Whole Foods opens first mini market in NYC: Here's what's inside

Whole Foods says it's opening quick-shop stores geared towards urban neighborhoods, starting on the Upper East Side.

The "Whole Foods Market Daily Shop," the first of its kind, is set to open on Third Avenue near 69th Street on the Upper East Side later this year. 

The announcement comes as part of an ongoing expansion to extend the brand's "urban real estate footprint." 

"Expanding our footprint with Whole Foods Market Daily Shop is key to our growth, fostering deeper customer connections, and advancing our purpose to nourish people and the planet, " the Executive Vice President Growth & Development, Whole Foods Market & Amazon Christina Minardi said. 

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Whole Foods Market to Open Smaller Format Stores as Part of Ongoing Expansion

The stores will be a quarter to half the size of the larger ones. 

They say the new format won't replace the traditional, but instead, say the shops will provide easy access to items usually found at regular Whole Foods Markets. 

"At our new store formats, we’re tailoring every square foot to the unique, fast-paced needs of urban lifestyles," Minardi says. 

According to the grocery store, the shops will still offer things like produce, meat, and snacks. 

The Upper East Side location will also have Juice & Java, which offers coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and other café items. 

What will the new Whole Foods location include?

  • produce
  • meat
  • seafood
  • sandwiches
  • pre-packaged meals
  • Juice & Java store

The shop will initially launch on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, with additional locations throughout the city to follow.

Whole Foods Market was founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas. It is one of the most popular natural and organic foods retailers and the first certified organic national grocer in the United States.

The chain is part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores with more than 530 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.