tell me about whole foods....because

teresa_nc7

15 years ago

It's not nicknamed "Whole Paycheck" for nothing! I love their bulk bins, organic produce, cheese selection, breads, and some of the ready-to-eat selections. Are you expected to buy the non-food grocery items while you are buying for the meals you will make them? Do the entrees have side dishes as well? If you already have the other clients, will you have the time to cook M-F for the new client too? If people want the best quality food available and are willing to pay for it then shopping only at WF is not a problem. But given that they are 20 miles away means lots of travel/gas for you.

I had personal chef clients that wanted all organic when I was cooking for them and they were willing to pay the prices at our local Harris Teeter.

User

15 years ago

Not doubt about it, Whole Foods has a wonderful selection of organic and naturally raised fish, meats, cheeses, and produce. The quality and choice is high and so are the prices....ridiculously high in my view.

My personal observation is that many people shop there as a status symbol. I'm a bit jaded but I can tell you I don't see the same Lexus, BMW's, and SUV's at the organic Farmers Market as I do at Whole Foods.

Having said that I do shop there, now and again for special items, because they do have an amazing selection and the quality is very high.

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There was a thread on this topic some months ago--see below. There are some good photos of niches. Our project is bogged down, but I have a few additional comments since I posted... Because we have to watch our pennies, I'm shopping in bargain places. One problem I have encountered is that oddball lots of tiles often don't include bullnose pieces as well as regular field tile sizes. The niche that we have roughed in will require some cute tricks to make ordinary tile edges seem attractive and classy; we don't want to just snip tiles and leave raw edges. DH, my sweaty equity, did not finish the niche smoothly when he created it in drywall because we knew we would cover it in tile. Now, we're thinking that we might not do the tiling right away and he'll have to pull out drywall tools and make a proper corner edging around the niche. This kind of "go back and do over" gig is getting very frustrating. [Meanwhile, I've found a smashingly exciting tile that of course only comes without trim pieces. It's sitting right next to me, thinking. Unfortunately it has a decidedly unfinished raw edge and will require tricky handling if we choose to use it. I just covered it over so I can't see it tempting me there on the table. Have to be more practical. ] Tile shops do carry a metal edging that can be used to finish off edges when no bullnose is available, but I haven't seen examples of it in actual use on a range niche. Would love to see a sample photo to reassure me. Also, remember that if you choose to work with a thick tile or a remnant of some kind of rock from countertop on the back of the niche, that will cut down the depth of the niche shelf. If you want the area above range/cooktop to be an artistic focal point, I humbly suggest that you either make a niche OR some kind of tile design but not both. If you choose too fancy a niche back, the items standing within the niche will compete with the tile design for viewer's attention. Mine will be a working kitchen, so we're planning to put oil bottles, vinegar bottles, salt shaker, etc. there and they are supposed to get top billing. Don't forget that you can suspend a second shelf in the niche if there's room. Here is a link that might be useful: Niche topic thread

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velodoug

15 years ago

The expensive foods at Whole Foods are expensive indeed, but staples like Quaker oatmeal, Uncle Ben's rice and Goya beans are no more expensive than at Acme or ShopRite. Some of the 365 (store brand) products are reasonably priced and very good. If you shop carefully you can get out with a portion of your paycheck still in your wallet. What turns me off is the snooty clientele.

sally2_gw

15 years ago

I agree with the above posts, and will add this. Shopping at Whole Foods doesn't automatically mean healthy or organic. They do label their products as organic or not, and also clearly label the origin of the produce, which I like. You may want to confirm with your potential client just what the products are at Whole Foods she's after. Some of their interior isle stuff is absolutely no different than what you get at other stores. For instance, they carry the Paul Newman line of canned foods and salad dressings. There are other examples I can't think of right now, but to me there's no reason to pay extra at Whole Foods for the exact item I can buy at a less expensive store. However, their produce is usually - not always - but usually of a higher quality than I find at most other stores. The produce, cheese and bulk items are what I shop for the most at Whole Foods. Oh, and dairy, too - sometimes, when I'm feeling richer than normal. Simply because they carry a brand of milk that comes from local organic farmers. But I cringe at the price of that milk.

Sally

annie1992

15 years ago

I agree, Whole Foods can be obscenely expensive, but not for all things. I can buy King Arthur flour at the Whole Foods in Ann Arbor by Elery's for the same price I can buy it locally at my Meijer's. The produce is very nice and their salmon patties with feta and spinach are excellent.

If you watch what you buy, you can get out with some money left. I also like the bulk section and I steal ideas from their deli regularly, LOL.

Sometimes Elery and I go there just for lunch. Trader Joe's is very nearly right across the street, so we always hit both of them.

As pointed out, though, because it's from Whole Foods doesn't mean it's healthy, it has the same junk food that every other store has, not everything is organic, etc. You might want to discuss that when you talk to her, sometimes local is healthier and higher quality at a lower price. Then again, maybe she just is into name brands. (shrug)

I agree on the snooty clientele although I was smirking last time I went there when the (very well kept) woman next to me at the meat volunteered that she would only buy the "highest quality" beef. I looked over my glasses and replied that I GREW my own beef, to be certain that it was grass fed, humanely raise, organic and hormone/antibiotic free. She had no response, LOL.

Annie

foodonastump

15 years ago

I do not go there often, but when I do it is because they carry something I cannot seem to find elsewhere. Offhand I remember going there in the past year for some dried peppers and for tamarind paste.

Yes they can be expensive, but that does not matter to you in this case. I also would not think of it as a place I could do ALL of my supermarket shopping, but groceries themselves, yes. Again, that should not affect your case. The one thing I will say is if you are going to the one on 106 and you have a choice of which car to drive, take the crappier one, or at the very least park in a very empty portion of the lot. The parking lot is laid out somewhat weirdly, and it seems that most of the few times I've gone there I have witnessed a parking accident. And believe me, people there get really mad at you when they back into your car or give you a door ding - LOL!

dixiedog_2007

15 years ago

Well, I agree with what the others have said. Yes, it is a very expensive so your client must have a high budget set. LOL!

I shop there off and on. We have every top notch grocer in our area (Wegman's, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc.) so they compete really hard with each other.

My Mom and I were there on Sunday and I will give you a few prices of stuff at the meat counter to give you an idea of cost:

Filet Mignon - $26.99 lb.
Beef Tenderloin - $24.99 lb.
Ribeye Steak - $18.99 lb.

Our store has super eating areas where you pick out what you want as far as meat, seafood, BBQ, vegetables, etc. and eat like at a restaurant (like Annie said). All very good.

I love "grazing" through the store on the weekends as you can get some good tastings at set-up booths or displays already out (like fresh pineapple, honey crips apples sliced, etc.) and PLEASE don't forget that you can ask to taste anything in their store - anything that is not set out.

On Sunday, boy I tasted the best goat cheese that I have had in a very long time. Smooth, creamy, velvetie and just darn good. I also tasted various hummus which were superior. Both were local makers to my area. A delicious Butternut Squash soup, very nice scallop & mango salad that they already had made, etc. I could go on and on.

I could spend hours in these stores because I just love to look at all the products and taste, and smell and explore. I'm like a kid in a candy shop!

Good luck on getting the job.

cotehele

15 years ago

I think you could do nearly all the food shopping at Whole Foods. There are few grocery items I need that Whole Foods doesn't stock. We are vegetarian. We live in an area with Wonder Bread markets. Produce is awful. The canned foods that can be made with meat (beans for example) are. There are no bakeries. You get the idea-there is no place decent to shop.

I go to Indianapolis for most groceries-usually 3-4 places. Perhaps we have different priorities than some folks do. My first priority is high quality/healthy food, which means fresh and organic if it is available. The taste of the food is next-some brands just taste better to us than others. We don't drink alcohol and we rarely eat out so how we spend our food budget may be different than some; price is the last consideration.

Whole Foods is my first stop, Trader Joe's, Asia Mart, and lastly Meijer or Target. Whole Foods has wonderful produce. I like to know where is it grown because I buy locally grown if possible. It would probably be a good use of your time to browse through a Whole Foods and see if they have what you need. I bet they do. And your client is paying the grocery bill, so cost shouldn't matter.

dlynn2

15 years ago

Here's an article from a Denver paper that compares some Whole Foods prices to other grocery stores. Like the person quoted in the article, I spend more at Whole Food's because I do so much impulse shopping there.

Since I don't grow my own beef and we no longer have a good meat market, I am willing to pay their higher prices for beef. I've done blind taste tests on my DH and he was easily able to identify the Whole Food's steaks -- they are worth the money. I also love their sausage, and don't find it terribly expensive for all of the choices of flavors. Their produce is always the freshest looking in our town, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: price comparison

annie1992

15 years ago

dlynn, most people don't grow their own beef, LOL. I was simply reacting in my own very snooty way to the extremely self-important, condescending and snooty lady next to me, looking down her nose at my Carhartt jacket....

Annie

dlynn2

15 years ago

Oh, Annie, I think your comment to the lady was hilarious. I wasn't commenting on that, I was justifying the fact that I pay WF prices for my beef. It's actually about what I used to pay when we had a very good quality meat market. I could never grow my own beef, though. I have to "pretend" I'm not eating animals to be able to eat it and if I actually raised it, then I'm afraid it would feel like pets. (I can't stand to watch my DH catch the fish we are going to eat!). And my children are even worse. They won't eat any kind of meat that still has bones in it because it reminds them that they are eating animals (only chicken strips and nuggets for them).

Now, back to Whole Foods, our location must be different than others because it doesn't seem snooty at all to me. About half of the customers are students, many with dreadlocks. Even the clerks are very friendly and chatty.

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

15 years ago

I thought I was the only one like that! I have to pretend the steak I'm eating isn't the sweet cow out in the field. I don't think I could ever "grow my own"! I've watched Babe and Charlotte's Web too many times.
And I have a hard enough time growing vegetables and wondering what critter came by during the night and lifted a leg. Or if there were slugs crawling on my lettuce. And tomato hornworms are gross!
But that is funny, Annie!

dlynn2

15 years ago

bumblebeez, try hydroponics in the house! We started growing our basil that way a few years ago and I was totally disgusted by the stuff grown in dirt with bugs (yuck!). It took me a while to get used to eating "regular" veggies again. My DH gets so angry when he catches fresh fish and I ask him to freeze them first so that when I eat it I'll feel more like it's just frozen potatoes or something, and not really a live thing I'm eating. I've never been able to watch when crabs are put into the boiling water (hated that as a child) and they try to claw their way out of the pot. And, don't even try to sell me one of those live lobsters at a restaurant!

Ratherbgardening

15 years ago

I shop there because they bought out Wild Oats, who bought out the local natural foods store and I much preferred the latter. It's the only store like it in town, so it's my only choice. I don't care for a lot of their 365organic brand products and I don't like that they booted out some local companies products and replaced it with theirs, such as the frozen vegies brand that we've used for years and comes from our state, whereas the 365 package said it was a product of another country!

I agree that the prices are on the high side too. Buying from the bulk section helps, as others stated, but your client doesn't seem to need to worry about that.

bri29

15 years ago

We don't have a Whole Foods here in town, but we too went through the "Wild Oats buying out a local natural food chain" fiasco. When Wild Oats decided they weren't making enough money, a local grocer took over the stores. Now they're amazingly well stocked, with very knowledgeable staff (the cheese and wine stewards are amazing). They will let you sample anything in the store like Whole Foods and Trader Joes and will order in anything you want. Recently I was feeling lazy and wanted to just buy a jar of dulce de leche, found that the brand I was used to seeing was no longer on the shelf and spoke with the cheese steward. She had brought it in as a special purchase, but promised to have it back on the shelves the next week! While I don't know if you'll see the same responsiveness at a large chain like Whole Foods, sometimes it is well worth the money to get the quality, selection and service that a higher end grocery can provide.

Good luck with your personal chef endeavor Eileen!

Oh, and Annie, I get odd looks for my Carhartt jacket too, you're not alone!

Bri

eileenlaunonen
Original Author

15 years ago

Alot of great info...Im going to try to take a ride in to the store today. I am definately anticipating a "snooty clientele" as the area is high end with alot of wealthy areas surrounding both the Jericho and Manhasset locations (thats ok i can roll with the best of them). Ill post when I come back. Thanks again

jessyf

15 years ago

I don't shop there often; I have access to other closer stores that offer much of the same at lower prices. They are, however, the only place in town that sells chicken feet! I know to call my DH when I get in there - they have an excellent beer selection and I stand there on my cell phone reading him the labels and filling my cart with whatever he wants, LOL.

Reminds me of a story from my childhood...my father moved out to California to start an egg ranch. I can't remember the context of the conversation but my sister was bragging that we raised our own eggs on our own ranch. The other kid said 'I wondered where that smell was coming from.' I think my sister almost decked that kid, I can't quite remember.

Carol Schmertzler Siegel

15 years ago

I shopped at both Jericho and Manhasset stores and I didn't find it snooty at all! Nice areas but people come from all over to shop there! Be nice if they opened one up on the South Shore so we don't have to schlep! Go to the one in Manhasset, down the block is Sur La Table and Crate & Barrel, more fun places!

Annie, I'm in the Carhartt club, too! comfy and warm, I took Larry's :)

foodonastump

15 years ago

Jessy - you had me right about to head to Whole Foods, but I let my fingers do the walking first. After I convinced the butcher that it was not a prank call, he told me that I won't find chicken feet at any Whole Foods in this area.

(He said they typical call goes something like, "Do you have pigs feet? Yes? Well where do you buy pig shoes?")

jessyf

15 years ago

Aye yai yai foodonastump (I'm still waiting for the story behind your username) I'm glad you let your fingers do the walking. I forgot to mention that! Mine even does the 'manicure' (tmi)

tell me about whole foods....because

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