck. But on the other hand, who's got a whole paycheck these days?
With RE prices plumetting, maybe it would pencil to knock down a whole big tacky block of Aurora and erect a Winco. Put another one in Burien. They would definitely blow Safeway, QFC and Albertsons out of the water. Of course, it's a completely different demographic than Whole Paycheck. But on the other hand, who's got a whole paycheck these days?
38
oh dear domenic .. you are misguided ...Whole Foods (where I shop frequently) is often cheaper than Madison Market (where I shop all the time) in fact WF is often cheaper than PCC (where I am a paid in full member). You just have to know what to buy at each store ... and there are things you just can't buy at Trader Joe's (and I shop there also)
39
I do not shop at Whole Foods because it reminds me of an organic version of Wal-Mart/K-Mart. It smells weird in there, their "ready made" food makes me sick to my stomach, the "bargains" I find are not worth the price, and the employees are not unionized. I examine produce before I purchase it, and when I used to go to Whole Foods, it would be very difficult to find produce that wasn't either already going bad or would go bad the next day. I have a really sensitive stomach, so something tells me that Whole Foods is doing something wrong with their food.
Madison Market on the other hand is awesome. I don't know why people are complaining about the attitudes.... I purchase dairy products and they don't seem to mind. One of the checkers (I think it was the one I call Cute Madison Market Guy) even tried to help me find rennet-less blue cheese. Of course it's expensive, but I really like the bulk food aisle. And I don't shop for food much because I live by myself and I don't eat very many unnecessary foods.
Madison Market on the other hand is awesome. I don't know why people are complaining about the attitudes.... I purchase dairy products and they don't seem to mind. One of the checkers (I think it was the one I call Cute Madison Market Guy) even tried to help me find rennet-less blue cheese. Of course it's expensive, but I really like the bulk food aisle. And I don't shop for food much because I live by myself and I don't eat very many unnecessary foods.
40
Also, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the great grocery outlet store in the central district! They have some really good prices if you don't mind purchasing non-organic food.
41
Also, I know I said I don't eat unnecessary foods (I'm cutting sugar out of my diet, I swear) but Madison Market has some of the yummiest dessert treats, including a little vegan selection. And they carry a lot of vegan items in general... and they'll actually put little vegan signs next to the vegan items. I'm not vegan anymore, but when I was, it was really difficult. It's nice that Madison Market has labeled the vegan food.
42
Also, I know I said I don't eat unnecessary foods (I'm cutting sugar out of my diet, I swear) but Madison Market has some of the yummiest dessert treats, including a little vegan selection. And they carry a lot of vegan items in general... and they'll actually put little vegan signs next to the vegan items. I'm not vegan anymore, but when I was, it was really difficult. It's nice that Madison Market has labeled the vegan food.
45
What is the great grocery outlet in the central district? And do they have no organic at all, or just very little?
48
37: Winco has great prices and am amazing bulk foods (Tang! buillion cubes!) but they're anti-union. Like, majorly anti-union. I love a good deal (see the comment below), but not so much that I can bring myself to screw over the employees.
44: An enterprising gentleman once offered to sell me (presumably shoplifted) steak from his interior coat pocket. I actually thought about it for a second. The price was really good.
44: An enterprising gentleman once offered to sell me (presumably shoplifted) steak from his interior coat pocket. I actually thought about it for a second. The price was really good.
52
For the love of god, shop LOCALLY! Regardless of the type/quality of food they have, Whole Foods is a national company. And the owner is a wacky anti-union libertarian. Whole Foods is simply an organic Wal Mart, trying to put smaller, local stores - like Madison Market and PCC - out of business. Not only do PCC and MM provide good jobs with good wages and health care, they purchase locally as well. Support your community. Geesh.
54
Worf - I'm sure Whole Foods pays more in some cases. If they didn't, they wouldn't be competetive and would risk either a) losing employees to places like PCC, and/or b) a union organization drive. The bottom line in this area is that Union Shops have most of the marketshare in the grocery industry (about 85 percent), so the Union contracts set the standard for the entire industry. Whole Foods and Trader Joes employees benefit from the work of the unions, but don't pay dues or contribute to that work. Essentially, they are freeloaders. In addition, they take away marketshare from the unions and therefore lessen the bargaining power. The result in the Seattle area is that what once was a good, middle-class job, is now more like a lower-middle class job. But this is the same trend we're seeing in a lot of industries, not just grocery stores.
55
Chloe, you raise some valid points. I am certainly not anti labor by any means. I appreciate the history and accomplishments of the labor movement. That said, I'll go with the job that has better pay and benefits - and in this instance, that is not the union job. I get a decent wage and pay almost nothing out of pocket for my health insurance which is almost unheard of in modern day America.
56
Worf - I appreciate and understand; of course you want to make more money. But imagine how much more we could get if all the grocery employees were union and were fighting in solidarity for better standards. Everybody wins (except, of course, corporate America). The bottom line is that you couldn't trust huge corporations to treat employees well if there weren't unions around to hold them to higher standards. By working non-union, you're contributing to the problem, not the solution. More union density = a stronger American middle class. We need to decrease that gap between worker salaries and those of CEOs. Isn't that what this last election was about? Bringing back the American Dream?
57
Unions strengthen labor but they are not a panacea either. They have their faults and corrupt bosses as well. We must acknowledge that some unions, (some, not all or most, some) are ossified dinosaurs that are not accomplishing much at all for those they represent. Unions should focus on the those that are truly being harmed by corporate America - non union meatpackers and slaughterhouse workers come to mind. Unionizing those trades where real harm is being done will do more to revitalize the labor movement than going after softer targets.
58
Unions are necessary in every industry. A corporation is a corporation and can exploit their workers no matter what product they provide. And FYI - the world's biggest meat-packing plant in NC did just vote to unionize after a 16-year battle.
And I know some unions are corrupt, and it's the burden of those who aren't to regain the trust of the workers. My argument, however, isn't necessarily for "unions" per se, but for solidarity and collective bargaining in order to establish higher standards of living for a strong American middle class.
And I know some unions are corrupt, and it's the burden of those who aren't to regain the trust of the workers. My argument, however, isn't necessarily for "unions" per se, but for solidarity and collective bargaining in order to establish higher standards of living for a strong American middle class.
59
Does Trader Joe's or Winco operate an international foundation to give micro loans to women? No. Does Trader Joe's have any quality standards (no articial colors, preservatives) Does Winco buy and sell local products, huh, no again.
Maybe the price of avocados *currently $1 each at Whole Foods Market* is all people think about, but as far as changing the food systems of the country by eliminating colors/preservatives/overprocessing and additives- Whole Foods beats all the others- hands down.
And come on, shoplifting steaks and sausages? Who are you people?
Maybe the price of avocados *currently $1 each at Whole Foods Market* is all people think about, but as far as changing the food systems of the country by eliminating colors/preservatives/overprocessing and additives- Whole Foods beats all the others- hands down.
And come on, shoplifting steaks and sausages? Who are you people?
60
Ballard Cash and Carry has 50lb bags of rice for $19.99. If you are willing to carve your own steaks and chops, you can get primal cuts and save like 50-75% over Ballard Market prices.
The Interbay Whole Foods' giant parking lagoon is a real eyesore. They should have faced 15th and put the lot in the back. All that blacktop makes that stretch look more like Aurora than QA/Magnolia.
The Interbay Whole Foods' giant parking lagoon is a real eyesore. They should have faced 15th and put the lot in the back. All that blacktop makes that stretch look more like Aurora than QA/Magnolia.
62
Personally, I think the Ballard Trader Joe's sucks...especially the prepared food section (which is a big deal for me because lunch is what I need it for). I live and work very close to the Interbay Whole Foods site and have been salivating patiently ever since I found out about it. Can't wait!!
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