Doors open for second Whole Foods store in Ann Arbor

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 | Source: Concentrate

Food shopping options continue to grow in Ann Arbor now that Whole Foods Market has opened its second location in the city.

The new 52,000-square-foot store recently opened in Cranbrook Village, 990 West Eisenhower Pkwy., on the city's southwest side. The other Whole Foods is on Ann Arbor's southeast side at Washtenaw and Huron Parkway.

The new store carries the normal organic offerings, specialty items and gourmet prepared foods. It will also have a in-store smokehouse, a wine bar serving a variety of wine and cheese pairing selections and samples, a coffee bar with indoor and outdoor seating, along with free wireless Internet access.

The store also features a large amount of environmentally friendly features. It was built with numerous recycled materials, recycles much of its waste stream and purchases power from alternative energy sources, such as wind power.

Whole Foods stores are usually coveted grocers for communities, often acting as a barometer of the city's financial health. There are a handful in Metro Detroit, along with other independently owned independent specialty grocers like Plum Market and Bella Vino.

Source: Susan Bellinson, spokeswoman for Whole Foods Market
Writer: Jon Zemke