A gelato station, a focaccia and other bread area, and a smokehouse are just some of the offerings that will greet customers when a new Whole Foods Market opens in Willowbrook on Aug. 26.
The remodeled 50,000-square-foot former Dominick’s store at 63rd Street and Illinois Route 83 will replace the smaller Whole Foods a couple of blocks away.
To celebrate opening day, the store will host its version of a ribbon-cutting, called a “Bread-Breaking Ceremony,” beginning at 8:45 a.m., said company spokeswoman Allison Phelps in an email. Shopping officially begins at 9 a.m.
Phelps said the first 500 customers will receive a store gift card with mystery values between $5 and $50. One customer will receive a $500 gift card. There also will be live musical entertainment before the ceremony and many food samples throughout the day.
Among other amenities available at the new store are in-house smoked bacon; a juice bar with cold-pressed juice; a bakery that makes fresh breads daily; doughnut and brownie bars; a sandwich station featuring panini sandwiches and Italian sausage, Italian beef, meatball, and chicken parmesan sandwiches; a Neapolitan style pizza area and an in-house smoked seafood area.
The store’s Brook bar will include a rotating tap of 24 draft beers, including local and hard-to-find options and an exclusive Willowbrook Pale Ale brewed by Begyle Brewing Company. The bar will also feature savory and sweet artesian grilled cheeses and beer-battered Wisconsin cheese.
There will be 200 indoor and outdoor seats for customers, Phelps said.
Willowbrook Village Administrator Tim Halik said that Whole Foods has a six-year lease left on the old building, adjacent to and owned by Midtown Athletic Club.
“We have had some discussions with the owner regarding the building, but nothing has materialized yet in the way of a marketing plan or identifying a potential business interested in taking the space,” Halik said.
Whole Foods has 25 locations in the Chicago area, according to its website. The original Whole Foods Market opened in 1980 in Austin, Tex., and focuses on selling natural foods, such as organic fruits and vegetables, meat and prepared foods.
Ruzich is a freelance reporter.
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