Whole Foods Sets Opening For Newest New Mexico Store

Whole Foods Market will open a new store in Albuquerque, N.M., that will replace an existing location that has served the community for more than 30 years.

The new 47,327 square foot store at 2100 Carlisle Blvd. NE., will celebrate its grand opening on February 22. 

According to the grocery, the new, larger location will feature upgraded amenities including expanded prepared foods and bakery departments and a larger, more easily accessible parking lot. The new location will also carry an expanded product assortment, including more than 400 local items from New Mexico, sourced with the help of Darcy Landis, local forager for Whole Foods Market.

Features of the relocated Albuquerque store include:

• A large produce department with more than 280 certified organic items available at opening and Sourced for Good produce, floral bouquets, roses and tulips. Product selection at opening will include Dekopon citrus, organic blueberries, made-in-house salsas and guacamole dips and a large orchid variety.
• A bakery department offering favorites such as brown butter cookies, bread baked fresh daily and Whole Foods Market’s Berry Chantilly Cake, including an alternative flour version available to a limited number of Whole Foods Market stores. Local offerings will include pastries from Chocolate Maven and artisan breads from Sage Bakehouse.
• An expanded prepared foods department featuring a self-serve pizza station, made-to-order sandwich counter, sushi from Kikka and hot food and salad bars.
• Specialty department dedicated to celebrating cheesemakers and artisan producers. The cheese counter is overseen by trained cheesemongers who can offer recommendations for any occasion and create custom boards.
• Curated grocery section filled with 365 by Whole Foods Market brand favorites and a variety of local products, including Mexican spiced coffee from New Mexico Piñon Coffee, jam from Heidi’s Raspberry Farm and granola from Taos Bakes.
• Full-service seafood counter featuring smoked-in-house salmon, made-in-house crab cakes, tuna poke salad and a large oyster selection. All offerings are either sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed.
• Full-service meat counter, with butchers available to cut steaks to order. Offerings will include dry-aged beef, made-in-house sausage and Desert Mountain Grass-Fed Beef.
• Extensive selection of more than 50 craft beers and spirits, with local options including Mixed-Up Cocktail Co. and Los Poblanos Botanical Spirits.
• A Whole Body department with a large assortment of wellness and beauty items and a wide selection of local brands, including handmade artisanal soap from Los Poblanos Farm Shop, wellness shots from Verde Food and Moses Brand bee pollen.

Whole Foods Market Albuquerque will be open from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. opening day. Regular store hours will be 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. MST daily. Opening morning, customers will enjoy complimentary coffee and Berry Chantilly Cake samples. The first 300 customers in line will receive a limited-edition tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon featuring offers up to $100 off.

To give back to the community, Whole Foods Market is donating to local organizations Rio Grande Food Project, The Storehouse New Mexico, HopeWorks and Meals on Wheels New Mexico. Additionally, a Whole Foods Market refrigerated van previously donated through the grocer’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program to nonprofit organization Roadrunner Food Bank will make regular pick-ups from the new Albuquerque store to transfer rescued food to community members in need. To date, the retailer has donated 44 vans to food rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada through the program.