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Lott's Bandana
5/5/2010, 05:25 PM
Whole Foods (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Whole+Foods+Market+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) confirmed Wednesday the chain has a signed lease to open a store in Oklahoma City (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oklahoma+City&CATEGORY=CITY).
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Whole Foods Market on twitter
(http://twitter.com/WholeFoods)
http://s3.amazonaws.com/content.newsok.com/newsok/images/wimgo_related_items.png (http://wimgo.com/)



The confirmation was provided through the company's marketing department via Twitter (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Twitter+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) in response to a question by The Oklahoman (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=The+Oklahoma+Publishing+Company&CATEGORY=COMPANY) regarding rumors that have been ongoing for the past two years.
Whole Foods is one of the nation's leading grocery chains that specializes in natural and organic goods and operates more than 270 stores in North America (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=North+America&CATEGORY=CONTINENT) and the United Kingdom (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=United+Kingdom&CATEGORY=COUNTRY).
The chain has only one store in Oklahoma (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oklahoma&CATEGORY=STATE) — a former Wild Oats store in Tulsa (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Tulsa&CATEGORY=CITY)


Read more: http://newsok.com/whole-foods-confirms-oklahoma-city-lease/article/3459103#ixzz0n62wI0ID

BudSooner
5/5/2010, 05:27 PM
It would surprise me to see them take over many of the old Homeland stores, Homelands old president went to work for Whole Foods before I left them.

He was a real **********.

Edit:One source has them opening it in the downtown area? Ok, but where?

Pogue Mahone
5/5/2010, 05:36 PM
When you get a Trader Joe's, that will be cause for celebration. Whole Foods? Not so much.

SoonerInKCMO
5/5/2010, 05:38 PM
Location? My money is on Classen Curve.

SicEmBaylor
5/5/2010, 05:40 PM
I went into my first Whole Foods store in Tulsa last winter. It was like a whole sub-culture of American Society that I knew existed but had never really experienced. Hippies everywhere. Lesbians holding hands. Weird brands on all the shelves that I'd never heard of before....

I will say though that their deli is freaking awesome and the staff there was incredibly polite.

sooner59
5/5/2010, 05:44 PM
Well, I'm looking forward to better choices for food. I can ignore what goes on around me if I'm focused on tomatoes and stuff.

SoonerInKCMO
5/5/2010, 05:44 PM
I will say though that their deli is freaking awesome and the staff there was incredibly polite.

The deli is the shiznit. I used to go to the one in Bellevue, WA to get dinner and just hang out (they have tables and stuff set up)... kind of a pick-up joint for the fleece-wearing, granola-munching crowd.

BudSooner
5/5/2010, 06:26 PM
Location? My money is on Classen Curve.That is one location mentioned, the other is 16th&North Lincoln.
Penn&Grand was another, I cannot see what area they are talking about...isn't there an apartment complex on the southwest corner?

SoonerInKCMO
5/5/2010, 06:35 PM
SW corner of Penn & Grand is the OKC G&CC. Bunch of big houses with big yards on the other corners.

bri
5/5/2010, 06:45 PM
God, I hope it's really true this time. I'm tired of hearing everyone down here having kittens about not having one.

Lott's Bandana
5/5/2010, 09:01 PM
I went into my first Whole Foods store in Tulsa last winter. It was like a whole sub-culture of American Society that I knew existed but had never really experienced. Hippies everywhere. Lesbians holding hands. Weird brands on all the shelves that I'd never heard of before....

I will say though that their deli is freaking awesome and the staff there was incredibly polite.


What you experienced was a morphed Wild Oats. WO was a cool store out of Boulder that was more like Trader Joe's than WF. Much smaller footprint and much more neighborhood oriented. WF bought WO and the first thing it did in Tulsa was expand it into the next storefront, adding about 30%. The deli's at Whole Foods and Central Market are to me, the only thing they do better than TJ's, as TJ's doesn't have a deli in their stores.

TUSooner
5/5/2010, 09:41 PM
I heard we're getting one on my side of the river (the West Bank) here in NOLA. Now the stuff I can't afford will be much closer. :rolleyes:

BTW, is Kamp's still in business on Classen?

soonersis
5/5/2010, 10:34 PM
Kamp's is only in deli form now. No store.

ouleaf
5/5/2010, 11:15 PM
Yeah, Whole Foods, Central Market, Sprouts, are all pretty freaking awesome down here in the DFW metroplex. They are definitely a foodies paradise. They tend to run you a few more bucks than your typical grocery store but you're definitely buying quality produce, meats, seafood, eggs, dairy, bread, etc. in so many different varieties or from different regions. They also specialize in offering the exotic or rare ingredients that you won't find at Wally World or Homeland.

proud gonzo
5/6/2010, 12:33 AM
ahhhhhhh, kickass! I finally got to go to one in NYC back around new years and it was the most amazing place ever. Plus, I bought my grandma fresh chanterelle mushrooms there, which made her very happy.

yermom
5/6/2010, 12:39 AM
i always go to Whole Paycheck when i'm somewhere that has them

OKC might still be a bit far though

SicEmBaylor
5/6/2010, 12:40 AM
ahhhhhhh, kickass! I finally got to go to one in NYC back around new years and it was the most amazing place ever. Plus, I bought my grandma fresh chanterelle mushrooms there, which made her very happy.

Hippy.

proud gonzo
5/6/2010, 01:05 AM
Hippy.
what, for liking an awesome grocery store?

At least I don't ride a scooter.

SicEmBaylor
5/6/2010, 01:08 AM
what, for liking an awesome grocery store?

At least I don't ride a scooter.

You should. They're totally kick-***.

Condescending Sooner
5/6/2010, 08:37 AM
Great, now morons and hippies in OKC can over pay substantially for their food without having to drive to Tulsa or Dallas.

49r
5/6/2010, 09:24 AM
Whole Foods, Inc. is headquartered in Austin, Texas. ('http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/history.php')

In case ya dint know.


In 1978, twenty-five year old college dropout John Mackey and twenty-one year old Rene Lawson Hardy, borrowed $45,000 from family and friends to open the doors of a small natural foods store called SaferWay in Austin, Texas (the name being a spoof of Safeway, which operated stores under their own name in Austin at that time). When the couple got booted out of their apartment for storing food products there, they decided to simply live at the store. Since it was zoned commercial, there was no shower stall. Instead, they bathed in the Hobart dishwasher, which had an attached water hose.

jkjsooner
5/6/2010, 09:44 AM
I go there sometimes but I get ticked when I realize I can't get Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper there.

Personally, I wish there was a Wegman's close to me. They are awesome.

JohnnyMack
5/6/2010, 09:45 AM
When you get a Trader Joe's, that will be cause for celebration. Whole Foods? Not so much.

OK isn't ever getting a Trader Joe's.

sooner_born_1960
5/6/2010, 09:47 AM
OK isn't ever getting a Trader Joe's.
Not until they can sell wine and strong beer.

JohnnyMack
5/6/2010, 10:07 AM
Not until they can sell wine and strong beer.

OK isn't ever getting a Trader Joe's.

sooner_born_1960
5/6/2010, 10:11 AM
I agree.

NormanPride
5/6/2010, 10:18 AM
Stupid freaking liquor lobby.

SanJoaquinSooner
5/6/2010, 10:20 AM
Great, now morons and hippies in OKC can over pay substantially for their food without having to drive to Tulsa or Dallas.

Condescending Sooner, you should admit that the meat, seafood, produce, bakery, upscale selections in Edmond are horrible for what is otherwise thought of as a fairly nice community in which to live.

JohnnyMack
5/6/2010, 10:25 AM
I agree.

We almost got Cost Plus World Market until they figured out our lovely laws.

SoonerAtKU
5/6/2010, 10:29 AM
The wife's brother works for Whole Foods as some sort of supervisor/manager in the prepared food section. He's a really great cook, and all of the food we've gotten from there has been top-notch. That being said, if we didn't get it for free or at a discount, there's no way I'd pay $5 or $6 a pound for cooked chicken breast or pasta salad.

I don't know if you guys have had pizza from there, but you can have them par-cook it and finish it at home. I highly recommend it. The roasted garlic and pepperoni are really great together.

badger
5/6/2010, 10:37 AM
I am reading some comments related to the announcement in local media - they're calling it "Whole paycheck." Lol.

NP loves this place. I usually avoid it unless I need something specialized that you can't find elsewhere. They apparently have wonderful wine selections in states that don't have archaic liquor laws. Oh, and if you need flowers, go here.

49r
5/6/2010, 10:53 AM
I believe yermom called it Whole Paycheck earlier in this thread...

nmsoonergirl
5/6/2010, 12:07 PM
One of the reasons Mr. NMS says he won't consider moving to OKC is the lack of good grocery stores (and I can't really argue with him), so this is very exciting news for me!
We probably do about 70% of our grocery shopping there, and as long as you buy produce that is in season, and stuff that's on sale, it really isn't that pricey.

badger
5/6/2010, 12:12 PM
it really isn't that pricey.

It's pricey compared to cheap crap at cheap grocery stores, much like a real restaurant's burger is pricey compared to McDonald's dollar menu.

Mjcpr
5/6/2010, 12:15 PM
One of the reasons Mr. NMS says he won't consider moving to OKC is the lack of good grocery stores (and I can't really argue with him), so this is very exciting news for me!
We probably do about 70% of our grocery shopping there, and as long as you buy produce that is in season, and stuff that's on sale, it really isn't that pricey.

Whaaaaaa? That's a new one.

OhU1
5/6/2010, 12:45 PM
I would like to have one nearby to have more options with produce and the like. I'm a cheap bastard so I'm sure I would window shop more than actually buy.

I would be interested in the bins of whole beans and grains especially. I went to "The Earth" store in Norman this weekend and they had some whole beans I had not seen before (fava, pink lentils, and some others). Other than that they had the usual selection of "health food" marked up 500%.

Condescending Sooner
5/6/2010, 01:25 PM
Condescending Sooner, you should admit that the meat, seafood, produce, bakery, upscale selections in Edmond are horrible for what is otherwise thought of as a fairly nice community in which to live.

I have never been to the grocery store and been unable to find anything I need.

SoonerInKCMO
5/6/2010, 05:54 PM
I'm looking forward to this. Hell, with the **** grocery store selection we have here, I'd be ecstatic to see a Hy-Vee open up.

bluedogok
5/6/2010, 10:29 PM
Stupid freaking liquor lobby.
Oklahoma isn't the only state facing this issue....Texas has some weirdness as well like the Dallas "dry precincts" crap.

The Denver Post - Colorado grocery-liquor bill iced (http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_15027450)

Denver Business Journal - Bill to let Colorado grocers sell liquor pulled; fight likely moves to ballot (http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/05/03/daily42.html)

SoonerInKCMO
5/12/2010, 06:56 PM
Looks like I was off by a few blocks (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/pressroom/blog/2010/05/12/whole-foods-market®-announces-plans-to-build-store-in-oklahoma-city-near-classen-curve-development-and-chesapeake-energy-campus/) ... should've been able to figure that out between the lack of grocery store-sized space available on Classen and the new athletic field going in on top of the underground garage at Chesapeake.

Viking Kitten
5/12/2010, 08:06 PM
Right close to both our workplaces, KCMO. Think we've got a new lunch spot.

Okla-homey
5/12/2010, 08:15 PM
Ho hum. Whole Foods. We've had one in the cultural capital of the state for two years already. People go there and pay too much, then load their groceries, packed in hemp bags they brought from home, into their Priuses and then smugly eat said groceries in thier crappy little houses.

It's barnum-esque hucksterism at its finest. They actually charge, and some people actually pay, more money for dingey produce and gray meat because it's "organic"...which is code for no material difference in the product from the stuff in every other grocery store except it looks rangier and costs more.

Organic food is a scam folks. Plain and simple.

SoonerInKCMO
5/12/2010, 08:29 PM
Hillbilly.

SoonerInKCMO
5/12/2010, 08:34 PM
Right close to both our workplaces, KCMO. Think we've got a new lunch spot.

Speaking of lunch, we should do that next week... have your people call my people.

Viking Kitten
5/12/2010, 08:59 PM
Speaking of lunch, we should do that next week... have your people call my people.

Will do.

GottaHavePride
5/12/2010, 09:26 PM
It's barnum-esque hucksterism at its finest. They actually charge, and some people actually pay, more money for dingey produce and gray meat because it's "organic"...which is code for no material difference in the product from the stuff in every other grocery store except it looks rangier and costs more.

Organic food is a scam folks. Plain and simple.

Actually, the reason organic costs more is because they don't use pesticides and crap, which translates to losing more of the crops to pests. Also, the regulation on use of the label "organic" is kind of sketchy. Kind of like "free range" on meats.

I'm not a huge nut about organic foods. Now, locally-sourced food is another matter. I'm all for that. Within reason.

Okla-homey
5/13/2010, 06:26 AM
Actually, the reason organic costs more is because they don't use pesticides and crap, which translates to losing more of the crops to pests. Also, the regulation on use of the label "organic" is kind of sketchy. Kind of like "free range" on meats.

I'm not a huge nut about organic foods. Now, locally-sourced food is another matter. I'm all for that. Within reason.

Funny thing about pesticides. It is absolutely indisputable that but for the use of pesticides, the world's ability to raise crops would be insufficient to feed the world's population. Thus, people who are anti-pesticides are in reality anti-humanity.

And you are right about the relatively unregulated use of the word "organic" in food labeling. Moreover, no government agency checks to insure items labeled "organic" were indeed raised without the use of any chemicals. Thus, it's really more about buying in to a faddish lifestyle than eating healthier. It's all just a bunch of hogwash.

IB4OU2
5/13/2010, 09:13 AM
The one in Tulsa has a great Deli.

Okla-homey
5/13/2010, 11:10 AM
The one in Tulsa has a great Deli.

And deadly spiders in it's ungassed bananas.


Suspected deadly spider found here

By SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer
Published: 3/19/2009 2:31 AM
Last Modified: 3/19/2009 3:05 AM

What could be one of the most lethal spiders in the world made its way to a Tulsa grocery store Sunday, but it was destroyed Wednesday by a University of Tulsa biologist.

The spider was found in a shipment of bananas at Whole Foods, where employees trapped it in a plastic salad container before handing it over to Terry Childs, director of animal facilities at TU.

Childs said Wednesday evening that he decided to destroy the spider at the urging of a TU administrator.

"It was just a safety decision that I made," he said.

He said transporting the spider to another university for study would be difficult and that not much can be determined from one spider.

Native to South America, the Brazilian wandering spider is rarely found as far north as Oklahoma. Its venom can kill a person within half an hour, and the antivenin is unlikely to be available near Tulsa, Childs said.

Barry Downer, curator of aquariums and herpetology at the Tulsa Zoo, hadn't examined the spider but said that from the video he had seen, he believed that it had been misidentified.

He also disagreed with how serious the spider's bite would be.

"Even if it were that particular species, it would not be a life-threatening bite unless you were a child or an immunosuppressed adult," Downer said.

Childs said he cross-referenced several sources when examining the spider and thinks he is correct in saying it is the Brazilian wandering spider, also known as a banana spider, some sources indicate.

Brazilian wandering spiders are not the most venomous species of spider, but they cause about five recorded deaths a year, making them extremely lethal, Childs said.

"I'm not joking here; if you get bitten by this spider, if you get envenomation, you're going to die within 25 minutes," he said.

The species is documented as being particularly aggressive, Childs said.

"It's the fastest spider I've ever seen in my life," he said.

The spider, a young female, was shy of the spotlight Wednesday afternoon, staying tucked up into a corner of her cage. She had a leg length of less than 1 1/2 inches but could have grown to a leg span of about 5 inches.

Childs said he named the spider Carla, after his "dear wife." Sharing space in his office were a scorpion, several fish and a tarantula named Cuddles.

"I enjoy animals that are scary, animals that scare people," he said. "I'm weird like that."

A regional spokeswoman for Whole Foods said the chain had never experienced a similar situation before.

"The incident is an extremely rare circumstance," Laura Zappi said.

Childs said such an event can occur at any store receiving products from other countries.

He was quick to praise Whole Foods and its employees for their vigilance and handling of the situation.

"I shop there all the time, and I'm not going to stop now," he said.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shannon Muchmore 581-8378
[email protected] By SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer

soonerscuba
5/13/2010, 11:21 AM
Despite the ironic judgement of people's condition based on the products they choose to buy in a free market society, I would suggest those who truly care about sustainability of local farmers join a CSA. When I do buy proteins in a store, I typically find Whole Foods or a local butcher to be light years ahead of the local big box in terms of quality.

OklahomaTuba
5/13/2010, 02:14 PM
Homey, you're being a little hard on what is a great American product, the luxury food store.

Most meat markets in town will sell you better "natural" animal meat and at a much reduced price than anything WFs will. And much of that is practically organic as they don't use the antibiotics and such, which i try not to consume personally. Harvard Meats at 15th and Harvard gets my vote.

And if you want good "organic" produce, just go a farmers market. Same ****.

That being said, I do like WF because I can get a lot of stuff there I can't find anywhere else.

And its no more expensive than Reasors, and the bakery and deli kick some major ***.

Gotta love the CEO of WFs as well. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html)

Its a great store if you can get past the lefties who shop there just to feel better about themselves and prove they are in fact better than the rest of us.