The produce section at downtown’s new Whole Foods store (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Downtown Welcomes a Jumbo Whole Foods Market

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

The new Whole Foods in downtown’s Core-Columbia District opened with a bang on Sept.23, greeting customers with 45,400 square feet of retail space and wide, breathable aisles. The store rivals in size its sibling locations in Hillcrest and La Jolla.

Situated at the base of the mixed-use luxury apartment tower called The Torrey, customers will also find ample, free parking in its underground levels.

We poked in a couple of days after the store opened and here is what we found:

• A spacious produce department with meticulously displayed fruits and veggies
• A larger selection of craft beer, wine and liquor compared to the other locations
• Friendly, engaging staff working the cheese counter. Off to the side was a giant mound of precious Parmesan Reggiano cheese cut and wrapped in various quantities.
• Prepared, hot foods and sushi that were depleting fast due to big crowds at the counters
• Long check-out lines, which moved rather quickly