Charlestown Whole Foods Market To Open in August

It's official: The new Charlestown Whole Foods Market will open Aug. 7.

Though company representatives said in June that the opening of the new store at 51 Austin St., in the Bunker Hill Mall, was slated for September, the project has been on a fast track and an earlier date was announced Monday afternoon.

The grocery store will open with the company's "traditional bread-breaking ceremony" on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 9:45 a.m., according to a press release from Whole Foods Market. The public is welcome to attend, and the store will officially open for business at 10 a.m. that day.

“We are so excited to officially announce our opening date and begin the countdown to the big day," local Store Team Leader Kim Hall said. "Everyone has been working so hard to get the store ready and we couldn’t be more appreciative of the support we’ve received from the Charlestown community."

The 29,433 sq. ft. store in Charlestown, which will replace Johnnie's Foodmaster, is Whole Foods Market's 25th location in Massachusetts. The store will employ about 170 full- and part-time people.

The company held a series of job fairs in late June in Charlestown, and company officials have said Whole Foods is committed to hiring locally as much as possible.

“We are still looking for a few more people to join our team, so I’d like to encourage folks who are interested to apply online," Hall said. "Also, make sure to follow our store Facebook page for sneak peeks and insider information on what you can expect at Whole Foods Market Charlestown."

The local market will sell groceries, produce, seafood and meats, along with restaurant-quality prepared foods that can be enjoyed in the store’s café. The store also will have a fresh fruit and vegetable juice and espresso bar, in-house bakery and a European cheese room.

The Charlestown store will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.