Last week I received a notification from Facebook to watch the live recording from the Houston Chronicle. I clicked the notification and saw that the reporter was on location at the Whole Foods Market on Westheimer and Wilcrest (Westchase area of Houston) exhibiting what the new location looks like. If you are from Houston, TX you are familiar with the Westheimer area and know that Whole Foods Market has always been on Westheimer and Wilcrest, so what is going on? They literally moved across the street into a bigger suite! More square footage for all of the healthy, organic food and body items? Heck yes!
During the Facebook Live, the reporter (I’m so sorry, I can’t remember her name) stated that Whole Foods would be throwing a sneak peek party on May 31st, the day before the grand opening, for guests to RSVP for. There wasn’t a direct link to the RSVP so I had to put on my detective hat and hit up Google. LOL, I found the RSVP form and signed up. The party would begin at 3 p.m. and would end at 6 p.m. They promised free samples, a DJ, and some specials on food. I set my calendar and counted down the days to the opening because, umm, free samples and a DJ!
So today was the day, or I guess yesterday since y’all are reading this on Wednesday. Anyway, life happened so I didn’t make it to Whole Foods at the beginning of the party. 🙁 I was late, CP time late. Lol, I arrived at 5 p.m. Because of my late arrival, I didn’t have to check-in or show my RSVP to anyone. I strolled in through the door, grabbed a basket, and proceeded to make my way around the store as I Snapchatted my experience. (Follow me on there @merci_britte). Here’s a clip of my Snapchat shenanigans. This is my first YouTube video so bear with me, please.
This Store Has Variety
I purchased a few items I had never seen before like yellow heirloom tomatoes, organic purple Japanese yams, raw milk Parmigiana Reggiano Mitica, whole hard red wheat berries, cilantro garlic and pepper turkey sausage, roasted chipotle and cherries pork sausage and a berry Chantilly cake. I bought a few more items, but those were the most intriguing. I HAD to purchase the whole hard red wheat berries because I’ve wanted to grind my own flour using my NutriBullet for my online dessert shop. You guys know I use “special flour” for my customers. LOL, The seafood shop and the butcher shop were not fully open so I couldn’t see their entire selection. I managed to talk with a few of the employees because they were pretty inquisitive as to why I was recording and taking pictures. I explained my blog to them and they invited me to return tomorrow for the grand opening ceremony when reporters and news stations would be present. I’m thinking about going back! You guys should definitely go there for the grand opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m. because they will be offering free coffee and pastries until 8 a.m. The first 200 guests will receive either a $10, $20, or $100 Whole Foods Market gift card and the first 500 guests will receive a free reusable shopping bag. So you will definitely be able to leave out of the store with something!
They’re very similar to my business model. Feed your body the best ingredients.
The Westchase Experience
Okay, let’s get to the nitty gritty. I honestly have nothing negative to say. The employees were all amiable and knowledgeable, the organic selection is extensive, I mean MASSIVE! You guys know I have a love affair with Sprout’s but it is a much smaller store so they can’t hold as many organic ingredients as this Whole Foods location. They had an entire section of organic bulk spices! I know all of the ingredients in the store aren’t organic, but I am pretty sure you won’t find any GMO-laden products! They also have a vast selection of wines and beers as well as a full-service bakery, a café that offers meals and wood-fired pizzas, and a coffee/juice bar! When you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle you NEED a store like Whole Foods Market in order to stay on the straight and narrow. Regular grocery stores like HEB and Krogers are doing better about providing more organic ingredients, but these stores are no comparisons for Whole Foods! It’s much easier to shop organic when you can go to a store and not have to search for the organic section or search through the GMO-laden foods to find the organic version.
This was my first visit to Whole Foods in a very long time. I am going to have to change that and be comfortable with driving a little farther than my neighborhood stores. Whole Foods, if you ever read this, please consider building a location in Cypress, TX! Anyway, y’all should mosey on over to the new and improved Westchase location and tell me about your experience and thoughts in the comment section. Or contact me on my social media accounts. Please do me a favor and follow me on Bloglovin’ and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat to stay up-to-date.
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