Whole Foods May Open By Late September

The new Charlestown Whole Foods Market could open as early as September and will feature a small indoor dining area in the front, store team leader Kim Hall told members of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council on Thursday.

Hall and others from the Whole Foods team appeared before the CNC Basic Services Committee on May 23 to request support for a common victualler license and answer any questions about the new store, which will be located in the former Johnnie’s Foodmaster spot in the Bunker Hill Mall shopping center, at 5 Austin St.

Housed in 29,433 sq. ft. of renovated space, the new grocery store will have a bakery, coffee and smoothie bar, cheese shop, meat and seafood counter, flower area and prepared foods department featuring a salad bar, hot bar, sushi and items such as pizza, pastries, soups, sandwiches and paninis that can be enjoyed in the store’s front dining area. The area is expected to have about 40 seats.

Tentative store hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, according to Whole Foods’ license application with the city.

“It’s going to be an absolutely beautiful store, and I’m really excited,” Hall told Charlestown residents Thursday night.

She encouraged the community to provide feedback about the new market.

“We want to be Charlestown’s Whole Foods, so whatever you guys are looking for, we can work together to try to make that happen,” Hall said.

Of course, the big question on everyone’s minds right now is when the store will open for business. Hall said it will likely happen this fall.

“All we can say right now is we’re going to be opening before the end of our [Whole Foods’] fiscal year, which is at the end of September. It will be posted on our Facebook page as soon as we announce it,” she said.

Whole Foods is looking to hire about 150 team members for the new store—about twice as many as were employed by Johnnie’s Foodmaster and with about three times as many full-time positions as Johnnie’s had, Hall said.

A job fair will take place sometime in the next few months in Charlestown, possibly at the Knights of Columbus hall.

“We’re going to be advertising a lot in Charlestown for the job fairs. Everyone in town will know exactly when they are,” Hall said.

The CNC Basic Services Committee voted unanimously to support Whole Foods’ common victualler license.