They took off from work and
they took off from school. They reportedly clogged Route 202 and they
definitely filled the parking lot at Glen Eagle Square. Even the Eagle’s Pep
Band was on hand for the grand opening of the new Whole Foods store, located
where Genuardi’s used to be.

“I’ve been waiting for years,
since there was supposed to be a store on Beaver Valley Road,” said Rochelle
Johnson of Wilmington. “I’m just so excited.”

She’s shopped at other Whole
Foods locations and said the quality and selection are unbeatable.

“The produce, the quality of
the meats, it’s just an extraordinary variety of healthy things that are
sourced well,” she said.

She also likes the number of
free trade items the store carries.

“I just love the whole
concept,” Johnson said.

Standing in line with Johnson
was Tricia Gomella of Chadds Ford Township.

“I love the store and wanted to
be here for the opening because I’m very exciting having a store here,” Gomella
said.

“I liked the attention to
detail, the quality of the products, the people are all nice, it’s just a great
store” she said.

Gomella added that she’s a
physician and appreciates the nutritional value of the organic products at Whole
Foods.

An estimated 200 people stood
outside the store waiting for the official opening time of 10 a.m. Instead of a
ribbon-cutting ceremony, the crowd witnessed a bread- breaking during which
store employees broke an over-sized loaf of challa.

While area residents such as
Johnson and Gomella had been waiting for a local Whole Foods, so was the
company. Regional Vice President Sam Park said prior to the bread breaking that
the company has wanted to open a store in the greater Chadds Ford area for five
years.

Store Team Leader John Frye was
as excited as the customers. He explained what he sees as the attraction for
the buying public.

“Above and beyond being one of
the best organic and natural retailers in our business, we have a couple of
exciting things going on specifically at our store here,” he said.

Specifically, he referred to
the stores’ pub, x where people can sit down with a coffee, tea, beer or wine.
The store has a liquor license.

“We have eight local beers on
tap and a wide selection of to go beers, but we also have a 100 percent organic
coffee bar, which is a first for Whole Foods in this region,” Frye said.

There is also a cooking at home
section where people can get tips on kitchen basics and how to prepare specific
foods.

“It’s really all about teaching
customers getting back to basics about cooking and bringing the family back
together at the dinner table and having a wholesome meal,” Frye said.

He said the class is really
constant education on the floor. People just need to come in and check with any
of the educators and get a lesson on everything from how to properly use a
knife to how to cook a given dish.

Frye said the store is about
great products, and service delivered by team members who are passionate about
what they do.

The store is 38,000 square feet
in area and employs 135 people. The store hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven
days per week.