Whole Foods Opens Doors to Davis Shoppers

By Genny Bennett,

Over a year and two months later, Whole Foods has moved in where the Borders book store used to live. On Oct. 24 Whole Foods opened its doors and began a busy day filled with excited customers.

Adjacent to Jamba Juice, Pinkberry and Mikunis, Whole Foods provides yet another food option for Davis residents.

By specializing in vegan and gluten-free products, Whole Foods is very similar to the Co-op. But the new grocery delight will have no problem winning over the hearts of Davis shoppers, even loyal Co-op’ers.

Upon walking into Whole Foods, shoppers are welcomed with the sweet smell of a plethora of spices and by the friendly workers who offer samples of delicious fresh fruit.

Moving through the aisles, Whole Foods is organized just like a regular grocery story, but it has a charm that no other store can compare to. Even the signs throughout the store are adorable; in fact, the signs are all hand-painted a few doors down where Ben & Jerry’s used to be located.

The neat and colorful signs look straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog, and add another aspect of novelty to the store.

Signs hang above all of the prepared food stations, which include soup and salad, Chinese food, sushi, pizza, hot and cold drinks, baked goods and the best: handmade cookies sold by the pound.

If heaven exists, it is the cookie stand at Whole Foods that displays around twenty options of fresh cookies for only $10 per pound.

But a close second to the cookie stand are the “fill to order” cannolis for $3 each. Choose from peanut butter, salted caramel, cherry pistachio, chocolate chip or almond cannoli shells and indulge at an affordable price.

If cannolis and cookies are not your thing, don’t worry – Whole Foods is known for offering healthy and fresh options as well.

The salad bar is a rainbow of every topping imaginable, and the adjacent soup bar provides a perfect marriage for a healthy meal.

The only set-back with Whole Foods is the location. It was nearly impossible to snag a parking spot in the Davis Commons parking lot even before Whole Foods came to town, and shoppers can expect even more of a headache.

Despite this inconvenience, Whole Foods will satisfy customers of any kind. Watch out Nugget and Co-op, Whole Foods is in the competition.