The neighborhood has long anticipated the opening of their new Whole Foods Edgewater location. Unlike Mariano’s, who quickly shuffled to rebrand the Dominick’s store they acquired at Sheridan and Foster, the Whole Foods store that is taking over the closed Dominick’s at 6009 N. Broadway took time to open.

They have stated that the seven Dominick’s stores they are revamping to cater to their customers is completely new. They have started over from the ground up, ripping out shelves, floors, walls, etc., in order to rebrand the location into the Whole Foods image. This has been a long process but they have finally released an opening date, April 29, 2015.

In a statement released by their corporate office, Michael Bashaw, president of Whole Foods Market’s Midwest Region said, “Whole Foods Market loves Chicago, and we know that the community has been hungry for these stores to reopen for some time. We took the time to design and build a brand new store for each community that would offer not just a full-service grocery, but also a place to meet friends and share each other’s company. After the communities come to know these stores, I believe they’ll feel the wait was worth it!”

So what can we expect to see at the new Edgewater Whole Foods? A completely different 54,000 sq. ft. layout than the previous store. They have confirmed a wood-fired grill, ramen station, naan/pita bread station, scratch bakery, cut-to-order pasta station with fresh specialty cheese, a Red Star Bar, a wine bar and a pickle bar.

Whole Foods also promised to work within the communities they operate, empowering employees to get involved in neighborhood causes. “Whole Foods Market is committed to the local communities that we serve,” Bashaw said. “We’ve worked with local organizations long before we open our doors and look forward to continuing supporting the community through the coming years.”