Whole Foods Opens “Mini” Store in Lenox Hill; More on Tap for Stuy Town and Hells Kitchen

A smaller version of Whole Foods has come to Lenox Hill, as of September 18. In fact, the Whole Foods Daily Shop at 1175 Third Avenue–near E. 69th St.–appears to be the first of its kind, and will be replicated in other locations in New York City. At 9,101 sq. ft., which is roughly half the size of a regular Whole Foods Market, it’s not exactly small by the standards of other grocery chains.

“Opening this first Whole Foods Market Daily Shop location–which was specially tailored for the needs of an urban market like New York City–marks a special milestone for our company,” said Christina Minardi, Whole Foods’s Growth & Development Executive V.P.

Given it’s not-entirely-tiny size, it’s no surprise that’s there’s plenty of product on store shelves. There are “more than 400 local products” at the store from “100+ Northeast-based suppliers,” the company boasts. A “Juice and Java” venue will offer “ coffee, tea, juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and various desserts.”

“As a lifelong New Yorker, I am thrilled to welcome customers into our first Whole Foods Market Daily Shop,” Store Leader Timeisha Brisco said. “Whether they are picking up coffee or lunch on-the-go, or grabbing final ingredients needed for dinner, we look forward to providing our customers with a quick, convenient shopping experience that meets all of our quality standards.”

Our Town visited the premises on September 24 to talk to some first-time shoppers. One woman, who was perusing the dairy aisle, said that “I usually go to Citronella.” However, considering that she works in the neighborhood, she figured she’d head to the new Whole Foods: “Why not!” She was clearly stocking up on goods.

Another man, who already had a basket full of food items, noted that he lives in the “60s”–and usually has to head north or south by dozens of blocks to find a grocery store that he enjoys. His favorite store was in the “20s.” He noted that having the Whole Foods Market Daily Shop located just around the corner could possibly change that.

A woman in the vegetable aisle, who went by A., said she was “pleasantly surprised” by the amount of produce on offer. It was a “good amount,” she said, perhaps vindicating Whole Foods’s strategy to offer a modestly downsized store that isn’t just an aisle or two.

Whole Foods gets it name and brand from maintaining a set of “Quality Standards” that revolve around prohibiting a variety of ingredients, many of which are found in other big-box stores. As such, it attracts a fanbase of shoppers that trust it for its suite of relatively healthy products. Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, it describes itself as “the the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer.”

Specifically, the chain bans hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup, and 300 different “flavors, colors, sweeteners and other ingredients.” Its beauty items are not allowed to contain “more than 240 commonly used ingredients, including phthalates, parabens and microbeads.”

Whole Foods notes that two other Manhattan “Daily Shops” will be following in the footsteps of its Lenox Hill shop; one will be located at 409 E. 14th Street in Stuyvesant Town, while the other will be coming to 301 West 50th Street. in Hell’s Kitchen.