Contrary to previous reports, the new 365 market (Whole Foods' budget spinoff) opening later this month won't have a tattoo parlor. Sorry."Look, we're all foodies here, we love food," 365 president Jeff Turnas told the New York Times when giving a hard hat tour of the store. "I think that's kind of gotten lost in all the buzz about this store, which has mostly been about the business aspects."
Where, exactly, did all that tattoo parlor buzz come from in the first place? With the 365 spinoff, Whole Foods also launched Friends of 365, looking to partner with other businesses on the premises. Silver Lake's 365 market will include the first West Coast outpost of the extremely popular vegan eatery Chloe, Allegro Coffee Roasters and a robotic tea kiosk known as teaBot.
TeaBot, by the way, first reached out to Turnas on LinkedIn:
Turnas says the perception that 365 is a "stripped-down" Whole Foods is overblown, though it does scale down the overwhelming feeling one gets when they step into a Whole Foods. According to the L.A. Times, 365s will average 30,000 square feet instead of the 45,000 square feet of a typical Whole Foods market. Shelves will be no taller than 72 inches.
"We want it to be easier to navigate, not intimidating," said Turnas.
As for the goods, 365 will stock no more than 7,000 items compared to the over 50,000 one would get at the original Whole Foods, and the selection of conventional produce will be much wider (though they will, of course, still have plenty of organic options). Meat will be sold only prepackaged (i.e. there be no butchers cutting meat to order) and most bread and pastries will come from the Larder, according to the L.A. Times.
Whole Foods is scheduled to open "365" markets in Lake Oswego, Oregon and Bellevue, Washington later this year, with plans to open two more in Santa Monica and North Hollywood at some point.
365 by Whole Foods will open at 2520 Glendale Blvd. in Silver Lake on May 25. A party will take place in their parking lot on Sunday, May 22.
