Whole Foods Market : September 4, 2017 - Whole Foods Market® Buffalo Celebrates Grand Opening on Sept. 15

New Store Marks First Whole Foods Market in Western New York

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AMHERST, N.Y. (Sept. 5, 2017) - Whole Foods Market, the nation's leading natural and organic grocery store, opens its first location in the Buffalo area at 8 a.m., Friday, September 15. The new 50,000 square-foot store in Amherst at 3139 Sheridan Drive will celebrate the grand opening with giveaways, samplings and many more surprises for all who attend.

'The Buffalo community is incredibly welcoming and supportive. We couldn't ask for a better place to open our first store in Western New York,' said Mark Wilkins, the Store Team Leader for Whole Foods Market Buffalo. 'We can't wait to provide our new neighbors with a place to find convenient meal solutions, to discover new food favorites, and to come together with family and friends for a friendly round of bocce ball!'

Whole Foods Market Buffalo boasts exciting new culinary innovations that bring convenient restaurant-quality dining options to families and foodies alike.

• Bar 1818: A nod to Western New York's deeply rooted brewing culture, Bar 1818 features 12 taps of rotating local beers like Big Ditch Brewing and Community Beer Works. The menu features American fare highlighting local artisanal ingredients including 100 percent grass-fed burgers topped with Barrel & Brine pickles and First Light cheese, Ru's potato pierogis and much more. Bar 1818 also offers signature cocktails and milkshakes that can be enjoyed as-is or with a recommended spirit.
• Kabob: Enjoy custom assembled Mediterranean wraps, bowls and salads combining fresh-grilled proteins with delicious dips and sauces, perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
• Coffee and Juice Bar: This onsite coffee roaster serves classic and contemporary coffee and tea drinks as well as eight varieties of fresh juices available on tap. Expert team members will also curate, roast and pack a special selection of coffee beans at the store, and host demos and tastings for customers.
• Sushi: A wide variety of fresh sushi and signature rolls made in-house daily.
• Pizza: Bakery-style square pizza is baked in an Italforni pizza oven from Italy with delicious, on-trend seasonal toppings for a new spin on this Friday night favorite.
• Hot and Cold Food Bars: The hot bar boasts rotating cuisines from around the world using the highest-quality ingredients and features German-inspired Oktoberfest dishes for the grand opening. Fresh and healthy salad bar options include chef-created seasonal blends and root-to-stem salads.
• Freshly-prepared meals can be enjoyed in the community café space, which includes a bocce ball court.

Whole Foods Market Buffalo offers a vast selection of everyday pantry staples and hard-to-find specialty goods, making it a convenient one-stop-shop for Western New York grocery shoppers. Only the highest-quality ingredients are allowed in products sold, which means over 400 common ingredients are completely banned - this includes high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners. Other highlights include:

• Produce: This spacious section offers the highest quality natural and organic produce, with a focus on seasonal selection, local sourcing and responsible growing methods. Pre-prepared packages of ingredients like zoodles and riced cauliflower make healthy family meals a breeze. There is also a full-service floral station.
• Bakery: Breads, cakes, pastries and more baked from scratch in-house every day. The new store will also include a special selection of no sugar-added cakes, a Japanese mochi ice cream bar and baked goods from DiCamillo Bakery.
• Grocery: Aisles are stocked with over 170 money-saving bulk bin items, a full selection of affordable high-quality 365 Everyday Value brand staples and numerous options for special diets like gluten-free, vegan and paleo. The shelves will also prominently feature a wide variety of homegrown local goods like Barrel & Brine pickles, Lloyd Taco Factory Rocket sauce, and a new version of Anchor Bar's classic wing sauce.
• Seafood: Shoppers can choose from vast selection of the freshest seafood, all certified or rated for sustainability by trusted third-party organizations. Expert fishmongers can clean, cut, debone or devein orders for free, just ask!
• Meat: Highly trained butchers run the full-service meat counter and are happy to custom cut orders to any size or specification. These experts also make in-house specialties onsite, including sausages, convenient dinner meal kits and even seasoned bacon in delicious seasonal flavors like Sriracha and cocoa. These high-quality meats are all clearly marked with their 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating System grade, as part of Whole Foods Market's commitment to stringent quality standards.
• Specialty: With such a wide local selection to choose from, the Buffalo store will prominently feature over 40 local Western New York beers from producers like Resurgence Brewing Co. and Hamburg Brewing Company. Expert cheesemongers can cut to order over 40 artisan cheeses, and the antipasti bar features over 30 types of olives and other antipasti varieties. There will even be a self-serve kombucha growler station pouring Buffalo's own Bootleg Bucha.
• Whole Body: This dedicated section sells natural and organic body care products, cosmetics and supplements, including the Zandra beauty care line, created for teenagers by the company's 17-year old founder and Buffalo native.

As part of Whole Foods Market's commitment to the local community, the Buffalo store will also hold a 5% Community Giving Day on opening day to benefit the Massachusetts Avenue Project. That Friday, 5% of the day's net sales at Whole Foods Market Buffalo will help the Massachusetts Avenue Project and its mission to provide all youth and families with access to fresh, healthy food. These proceeds will help build the Massachusetts Avenue Project's new Farmhouse on Buffalo's West Side, which will provide healthy eating education, food access resources and volunteer opportunities to the Buffalo community.

Whole Foods Market Buffalo will also provide many ways to save, including numerous weekly sales, digital coupons on the Whole Foods Market mobile app, 365 Everyday Value store brand products, discounted family value packs and bulk bin staples, allowing shoppers to buy the precise amount needed for their recipes.

Customers who RSVP here to opening day will be entered to win prizes, including an entire pantry giveaway. Follow Whole Foods Market Buffalo on Instagram at @wholefoodsbuffalo for upcoming announcements and further details.

For media inquiries, or to schedule a media tour before or on opening day, please email [e-mail].

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Experts

President, Northeast Region

Christina Minardi was born in Paterson, New Jersey and grew up in a bakery that has been run by her family since 1927.