Whole Foods Market opens its new Tempe store at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 6. Located at 750 S. Ash Avenue, the new 40,000 square-foot store will feature an extensive selection of items from local producers, a variety of prepared foods, as well as an in-store bar and restaurant. Before the doors open, the store is offering complimentary refreshments, bites and music. Additionally, the first 300 customers through the door will receive a custom Whole Foods Market Tempe reusable canvas tote bag and a savings card with a mystery value ranging between $5 and $100.

“We’re thrilled to welcome this community to their new Whole Foods Market, the only destination grocery store in downtown Tempe,” said Stephen Rice, Store Team Leader. “This location offers our customers a wider selection of fresh, accessible, high quality grocery items, locally sourced products and ready-to-eat prepared foods. Additionally, it includes a full-service juice bar and On Ash, our in-store bar and restaurant. With daily specials and happy hour deals, multiple televisions, and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, it’s the perfect place to hang out with friends, watch the game and enjoy delicious food.”

Offering a selection of locally sourced options, grab-and-go prepared foods and natural and organic grocery items, all food at Whole Foods Market must meet the company’s rigorous quality standards, which prohibit hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. In addition, all beauty and body care products must meet the company’s body care standards, which ban animal testing and more than one hundred commonly used ingredients.

Special features of the store include:

• Fresh produce department featuring seasonal fruits and vegetables with options from local growers, including organic apples and citrus fruits, and a range of items with Whole Foods Market’s Whole Trade® Guarantee, which supports suppliers that are committed to ethical trade, working conditions and the environment

• Bakery department offering an array of fresh-baked breads, cakes and cupcakes made in-house, a variety of items from local bakeries such as Mediterra Bakehouse and Honeymoon Sweets and seasonally inspired selections for vegan and other special diets

• Full-service butcher offering a variety of ready-to-cook options, such as made-in-house sausages, freshly ground beef, gourmet burgers and self-serve smoked meats

• Seafood counter featuring a variety of fresh offerings, including shucked oysters and oak roasted salmon from The Santa Barbara Smokehouse and Carlsbad luna and blonde oysters from Carlsbad Aquafarm; department also offers poke and a large selection of packaged and frozen fish

• Specialty foods section featuring products from 35 local suppliers, including various cheeses from Crows Dairy and wines from Chateau Tumbleweed; department’s cheese selection is overseen by an in-store American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional who can offer expertise and recommendations for any request or occasion

• Hot and cold prepared food bars featuring seasonal dishes, organic offerings and options for special diets, as well as 10 soup wells, stations for focaccia and personal pizzas, tacos, Kikka sushi and hot-pressed sandwiches

• Nékter Juice Bar: In-store juice, tea and coffee bar offering clean and nutrient-rich açai bowls, superfood smoothies, freshly-made juices, tea, lattes and drip coffee

• Bulk section with roughly 130 options including grains, rice, flours, beans, seeds and dried fruits, among other ingredients, snacks and treats

• Beauty, body care and home goods section featuring products from 10 local suppliers, including candles from Enlighten, incense from Full Moon Farms and various items from Lua Skincare

• Expansive selection of over 300 beers and 1,000 wines, many from Arizona-based producers, including SanTan Brewing, Four Peaks Brewing, Helio Basin Brewing and Huss Brewing, with in-house cicerones and sommeliers on staff

The new Tempe store is also home to a bar and restaurant called On Ash, a venue that boasts a menu of pub-style fare, including options for special diets, 24 beers on tap and more than 20 varieties of wine by the glass. With indoor and outdoor seating for 150 customers across two floors, multiple televisions and daily specials and happy hour deals, On Ash is a great destination to gather with friends and enjoy a meal or a drink.

Amazon Prime members who shop at Whole Foods Market have access to a number of benefits year-round, like deep discounts on dozens of select popular products each week and an additional 10% off hundreds of in-store items. In addition, eligible Prime members receive 5% back on Whole Foods Market purchases when using the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card.

On Wednesday, December 4, 5% of the store’s net sales will benefit Arizona State University’s Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, which develops innovative ideas and solutions to the challenges of current food systems. The funds will support the school’s upcoming Future of Food farm tour, where students in ASU’s inaugural Food Policy & Sustainability Leadership class will travel across Arizona to understand first-hand what it means to run a dairy, grow alfalfa, raise beef cattle and produce large quantities of vegetables.

Whole Foods Market Tempe will employ approximately 150 full and part-time team members. Following the grand opening, the store will be open from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily.

Whole Foods Market has nine additional stores in Arizona.

For more information visit https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/tempe.