Whole Foods takes over Lakewood Minyards, heads to Canada for inspiration

by Chad Jones

After business at the Minyard Food Store in Lakewood peaked last year, the store will close on February 6 and will be torn down to make way for a 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods.

"Other companies also approached us," says Minyards exec Michael Byars to the DMN, "but with Whole Foods, it worked out to be a win-win for both of us."

The new store should be open by the end of this year at Abrams Road and Gaston Avenue, causing the existing 20,200-square-foot Whole Foods at 2218 Greenville Avenue to close, because that'd just be silly to have two.

On a more head-scratching note, Whole Foods—which tailors each of its stores to fit its neighborhood—has decided upon a European design for the Lakewood store and will thereafter head to Canada for inspiration.

"It's important to get it open by the end of the year," says Mona Evans, spokeswoman for the new store. "So we're going to get a taste of Europe in Montreal and Toronto."

Huh?

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Alan Cohen, says:

Mike Davis has more at the Progress Blog ..... http://dallasprogress.blogspot.com/20...

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2 years, 11 months ago
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Mike Orren, says:

Sad to say, I live 4.6 miles from this store and it is my closest viable option. Viable=groceries + beer. Glad to see the Whole Foods move, because that Minyards was getting pretty skeevy.

But the wait will be interminable. In the meantime, it's 6.1 miles for me.

And I wonder how long the dry Minyard near me will last. It still uses Sack n' Save bags...

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2 years, 11 months ago
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lakewooder, says:

This a watershed event, Lakewood has now been officially rubber-stamped as 'upscale'. Which companies will follow?

I wouldn't worry too much about the old Whole Foods location, although I hate to lose the original anything.

The Henderson redevelopment is moving fast and practically merges with Lower Greenville. This should create a synergy which will bring bigger and better things - I hope.

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2 years, 11 months ago
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bdawsn, says:

I will miss the Minyard (no "s"). It was one of the better ones. I welcome the new Whole Foods. We could do much worse for a neighbor or a grocer. The several months of traffic from construction and the lack of a grocer a few miles away will hopefully be offset by the positive effects of this change.

As for the "original". I used to live 2 blocks from the original Whole Foods in Austin at 9th and Lamar. Whole Foods has changed since then, but in a way that continues their mission and aims to reward customers, employees and stock holders.

Perhaps the "European" thing is from all of the Italian restaraunts in the area.