BROOKLYN, N.Y., 2016-Jul-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Whole Foods Market, the nation’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, is thrilled to announce the opening of its newest store on Tuesday, July 26 at 9 AM in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (238 Bedford Ave.). The highly anticipated Williamsburg store will be Brooklyn’s second Whole Foods Market location, featuring a vast selection of new and exclusive goods from favorite local vendors. Opening day will kick off with the company’s traditional bread breaking ceremony at 8:45 AM followed by an array of tastings, vendor samplings, sales, and giveaways!

In line with Whole Foods Market’s commitment to the local community, the Williamsburg store has named the Brooklyn Public Library as the 5% Community Giving Day Partner. The Brooklyn Public Library will receive 5% of the store’s sales from opening day to benefit the library’s eco-learning programs before the 2018 opening of its Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center. Additionally, Whole Foods Market Gowanus will also be donating 5% of its sales on July 26th to the Library.

To give shoppers something more to be excited about, Whole Foods Market Williamsburg is partnering with Brooklyn-based natural colorist and fashion designer Audrey Louise Reynolds to giveaway a custom, one-of-a-kind tote bag to the first 250 shoppers on opening day. Dubbed as the “fashion world’s artisanal fabric dyer” by The New York Times, Reynolds will also be launching her line of sustainable dyes (ALR Dyes) within the store’s Whole Body department.

Social media savvy shoppers should keep an eye on the store’s various channels (@wfmbrooklyn) for giveaways with local favorite, PINTRILL. Whole Foods Market Williamsburg has partnered with the pop-culture savvy pin company to create two pins featuring an Avocado Toast and a Kale Tattoo made exclusively for the store opening. To purchase these pins, simply visit PINTRILL.com or the company’s flagship location in the area.

At 51,000 square feet, Whole Foods Market Williamsburg will be providing local residents with a vast and unparalleled selection of high quality natural and organic goods, in addition to a variety of unique dining and first-to-market store innovations. All products meet the retailer’s strict quality standards.

“Having lived in and around Williamsburg for the last decade, I’m thrilled to be opening a Whole Foods Market in the neighborhood my family and I call home,” said Store Team Leader, Sam Baris. “The team has put a lot of thought and hard work into creating a store that really caters to the diverse community, and we hope that’s apparent in everything from the store’s design and prepared food offerings to each and every single product on shelves.”

Whole Foods Market recently announced the vast variety of in-store venues that will make up the “WFM Food Hall.” Specifically, shoppers can expect to find some of New York City’s most beloved and up-and-coming favorites such as Luke’s Lobster’s Tail Cart, No. 7 Veggie, and East Coast Poke. Neighborhood favorite OddFellows Ice Cream Co. will be offering shoppers a rotating menu of its seasonal flavors served from its signature ice cream cart. Paying homage to Williamsburg’s storied roots, the retailer is also introducing a new venue concept called N4—a restaurant and tap room offering an all-natural take on the traditional Jewish delicatessen. N4 will feature an array of exclusive wines on draft from Red Hook Winery, craft cocktails featuring New York state liquors, and menu items such as Fried Matzo Balls, Pastrami Hash & Egg, and Portobello Pastrami.  The store will also offer, Layered, a breakfast and snack concept focused on vegan and paleo options, and classic prepared food offerings including pizza, sushi, coffee, juice and other daily chef-made creations.

In addition, every department will be featuring an unrivaled selection of premium and locally sourced goods and first-to-market innovations. For a full list of product exclusives, go here.

• Grocery: With so many amazing local producers in Brooklyn, it’s no wonder that this store is filled with new and exclusive products such as an all-butter, ready-to-bake frozen pie crust from Four & Twenty Blackbirds, artisanal waffle cones from The Konery, Vista Hermosa corn tortillas made fresh daily at Tacombi Flatiron, and freshly milled flours available in the Bulk section from Brooklyn Bread Lab and Maine Grains.
• Produce: There will be a variety of ways to improve the way you shop for produce at the Williamsburg store. Baldor Specialty Foods will launch a digital kiosk giving shoppers the opportunity to special order unique culinary items typically only available to the metro area’s top chefs. Gotham Greens will be introducing fresh pesto, available in both classic and vegan varieties, plus fresh Thai and Purple Basil. Gotham Greens will also introduce “Ugly Greens,” greens and herbs that are slightly imperfect on the outside and perfectly delicious on the inside. To help further reduce food waste and generate additional revenue for farmers, the store will be introducing an “Imperfect Produce” program, offering customers the opportunity to purchase select “cosmetically-challenged” produce at a lower price.
• Bakery: The Williamsburg store will house an in-store bakery creating breads, cakes, pastries and more! In addition, it will be a new home to Roberta’s array of baked goods and pastries, including a sunflower spelt loaf and their incredibly popular and delicious sticky buns.  The store will also be using flour provided by the Brooklyn Bread Lab to create a variety of new and exclusive items.
• Meat: Shoppers can rest assured knowing that all meat sold in stores were raised to the retailer’s strict standards and have been certified to the 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating System. Get to know the skilled butchers behind the counter who can cut to order and help you choose the best meat for your occasion based on your budget. As a special feature to this location, shoppers can expect a full and expanded variety of ready-to-cook meat items.
• Seafood: Whether you’re interested in sustainably caught wild seafood or Responsibly Farmed, Whole Foods Market’s fishmongers have the freshest, highest quality seafood. Fans of ceviche will be pleased to know that they can choose their choice of fish and the store’s knowledgeable fishmongers will add the marinade.
• Specialty: In addition to some of the finest cheeses sourced locally, domestically and from around the world, the Williamsburg location will be offering five new cheeses from Crown Finish Caves, based out of Crown Heights. Beer aficionados can rejoice as Brooklyn Brewery will be launching a special “West coast-style” IPA called Area 291 specifically for this opening. Transmitter Brewing will also be launching a hoppy, Belgian-style ale called WF-1 that will be packaged in single, 25 oz. bottles with a cork. Coffee enthusiasts can enjoy the exclusive “Williamsburg” blend from local favorite Toby’s Estate, roasted specially for preparation as a cold brew.
• Whole Body: The department will feature a variety of products sourced from local vendors including fun food pun cards designed by artist Jenny Acosta, as well as additional personal care and beauty items with top-of-the-line natural and organic ingredients, nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and baby care items.

For additional information and future announcements, please visit the store’s social media channels: Facebook.com/wholefoodsbrooklyn  and Twitter & Instagram @wfmbrooklyn

Contacts:

Michael Sinatra
michael.sinatra@wholefoods.com
551.574.8031 (cell)

Jessica Ventura
jv@sharpthink.com
212.829.0002 ext.104

Source: Whole Foods Market