9 replies to this topic

[breaux]

WHOLE FOODS COMING?
http://www.theind.com/turk.asp (scroll halfway down)
"Whole Foods has narrowed its decision to two sites, according to Latter & Blum Realtor Bobbie Smith. “They will pick one site. It should be pretty soon — I would think within the next 45 to 60 days,” says Smith. “Of course it’s never a definite, but we feel they will be here.” Smith’s been working closely with Rick Kirschman, who handles real estate for Whole Foods in the South, and would only divulge that the organic foods market is looking in the Ambassador Caffery/Kaliste Saloom Road corridor."



This will be interesting as Fresh Market is building a store at the front of River Ranch, which is on Kaliste Saloom about a mile from Ambassador Caffery.  I can think of only two or three locations that would be suitable to build a Whole Foods in the area described, and none are more than two or three miles from the Fresh Market.

[nola]

I was in Whole Foods located in uptown New Orleans and I heard 2 employees talking;
they said that the company has decided not to open in lafayette, but they said there will probably be a Whole Foods built on the Northshore within 5 years.

I don't really know how reliable their information is...

[Mith242]

How big is Lafayette?  I didn't think it was that big.  I know some people would like to see Whole Foods move into the NWA metro.  Despite all the big growth we've been having we haven't attracted some retail like this yet.

[NCB]

Mith242, on Jul 19 2006, 07:08 PM, said:

How big is Lafayette?  I didn't think it was that big.  I know some people would like to see Whole Foods move into the NWA metro.  Despite all the big growth we've been having we haven't attracted some retail like this yet.

As of the 2000 census:

City- 112,030
MSA- around 250,000

As of 2004:

CSA- 524,163

Lafayette was growing very well before Katrina, and that rate has increased even more post-Katrina.

[Mith242]

NCB, on Jul 19 2006, 07:13 PM, said:

As of the 2000 census:

City- 112,030
MSA- around 250,000

As of 2004:

CSA- 524,163

Lafayette was growing very well before Katrina, and that rate has increased even more post-Katrina.

Hmmm...the metro up here is around 450,000.  I guess maybe it's that Arkansas stigma or something.  Oh well good luck on the Whole Foods.  

[SBCmetroguy]

Mith242, on Jul 19 2006, 07:44 PM, said:

Hmmm...the metro up here is around 450,000.  I guess maybe it's that Arkansas stigma or something.  Oh well good luck on the Whole Foods.  

I don't know... before your metro surpassed mine in population, you already had almost every chain known to man. You guys have tons of chains my metro doesn't have, and you even have some that no city in Louisiana has.

[breaux]

nola, on Jul 19 2006, 06:46 PM, said:

I was in Whole Foods located in uptown New Orleans and I heard 2 employees talking;
they said that the company has decided not to open in lafayette, but they said there will probably be a Whole Foods built on the Northshore within 5 years.

I don't really know how reliable their information is...

I can certainly understand why they wouldn't after losing out on putting their store in River Ranch.  With the Fresh Market within that neighborhood, Whole Foods would be at somewhat of a disadvantage despite the name recognition.

Still, I think it could work.  We'll just have to wait and see.

I don't know if you're information is correct or not, but I was in Tsunami's in downtown Lafayette about a month ago and overheard a conversation about where to put the Whole Foods, and it wasn't about location, but rather about how to situate the shopping center (parking, etc.).  Take that with a grain of salt, as I don' know who the people talking were.  I don't think that it is a coincidence though that Whole Foods made the paper not a week later...


I prefer to shop locally anyway, so neither the Fresh Market nor the Whole Foods would get much of my business, but it would be nice for a lot of people.

Edited by breaux, 20 July 2006 - 10:45 AM.

[imaterry78247]

breaux, on Jul 20 2006, 11:39 AM, said:

I can certainly understand why they wouldn't after losing out on putting their store in River Ranch.  With the Fresh Market within that neighborhood, Whole Foods would be at somewhat of a disadvantage despite the name recognition.

Still, I think it could work.  We'll just have to wait and see.

I don't know if you're information is correct or not, but I was in Tsunami's in downtown Lafayette about a month ago and overheard a conversation about where to put the Whole Foods, and it wasn't about location, but rather about how to situate the shopping center (parking, etc.).  Take that with a grain of salt, as I don' know who the people talking were.  I don't think that it is a coincidence though that Whole Foods made the paper not a week later...
I prefer to shop locally anyway, so neither the Fresh Market nor the Whole Foods would get much of my business, but it would be nice for a lot of people.

When is Whole foods coming to  Shreveport-Bossier I know there must be a lot of health conscious people
There

[SBCmetroguy]

^I couldn't answer that.

But this is a thread about Lafayette, so I wouldn't answer it here if I could.

[10below]

So, has anyone heard anymore about the Whole Foods coming to Lafayette? I'd really like some new information on this...