Open Letter: What Happened to Our Whole Foods Store?

Every now and then someone sends an impassioned email that I think might foster debate. This comes from Evelyn Gorman of Battery Park City.

What happened to our clean, well-stocked Tribeca Whole Foods Market?

It’s not my imagination, I assure you. The signs have been there for a while. Our Tribeca anchor grocery market is suffering—and so we’re suffering, too.

I’ve shopped at Whole Foods Market since I was a student at the University of Texas in Austin, where Whole Foods was founded. And all of Tribeca was so excited to have the company come to our neighborhood. And for many years, it was great.

Recently, things have changed. The store is not tidy, not organized, and not well-stocked! I’m not referring to the recent snowstorm—this was going on long before. Paper goods shelves are empty; cold shelves are a mess of moisture and unkempt presentation; and worthwhile products have dwindled with no explanation—including jams, packaged chicken offerings, vegetarian products, produce, canned goods (including soups), condiments, and basic pantry items.

“We hope that you will find your items when you next visit,” said the store manager when I called. I did not, and I have not in over a month. At least put up a sign stating that the product is no longer available in the store! I’ve left two phone messages with the corporate office in Austin, and as of this writing, I have not received a response.

I’m there enough to know that things are just not right. This state of affairs is so surprising to me. I’ve been in love with Whole Foods for a very long time, and the company has been so ahead of the curve for so long, but I may need to find another place to shop.

 

77 Comments

  1. I do agree that they are out of products. I find lots of stores, all different types from kitchen stores to makeup, to be out of stock. The items I ask for are not exotic but are basic items. I think stores have discovered they are overbuying and don’t know where to reduce yet.

    But as far as the messiness that is on the customers. People put cold items and meat they don’t want on random shelves. I saw a tub of ice cream that had gone all soft on a cracker shelve the other day. When I told a staff member they had to throw it, as well as the crackers that got all wet, out.

  2. This is one of the reasons why I hate this Whole Foods store. You can’t go in there with a recipe and walk out with all the ingredients. One day its lemons, the next day its ginger, the next day its bread flour. They just don’t care.

  3. I agree with these comments. I also find the daily hot food items HORRIFIC. THe soups are watery. The prepared hot dishes: Carribean? Indian? etc are made with inferior ingredients (gristly meat) and targeted for whom? An informal survey indicates the nannies seem to be the heaviest takers. Even the hot daily specials (which are more expensive) offer the same old items every day and are made with inferior ingredients. The store has fallen into a lazy, cheap rut. When I am in Florida I notice the Whole Foods in West Palm Beach offer much better selections of foods at the hot aisles. Why not Tribeca? I like plantains when I visit the Carribean, but not EVERY DAY in Tribeca!

    • I totally agree! It’s absolute murder in my life right now – I’m overseeing *two* home renovations, one of which is overseas, and now I have to deal with supermarket prepared foods that I don’t care for!

      I’ve already had to fire my gardener and housekeeper, and I’m pretty sure one of the children’s nannies is stealing.

      I am basically in Hell right now and since I live in New York City it’s not like there are, quite literally, more than 150 establishments that serve (and deliver!) any kind of food I could possibly imagine. Even food that reminds me of my most recent “vacance” in the French Caribbean.

      Oh, wait, yes there is, and I’m actually a huge baby complaining about my local megamart’s prepared food.

      • Sorry I’m not politically correct enough for you, Marie Antoinette. By the way, neighbor, try to be nice.

      • Move to Brooklyn!

      • Oh my. A whole slew of first world problems

      • Wow, the comments are more interesting than the story. And I agree with Erik, A, whoever you are, don’t turn this site into another Twitter slam.

        My only gripe with WF are the often surly cashiers. Nothing worse than a $300 grocery bill and no smiles or thank yous.

        • Excuse me, Barbara, but Jim Smithers started with and insulted me first. You obviously didn’t see that and if you did how ’bout you tell Jim Smithers not to turn TC comments into a “Twitter slam”, ok?

          I initially came on here with a harmless post about Best Market and this jerk attacked me, I merely sent it back.

          ‘Funny how neither you nor Erik scolded Jim when he went out of his way to get me to post on here. I did say “I’m out” and you can check that.

          I’m out again.

    • I agree about the soups.
      I stopped buying them b/c they are way too salty. I have been medically advised to watch my sodium. It would be great too have an aisle with just low sodium products. Instead I have to check every label.

      Also, just to get into the store b/c there is no room to walk by people as you enter. Too much display.
      still love it but the gourmet cheeses are way too expensive.
      I suggest more “sampling if you expect people too pay those prices.

  4. Sadly, I agree with these comments about Whole Foods as well. Having observed water condensation dripping right onto the meats in the butcher section, I feel like the store is unclean. It is unpredictable what will be there from one day to the next. And, to top off the experience, it is perilous to walk through there with all of the double wide strollers. It is a bit of a hike, but I have found Mrs. Greens on Hudson Street in the West Village to be much better. And, I am looking forward to having a real grocery store back with Best Foods.

  5. It took four days for them to get back to me after I emailed them to see if they had fresh turmeric root. It was a product request. They were out of it on my last visit to the Tribeca store. The reply was from the shift leader, ” There has been a bit of computer trouble in the office that handles these requests.” Four days?

  6. This Washington Post article indicates that the chain trying new things, but will it be at the cost of their original model?

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/02/11/whole-foods-head-scratching-strategy-to-hold-onto-its-organics-crown/

  7. Joining the choir here, the store is both dirty and often out of stock on the item you want sometimes for weeks. I just want to remind everyone about FreshDirect, especially for meat, fish, and produce.

  8. Ever tried ordering Whole Foods through Instacart? Usually 1/4 of my ordered items require a replacement because it’s out of stock.

  9. they have been running out of weird things lately – no flour on superbowl weekend (did they not expect people to bake brownies?) no creamed corn in ages, bread inconsistently baked, gourmet cheeses missing and spiced apple juice here one day and then not for a week, and then it’s back again… Something is not working as it should there.

  10. Contact corporate– crap rolls downhill, making complaints to the store management wont effect change or consequences.

    Also, be careful with Mrs Greens, prices at checkout are often higher than the posted prices of the items.

  11. Regional:
    930 Sylvan Ave, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
    Phone:(201) 567-2090

    National/World:
    550 Bowie Street
    Austin, TX 78703-4644
    512-477-4455
    512-477-5566

  12. Best Market opens tomorrow! Looking forward to it.

  13. Just judging by foot traffic in this location, they probably bring in decent sales revenue, along with limited competition. Stuff is flying off the shelves, Why try harder? Suck it everyone! We’re the only game in town.

    Hopefully Best Market brings in some much needed competition to the area, but I don’t have high hopes.

    I see a similar pattern with the Chipotle on Greenwich – lines always to the door – so harder to keep ingredient stations tidy and full. Big demand – so not a problem.

    More people need to complain to corporate.

  14. I bought a turkey burger from the prepared foods section at WF…didn’t realize until i got home but it was $62…..seriously…

    http://www.pikore.com/m/1184157216759222540_15147435

  15. First world problems, people.

  16. I totally agree. I love Whole Foods. With that said, lately they have been slacking off on keeping items in stock. Since when do you go in at 6:00 on a weekday and find NO PREPARED ROASTED CHICKENS? Oh, and they won’t be ready for another 1/2 hr. I planned my dinner on that chicken. (sounds funny but I am serious)

    • The Rotisserie at Le District has great roast chickens daily.

      • Thanks for the tip!

        • I find the WF rotisserie chickens to be flavorless and the Ledistrict ones to be insubstantial. Dirt Bird has amazing rotisserie at $17 ( I know, but it is better than the others) and if you ask nicely, they will give you some jous from the bottom of the roaster.

          WH service has always been abysmal. If you go up to a counter, employees try to avoid making eye contact and the attitude is go as slow as you can. I know slicing bread is not fun (I did it as a job), but just do your job and let me overpay and get the hell out of of the store.

  17. Add me to the list. Was at checkout and the cashier had a perishable item that was still there. Then I got home and the frosting on their cupcakes were spoiled and rancid.

  18. First world problems. But here’s why:
    A year or so ago, I recall that WF Tribeca stepped up their act, re-organized, prices went down, and stock was flush?

    That was because Fairway was coming. Supposedly a block away. Within months.

    But Fairway isn’t coming anymore. The result is a cost saving victory lap, because there’s no real or imminent competition. I bet they had layoffs at WF, too.

    If Best Market isn’t lame, maybe expect a resurgence. Maybe.

  19. Best Market will “blow away” Whole Foods (unless you are are a fanatic about only buying organic products)…lol

    I walked around Whole Foods once and basically it sucks..i really don’t understand the obsession with organic brands instead of buying national brands…

    I also very much look forward to Best Market’s opening which, hopefully will be wednesday…With all the food trucks i am seeing there today, it looks like they are getting ready to open…Even milk, deli products and fruits and vegetables were coming in today, so that is a good sign…

    • Can’t explain the “obsession” because that’s an editorial POV, but fwiw, the only ostensible difference betw. organic and conventional that is definitive is that traces of pesticide can be found in one and not the other. It’s up to the consumer to determine whether that is significant or not.

  20. Why would they call it Best Market if it is not going to be the best? I can guarantee that no one will ever have any complaints about Best Market’s food, selection, service, employees, etc. It really is going to be the BEST!!!

    • Your anti-Best Market obsession is embarassing. Get some therapy.

      • I tried emailing this to you, but the email you use is fake.

        One of the things I take pride in about this site is that that the commenting is generally civil, not degenerating into the same nyah-nyah-nyah fights that happen on every other site.

        So please don’t feel the need to respond to every comment. It’s tedious.

        Moreover, I need to ask you to stick with one “name” when you comment. I woke up to find seven comments by you under three names. At minimum, they need to have the same name, but I’d honestly prefer it if you’d save your comments for when you have something new to add. You’re excited about Best Market (referring to it ass “BM” strikes me as not a great idea), Smithers is not. Smithers provokes you, and you respond. We get it.

        • First off you sure have selective memory because when I first came on here it was to comment on how happy I was that BM (yeah I can call it that and I think it’s a good idea), Jim Smithers insulted me then went out of his way to insult me further. He even called out for me to come on here and get into it with him again. He started with me, I send back what he dished, he can’t take what he dished.

          Second I could care less if Smithers is not excited about Best Market nor am I trying/have I ever tried to get him excited about it, and I have never been “excited” about it, I was happy and really relieved as it’s nice to not have to walk all the way to Whole Foods to get groceries or out of the neighborhood to buy Cheerios for less than $6.

          Last but not least spare me that I posted under “three different names” as I have always posted as “A” re: Best Market. You’re cool with Jim Smithers and him insulting people who comment on your blog including myself because you didn’t lecture him like you’re lecturing me and he’s your go to guy for your Where In TriBeCa? segment, “we get it”.

  21. I shop at this Whole Foods five times a week. I work in the area and I go there for lunch and often shop for dinner ingredients at the same time. I just can’t agree with these comments. The lines move at an incredibly fast rate and the selection on the hot and cold bar and in the prepared foods case are always healthy and delicious. Not to mention that the people who work there are always helpful if I can’t find something. The best part? The prices have gotten so much lower, too. At least on grocery items.

    For me, the Tribeca WF is the best in the city. Anytime I shop at my local stores (at Columbus Circle or the UWS) I want to pull my hair out. This is the reason I shop at Tribeca for groceries on my lunch break because they always have everything I want and the quality is amazing. Why is it that when I bought five avocados from the UWS store two weeks ago ALL OF THEM were brown. I never have issues at Tribeca and I will always shop there.

  22. I live the same distance from Whole Foods as I do Gourmet Garage. MUCH prefer Gourmet Garage for the shopping experience. Not as much inventory, of course, but a great varied selection in a much calmer, organized set up.

  23. I just moved to Tribeca and used to live in the East Village. This Whole Foods store is not perfect but is far better than shopping at other Whole Foods locations. I admit I don’t eat the prepared foods at Whole Foods but have found shopping at this location to be an upgrade in my life. Try shopping at the store on 14th street or the location in Bowery.

  24. I get the same feeling shopping here as I do dealing with Time Warner customer service.

    They need to put a full time produce manager in the front- it is impossible to return/exchange bad fruit and vegetables. Which they sell a lot of.

  25. Hi all,
    Michael from Whole Foods Market Northeast here. On behalf of our TriBeCa team, I wanted to respond to let you know that we’ve seen this post and read many of your comments. Please know that your feedback is of incredible value to our team here in New York City and we’re proactively working with the team in TriBeCa to addressed your concerns and ensure that the community feels our commitment to providing the best customer service, stock levels and product quality each and every time you visit our stores.

    In the event you’d like to share additional feedback directly with our President and Regional Leadership team, please feel free to e-mail our offices at ne.rp@wholefoods.com. Additionally, should any issue pop up while in our stores, always feel free to ask for a member of our store leadership team.

    We greatly appreciate your business and continued support of Whole Foods Market. We love serving TriBeCa!

    All the best,
    Michael Sinatra
    Public Relations Director, Whole Foods Market Northeast
    michael.sinatra@wholefoods.com

  26. No one has yet mentioned the Great Carrot Shortage of 2016. Carrots are my crack and they were out of them for days. EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!

    I can’t speak to the prepared food and grocery complaints, but I think the produce shortage may be due to a new produce manager. Looking forward to more competition from Best and Brooklyn Fare.

  27. See CNN money article published this past November.
    http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/03/investing/whole-foods-earnings-sales/

    Whole Foods isn’t performing well as a company. SO I’m sure they have had cut-backs. That trickles down. Prices have gone up… in fact every month I notice that at least one of my staple foods increases in cost. But WFDS still offers the best deal on organic Milk and Eggs (NYC standards), so I’m still a shopper.

    I have always, ALWAYS found them to be unpredictable on keeping things stocked (since they opened). And I find that I have to go back several times a week to purchase items that are out of stock. Maybe this is their strategy, because ultimately I end up buying other things I really don’t need and end up spending more money there.

    But it is NYC, and it does have a lot of traffic, and I have to say, there are customers that are just slobs and throw things on the floor or don’t return things in their proper place. So I’m not sure if it’s a lack of personnel or just obnoxious shoppers and nannies.

    My main complaints:
    1.Enough with the indian-fusion foods. There exist other spices. Other whole foods in the city offer a more varied selection at their food bars. Why must ours be a shrine to curry? 2. Soups are terrible and flavorless (except the curry ones). As are the prepared foods. 3. honey mustard doesn’t compliment everything (stop using it everywhere. Better yet, stop using it completely and figure out a more subtle condiment that isn’t so offensive) 4. Prosciutto should not be sliced in 1/16″ slices. I’m going to need more than three slices to feed my guests. AND When something costs nearly $30/lb, slice it thin.

    I know these are first world problems, but it doesn’t take much to do things right and upgrade from mediocre to pretty darn good. I’m looking forward to Best Market, but much like Food Emporium didn’t hurt WFDS, I have a feeling this one won’t either.

  28. Best Market is opening tomorrow (Thursday). It was supposed to open today but the produce wasn’t ready.

  29. Does anyone know if Best Market is planning any opening ceremony-type extravaganza? Thinking less May Day Parade in Red Square and more opening ceremonies of the ’08 Beijing Olympics.

    • They really should do something along the lines of the North Korean Mass Games, including backdrops made up of stands filled with 20,000 spectators, each one simultaneously flipping in sequence through different colored pieces of paper to create pictures of flags, horses, and slogans.

      • “…different colored pieces of paper to create pictures of flags, horses, and slogans.”

        No, silly. They should create pictures of the items out of stock at WF, but will be sold at Best Market.

    • Will you STFU about Best Market already? We get it, you don’t like it, you won’t shop there, it doesn’t have your artisinal corn muffins with whey, or whatever the !!@#$ else you shop for at your shrine and altar Whole Foods. I bet you think you’re sooooo edgy and subversive shopping there right?

      I also bet you think you’re better than everyone who will shop at BM, too. You’re a punk plain and simple.

      • I’m not sure if you’re directing this comment to me or not, but all of your posts are now over the top. Who has the obsession? It is you, A. And who are you to tell people to STFU? Sound like you could use some fiber in your diet. Hopefully your BM will sell fiber for your BM.

        • My post has a white backdrop which means I was replying to Jim Smithers not you, ok?

          ‘Funny how you say I have an “obsession” about Best Market when Jim Smithers is the one who has one with three comments about it in these comments alone, all negative and smarmy. Who are you to say I should tell anyone to STFU? Then you’ll say who am I to say who are you to say blah blah blah.

          Thank you for being concerned about my diet but I have that taken care of thanks.

          • Is the rest of your name spelled sshole?

          • Ahhh ad hominem attack and namecalling – the last refuge of the weak. It’s all good considering you’d never call me an asshole to my face, PeterD.

            Is the rest of your last name “ickhead”?

      • Say what you want about the BM problem that’s clogging up the comments, but that “sshole” line was hilarious.

    • When Food Emporium opened in 1980 (I think) they offered double coupon value for about four months, iirc. Very practical. Best should do the same, or Food Emporium wins and they are not the best.

  30. After having to wait several months between Food Emporium’s closing and the opening of Best Market, i feel like there should be an opening day ceremony…I finally can stop ordering from Peapod every week…This has been extremely inconvenient and a pain in the rear not having a conventional supermarket that you can conveniently reach in the neighborhood…

    So, perhaps it isn’t a big deal for you, Jim (since no doubt you are a big whole foods shopper) but for the many of us who like CONVENTIONAL food, it will be really great to have them here…

    • Jim Smithers thinks he’s above all the people who can’t afford Whole Foods and/or don’t want to walk six blocks to get bananas or a quart of milk without paying an all-night deli tax (yeah that’s right Morgan’s and Hudson Market are price gougers and I hope both go out of business ASAP.)

      TriBeCa SUUUUCKS for inexpensive produce and basic food items (milk, eggs etc.) outside of BM and the fruit stand at the southeast corner of Greenwich and Chambers Street (which I’m sure Whole Foods Boy also turns his nose up at) which I urge anyone to patronize if they need quality produce.

  31. another voice here went by Best Market and said they had hoped to be open later today..but maybe not til tomorrow. They view all this as a ‘soft’ opening and feel the official opening will be Saturday.

  32. Best Market IS open. Forgot to ask their hours. If anyone gets them please post. WOW, GREAT prices on produce!!!

  33. Yes, they ARE now open…when i was coming home this afternoon, i noticed that people were going in, so i went in too…Very nice the way they have things set up…looks nothing like our old Food Emporium…Staff is very friendly and helpful…And they seem pretty well organized…

    • Are you talking about Whole Foods?

      • Will you get a life? We get it, you don’t like Best Market, you’re above it and everyone who goes in there. You’re so first year or two Whole Foods opened (elitist who thinks he’s a subversive by shopping at WF) it’s laughable.

  34. I don’t live in the neighborhood anymore, but I shopped at WF Tribeca from the day it opened for many years. Two comments. The hot prepared foods are ok but extremely limited and uninteresting compared to, for example, the store in the Fort Lauderdale area I recently visited. Also, what about the sparrows flying around upstairs!!! Has anyone mentioned those? :)
    I still visit quite often and will explore Best Market with interest. Competition is good!

  35. My biggest complaint has always been that Whole Foods removes the shelf tags when items are out of stock for more than a day or two. And I agree that the produce section has been bizarrely out of stock in the past six months or so–no carrots one day, no parsley the next. The vertical wall of veg is very unreliable.

  36. I went to Whole Foods to buy a six-pack of tonic water since they are unavailable anywhere in the neighborhood since the Emporium closed. “Yes, we have tonic water” the clerk said, showing me a row of three large bottles of ‘artisanal’, ‘organic’ tonic water by companies I have never heard of. “Don’t you have Schwepps?” I asked. “No, we don’t carry generic brands” she said. Generic?

  37. I agree, WF is not what it used to be…
    Plain and simple, if I am paying premium prices, I expect premium product.

  38. So I visited Best Foods just now and guess what? No six-packs of tonic or club soda either! But a very nice person booked my suggestion that they stock them in future . . . Otherwise I bought three gigantic chicken breasts for $5.98 — a bargain!

  39. Ok real simple:

    I will not reply to or mention Jim Smithers as long as he doesn’t reply to or mention me. Deal?

    That said, I am happy not excited that Best Market is here because it will be a nice compliment or alternative to Whole Foods moreover a necessity to people who cannot afford WF and here’s a thought for people who think TriBeCa is only made up of the young, healthy, strong, and rich: Best Market is great for all the people too old, sick, and weak to walk all the way to WF and back, and who can’t afford WF or most of what they sell. Also it feels more like a neighborhood again. Has anyone actually looked at the west side of Greenwich Street lately ? If you take away banks and places which sell groceries, the ONLY place on the west side of the street up to Canal Street which is neither is Game Stop. I want to see stores in the empty spaces between Harrison and No.Moore Streets. I also want to see a new convenience store in the TriBeCa Deli space bodega or not, and I don’t give a damn if anyone think it’s common. I don’t want to wait on a long line to get just a quart of milk or a few bananas. My time is valuable.

  40. My take is that in order to avoid neighborhood trolls chirping the overused canard “first world problems”‘ endlessly to any and all comments, one must simply not comment at all. We’ve got some bitter people out there!

  41. Was in there today and saw that they had bottles tonic water by vintage. Hope this helps those looking for it. Its in the soda aisle.

  42. Tribeca consumers / customers are the worse.

    Not only are many of them “wealthy thieves” (they love to steal from that store), but they have no consideration for the employees at that WF location. They are classist and mostly just plain racist. Their behaviour is evil, as they assume that the slavery days are not over yet, so they treat the people that are offering them a service, AS PLAIN GARBAGE.

    Also, the amount of food that goes to waste because of these customers should be criminalized. They are evil to the point where they would put some freshly made guacamole, fresh fruit, or anything that shouldn’t be frozen, in the freezer. They also take things OUT OF the freezer to put them on regular shelves, just because. So yeah, a lot of times they don’t have the products that we want because these other customers engage in wasting food.

    When the store opens, it looks in perfect condition, by the time the “TRIBECA MOMS” arrive is hell on earth. Kids screaming as their parents celebrate their brattiness, kids hitting their parents and throwing tantrums because they’re capricious and want to get everything their way and get what they ask for. Or worse yet, kids observe how their moms (or parents in general, but mostly the moms) think that they are entitled to things for free (basically teaching their kids how to steal). These moms put things in their baby strollers and knowingly don’t pay for them, which is basically stealing.

    They are very sneaky too . When they drop something on the floor, they only pick it up if somebody is watching (yes, they actually stop and take the time to look around to see who’s watching before they decide to either pick it up or leave it there, instead of using those few seconds to take responsibility for their actions and just picking it up) But RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY is not part of the lexicon for these customers.

    One time an employee was assaulted by a customer, so the employee tried to protect and defend herself, which actually cost her her job. So basically that’s the reason these people behave the way they do, because they know they can get away with anything.

    The worse part of the store is the water isle. Where these so called “educated people” hide to eat and drink for free, assuming that the pillar will cover them.

    All of this, paired with the way employees are treated (not only by the customers, but by the company itself) the poor salaries, the fact that they are hired to do one job, and end up HAVING TO DO 100 things more that they were expected to do when hired, and the fact that they know that they are going into work that day, but that it may also be their last day with the company (becuase if they want, they would make up any story to get rid of them, just so their profit numbers adjust) makes for an experience straight out of hell for the employee. The real victims here are the employees. Not the abusive customers nor the administration. And this poor treatment is what reflects on the conditions of the store.

    Somebody should really exposed these customers first, before trying to make the store look like the only one at fault here. WF employees are losing their jobs because of these customers. because they (the customers) bring a lot of losses to the store by wasting products, and therefore affecting profit. Because the customers are dishonest and get money back or store credit on things they never purchased, or they purchased somewhere else. Or worse yet, they use the product half way then expect a cash return later on. So the employee is the one that pays for these evil actions.

    It’s very easy to write articles and be in front of a screen to express an UNINFORMED opinion. Try Actually living this as part your every day life, then write an article. That would be a more objective approach to this issue.

    Everyone one likes to point fingers at the employees while ignoring the fact that most of these Tribeca and Wall-street citizens are sociopaths who lack a conscience.

    Instead of “trying to expose your local food store” try and exercise some fair “journalism” and take the time to find out what is really going on.

    But SOME (actually in this case MOST) people with money assume that MONEY is all there is to life, and that their money makes them so special. Yes, you may have a lot of money, but money will never buy you CLASS NOR MANNERS, let alone a SOUL AND A CONSCIENCE, And these four things people, are the four things that most of these consumers lack.

    America is the new Babylon, and these people, are the demons that roam the city.

  43. I also “love” that sense of entitlement these Tribeca citzens have.

    “…OUR WHOLE FOODS STORE…”

    “…I want to see stores in the empty spaces between Harrison and No.Moore Streets. I also want to see a new convenience store in the TriBeCa Deli space bodega or not, and I don’t give a damn if anyone think it’s common. I don’t want to wait on a long line to get just a quart of milk or a few bananas. My time is valuable…”

    Only their time is valuable I see.

  44. I know this letter was printEd a year ago but it caught my eye because I was just thinking today that Whole Foods is always out of certain organic prodycts. The rest is sprayed with pesticides… that’s what they call conventional. I go to get organic foods and their produce is mostly not.

    I also found one of the follow up comments here bordering on racism… regarding who are they targeting with their ethnic hot meals and mentioning the nannys are probably purchase them. Wow. First off…. did you take a real survey in the store? Second so you think only certain people live downtown?!. I’ve been here for 40 years and it might surprise you that the people who built and fought for lower Manhattan were made up of all races and creeds. And in fact we’re struggling artists and lower to middle income people. Your comment is offensive. You may be happier in Your part of Florida. We eat ethic foods here even if we don’t come from those countries. What the $&@”?!