Whole Foods Market Place: The Inside Scoop from my fiancé who is an Employee
Written: Jul 06 '03 (Updated Jul 06 '03)
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Pros: Everything...
Cons: The Prices can get you
The Bottom Line: Whole Foods Market is worth the price if you can afford it and enjoy everything that the store provides.
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| kparsons13's Full Review: Whole Foods |
The Opening of Whole Foods Market, Valet and All
On November 6, 2002, Whole Foods Market opened their second store in the Metro Phoenix area and it is located on the edge of Scottsdale (Nice Section of Town), Paradise Valley (The Really Nice Section of Town where the Celebrities Live) and Phoenix (just Plain old Phoenix). The location was ideal by Whole Foods from the corporation standpoint because they were basically placed perfectly. The other Whole Foods Market which already existed was in Tempe, which is the south east part of the valley and the new one is in the north east part of the valley. You know what they say about stores, location is everything and can make you or break you. Whole Foods Market is far from ever being broken with the excellent planning of the position of where the next store will open. In that same strip mall there was already a store that was wonderful but had to close from not enough business and we watched it come and go within a six month period.
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The Personality Types of Some of the People that Choose to Shop at Whole Foods Market
So back to the day of their opening, it was chaos galore for my fiancé. There are different departments but I will get to that in a little bit. In fact the first two weeks that Whole Foods Market was open, possibly even longer, there was a VALET Service. Yes, although you could walk 25-50 feet to the store (which has a small parking lot to begin with) there were many who chose to Valet Park. Does that give you a sense of the type of people that visit this store? If that doesn’t then I can’t say it any nicer than that except to say blatantly that the majority of people that shop at Whole Foods Market in Paradise Valley are rich, snots. I am not saying all of them are, but there are quite a few to many that you feel like you literally have to hold their a$$ around the store. However there are also many friendly, warm customers as well. It is just you always think of the bad apple first before all the good ones.
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The Layout and Size of Whole Foods and those Nifty Carts
Now you have an idea about the Whole Foods Market and how they opened in our neck of the woods. Let us begin to take a deeper look into the store. The store that my fiancé works at is a fair size, at least larger than the Trader Joes I was going to. Unfortunately, the isles due to all the products are still a wee bit small when shopping. It can be tricky sometimes to pass someone. Oh and let me not forget their shopping carts. The carts have at the end of them a place to put any flowers that you may be picking up so that they can stand straight up and not get crushed by your other items. It also has by the handle a flat place to put your wallet/purse and a cup holder should you have a beverage while shopping. Pretty nifty huh? Overall Whole Foods Market did a great job on the layout of the store and the different departments that they hold.
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Before I get started dissecting each department so that you know what is what, I would like to make the general statement that Whole Foods Market does not carry ANY items that have preservatives or artificial flavors in them.
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The Bakery Department
The Bakery Department encompasses all of the baked products and that would include the breads, cakes, tarts, cookies, bars, brownies, scones, pastries, muffins, and corn bread. I may have overlooked one here or there but you get the idea. The Bakery Department also has the Coffee and Juice Bar which I would say that they have a great hot chocolate as well.
The bakery will never include these materials in anything that they make:
Vanillin
Fruit that contains potassium sorbate as a preservative
Artificial flavors, colors or sulfites in the fruits
Hydrogenated oils (except in Eddie’s Vegan cookies and French Twist as well)
Bleached or bromated flours
Now I am going to be straight and honest with you, the Bakery may make a mean cup of java but as far as the items I have tasted in the cakes, I am not impressed at all. Maybe I am too used to having all those preservatives and additives in my food, but they taste bland. The texture of the carrot cake that my fiancé brought home yesterday was funky and weird and the icing was the most disgusting thing I have come close to having in my mouth. So I enjoy their beverages and different types of bread but as far as the treats I now have a bitter taste left within me that I may not try one again.
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The Seafood Department
Whole Foods Market has the freshest fish around as it is brought in every day of the week except on Sunday. If a particular seafood item is being over caught and could be on the brink of endangered, Whole Foods Market will sustain from getting it until the problem is resolved. Whole Foods Market is teamed up with Ocean Trust and the Marine Stewardship Council. The Ocean Trust ensures that shrimp farms around the world will be preserved. The Marine Stewardship Council is an organization that helping preserve fish around the world.
The types of fish that Whole Food Market Carries are:
1) Atlantic Mackerel
2) Lake trout
3) Atlantic Salmon, farmed
4) Herring
5) Bluefin tuna
5) Chinook Salmon
6) Sturgeon
7) Albacore Tuna
8) Whitefish, lake
9) Sardines, canned
10) Bluefish, Atlantic
11) Salmon, pink
12) Halibut
13) Striped Bass
14) Mullet
15) Pollock
16) Catfish
17) Rainbow trout
18) Carp
19) Shrimp
20) Crab
21) Lobster
22) Sole
23) Flounder
24) Perch
25) Cod
26) Grouper
27) Haddock
28) Swordfish
29) Red Snapper
30) Plaice
31) Clams
There are certain times of the year that some of these fish are not available but as you can see they have a wide variety of seafood compared to most grocery stores.
I have not had the pleasure of tasting anything from the Seafood department but I always hear stories from my fiancé about when the fish come in and how huge they are. He always comments on how cool it is that it comes in daily so you always know it is fresh.
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The Grocery Department
The Grocery Department would include the dairy, frozen, bulk, and of course, grocery. The 365 Line that you may see throughout Whole Foods Market is their own line. The bulk section would include the area that you use those bulk food bins that you are able to choose exactly what item and how much of that item you want such as black beans. The Grocery section involves the soups, cereals, juices, and any other dry goods. The Dairy Section consists of milk, eggs, and yogurt.
I have tried some of the cereals that I didn’t think would be all that great but turned out to be better than some of the ones I am used to like “Raisin Bran.”
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The Meat Department
The Meat Department would consist of beef, chicken, lamb, pork, turkey, guiney fowl, poussin, squab, goose, smoked meat, veal, duck and rabbit some of the seafood.
1) The beef is under the USDA definition of “Natural” meaning that there are absolutely NO artificial ingredients added; this would include hormones, food additives, preservatives, colors, dyes, and antibiotics. Whole Foods All Natural Beef is raised on the Cornbelt of Nebraska and the Organic Beef is from New Zealand, meaning it is only fed grass. There is also ground beef, roasts, sausages, and steaks. Have you seen their steaks, they cut them about an inch and half thick. The customer can have their own special cut but the ones that are laid out in the case are thick (and juicy).
2) The Lamb is from the North Island of New Zealand which is also an all grass diet.
3) For chicken there is Smart Chicken, Rosie Chicken, Rocky Chicken, and Wise Kosher Organic Chicken. The best Smart Chicken, which is air chilled and are vegetarian fed with no hormones or antibiotics. If you get used to the taste of the Smart chicken, any other chicken taste incredibly low grade.
4) The pork is from Quebec, Canada which the pigs are raised in a “bio-secure” environment without any hormones or antibiotics.
5) There are three types of Turkey which range from kosher to free-range who are fed an all vegetarian diet.
6) The veal is raised free range as well.
I honestly cannot go through the others above as I do not have the heart to, but at least you know that they carry them, should you enjoy that type of meat.
The meat is the best you will find around. The Smart Chicken is addictive and spoils you if you try to go back to "regular" chicken. You can used to the Smart Chicken that anything else tastes so awful after that. You are used to the Air Dried Smart Chicken and nothing can compare to it. The ground beef also tastes different to me as well. I think from not having all the hormone injections and so forth really makes a HUGE difference.
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The Whole Body Department
The Whole Body Department consists of all of the shampoos, conditioners, styling needs, body and bath, needs, books and yoga information, and supplements. The staff is very knowledgeable on all of the herbal remedy or holistic point of views on how to treat different occurrences such as a scorpion bite. I have found that their recommendations have always helped me with curing any of my problems. The different lines of make up and bath needs are wonderful as well. (Expensive too)
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The Prepared Foods Department
There are many different sub-departments :
1) The back of the house is the support system behind the other sub-departments, like the kitchen and storage.
2) The Chef’s Display Case (Cold Case) includes the highlight of the day whether it is a gourmet wrap or deli sandwich.
3) The Food on the Run is the Food Bar where you can pick from the self-service bar which has a variety of items depending on whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner.
4) The salad bar is the best in town with the most fresh vegetables and wonderful tasting dressings.
5) The Fresh to Go has items that are already pre-packaged, like a smoked turkey wrap, which I had the other day and it was delicious. My lovely honey always brings me home a treat.
6) The Hot, Fresh and Ready case is where the pizza and rotisserie chickens may be found.
7) The Jamba Juice Bar, pretty self explanatory.
8) The Souper Sandwiches has a variety of sandwiches that are already to go for you.
9) The Sushi Bar, also self explanatory.
I love the fact that they have hot entrees, five or six hot soups, a HUGE salad bar, and prepared foods or they can even prepare the food that you are looking for.
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The Produce Department
Whole Foods Market “strives to provide a variety of the freshest, tastiest organic and conventional fruits and vegetables available.” In the produce department they have your basic tomatoe and then they have things that I have never seen before like a “pluot”, a plum and apricot mixed together.
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The Specialty Department
The Specialty Department would consist of the Beer, Wine, Charcuterie, Cheese and Kitchen wares. They have a vast array of beers that focus in on craft brewed beers, regional specialty beers and micro-brewed beers and they fall in these categories:
1) ales
2) lager beers
3) stout beers
4) porter beers
5) wheat beers
As we move onto “Charcuterie” Section, this includes the finest chocolate from the World, Dried Mushrooms, Meats, Olives, Cheese, Gouda Cheeses, and Raw Milk Cheese. I love the Specialty Department just because they have such a wide variety of things that I learn about each time and also can even taste. I don’t drink but my fiancé has had a few nice bottles of wine there that are at a very reasonable price. They also have a nice selection of dessert wines, like port.
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My Thoughts of Whole Foods
It is difficult for me to be really objective when it comes to the store just because my fiancé works there. I do think it is very expensive to shop there, however, they are getting the best of best that is the healthiest for you. Whole Foods Market goes though extensive training with all of their employees so each one is as knowledgeable as the next. The service of each employee is incredible. I find it to be the friendliest place to shop and my mother has noticed that as well. I know it isn’t just because of my fiancé that employees are nice to me. The products that they offer from produce to a box of cookies are always delicious. It is a comfortable place to shop in, even with its’ small isles. I have never come upon a situation where I have overheard anyone be rude to a customer.
Whole Foods as a corporation is a good company to work for. They may not pay the highest salaries to their employees but that is made up through other benefits. For example, I am viewed as my fiance’s domestic partner so I am able to get benefits through him without having to be married. Whole Foods also offers Profit Sharing at the end of the month. My fiancé got a nice check for the profits made from the first week of opening as a bonus along with everyone else. We also have a very nice discount which brings the prices to a reasonable level. My father recently knew we were struggling and sent us $150.00 in Whole Foods Credit, so for a bit we can shop there. Anyways, it is a corporation that listens to their employees’ needs and tries to meet them.
Overall Whole Foods Market is an experience that I believe is in its own class. Trader Joes and Wild Oats cannot even begin to compare to Whole Foods Market. The extra special touch is the knowledge of the employees and also how friendly they are. I have found that in this day and age people just aren’t willing to go the extra mile for a customer or even give you a smile. I always try to treat someone how I would want to be treated myself. Whole Foods Market has captured the food, the service and basically in a nut shell, everything you should expect out of a Market.
Until next time,
K Parsons
© 2003
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Take your Time and enjoy each isle and department. Taste new things that you normally wouldn't and break out of your shell. If you have a questions, they will be answered, just ask.
Best Suited For: Kids and Families
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kparsons13
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