Whole Foods Fantasy
I finally visited the new Pasadena mega Whole Foods and spent a few hours breaking it in. It’s gargantuan and reminded me of department stores in London where dining in-store is common. The space has really high walls and gives the whole experience an airy, grand feel, but overall, it’s probably overkill. The groceries are split over two levels so if you’re thinking about a quick trip in here to grab a few things, forget about it. You’ll have to park in the structure, ride up the elevator, get a cart, shop, take the escalator up to the second floor to shop more, put your cart on an escalator too, meet your cart….you get the picture. If you’re in a hurry, the other whole foods on Foothills in Pasadena is probably a better option.
I did like the new Whole Foods though; it was fun to sit in the cafe area and people watch. The second floor dining options are many, plus there is a tapas and wine bar. The massage room is just a room, no big deal, and the chocolate fountain that has been raved about on manyblogs did not impress me. It did not look like a fountain, more like a chocolate plunger. I think I am just bitter because Whole Foods would not let me take any pictures. The security guard saw what I was up to and asked me not to take any shots. So harumph! I guess enough bloggers captured the space anyways. So here’s my offering to the blogosphere: Whole Food’s women’s bathroom.
[PICTURES DELETED]
It has a woodsy, eco-friendly color scheme, which is not coming across well in this pic, and an interesting needle disposal box. What the? Is Whole Foods expecting diabetics, drug users, or people with medical conditions (probably the latter and this is the reason they shop at WF)? Very interesting and thoughtful. I’ve never seen such a thing in a public bathroom. Kudos to them.
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Click on Whole Foods link to see their calendar for tastings: December 15th looks like a good day to shop and snack on holiday foods. Jonathan Gold in his review of Whole Foods suggests that one could easily make a small plate of samples from the store. There’s free wifi too.
Whole Foods Market
465 South Arroyo Parkway
(South Arroyo Parkway and Bellevue Drive)
Pasadena, CA 91105
626.204.2266
Store hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily
Love that you took pics of the bathroom.
Comment by Jayna — December 11, 2007 @ 4:23 am
wow, a sharps disposal box. that’s pretty cool. haven’t been to a WF in quite awhiel what a pita though, 2 floors of grocery shopping. ugh.
Comment by anonymous — December 12, 2007 @ 3:21 am
Lots of places on the west coast of Australia have a sharps disposal. It’s because there really is a heroine problem there…
But at Whole Foods? I mean, hopefully one would not need to spend enough time there to warrant a “fix” or a medical injection…
Comment by Jayna — December 13, 2007 @ 4:34 am
jayna, wow, that’s weird. thx for the comments!
Comment by UnHip LA — December 13, 2007 @ 7:30 am