Since Whole Foods first opened its doors 32 years ago in Austin, Texas it has become a community gathering place for a wide variety of Austinites. From the moment you walk in the doors you are sure to encounter a suburban mom on her weekly grocery trip, a UT student picking up healthy snacks, a runner stopping in for a smoothie, or a local musician gathering sustenance before they head to Sixth Street for a show. Whole Foods has expanded outside of the grocery store norm by offering café eateries and several communal dining spaces both inside and out. Located on Lamar between 5th and 6th Street Whole Foods is easily accessible for any Austinite to satisfy their hunger pains.
By entering through either the street level large sliding glass doors or by rising up via the escalator from the parking garage you are enveloped into a world of chatter and bustle. You arrive to the welcoming aroma of an eclectic variety of food sure to satisfy any Whole Foods patron. The indoor communal dining area allows you an opportunity to share a table and conversation with any variety of guest or if you prefer the sounds of chirping birds while watching traffic rush by on Sixth Street and Lamar the outside patios are an excellent choice.
Despite the store’s focus on creating a community gathering space for people to enjoy fresh and local cuisine they also offer a wide variety of grocery, pharmaceutical, and clothing products. The founder, John Mackey, wanted to open a local natural grocery store that specialized in natural supplements and organic local food while having the feel of a small community general store. The store has become a speciality in pharmaceuticals with expansive aisles housing natural products and a trained pharmacist on hand to help. The store also features a large fresh produce section housing local fruits and vegetables, an aisle specializing in the grinding of fresh nut butter, a seafood counter marketing the freshest fish in Texas, and several more aisles with natural snacks, cereals, and beverages for purchase.
Throughout their many nationwide stores Whole Foods has created very strict guidelines for the quality of the products in their stores. Their quality rule states that they will only fill their stores with natural foods that meet the following guidelines: minimally processed foods free of hydrogenated fats, free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. Whole Foods also has a strict guideline about the humane treatment of the animals their products come from. Having strict food and product guidelines has made Whole Foods an attractive destination for many Austin citizens.
In the year of 1981, less than a year after its opening, Whole Foods role of importance in the community of Austin was proved. Austin suffered its worst flood to date on May 24, 1981 leaving Whole Foods suffering severe water damages forcing them to close their store. Since Whole Foods was already lacking funding, and they were not insured, there was no possibility of the store being repaired and reopened. The Austin community including: neighbors, other Austin business owners, and employees banded together to repair the damage done by the flood to reopen Whole Foods in twenty-eight days.
Being located in a central part of Downtown Austin, Whole Foods is easily accessible from the UT campus, surrounding downtown apartments, the suburban Westlake neighborhoods, and walking distance from Zilker Park. The ability to access Whole Foods from almost any part of Austin allows for a wide draw of citizens to enjoy this multi-use friendly urban space.
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