A giant, gleaming new Whole Foods opened last month in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. It’s a grocery store, yes, but it should be making quick-service and fast-casual operators very, very nervous.
This two-story, 75,000-square-foot leviathan of a supermarket boasts a couple of bars, a coffee roastery, seating for more than 200 people throughout, a fresh-made pasta stand, a kiosk-driven build-your-own concept, and a selection of prepared foods of impressive breadth. The store is the latest iteration of this new breed of groceries that are as much about grab-and-go, ready-to-eat and entertainment as they are about picking up meal ingredients.
Here’s a look at some of this new store’s features that could be stealing your customers.