The first signs of spring are finally here, and we’re breathing a sigh of relief at our store in Wayland, MA. Spring means the end of snow, cold, and the gloomy pall that can overtake the winter months. Finally, we can put away our boots and scarves and get a much needed dose of sunlight.
Spring also means the arrival of Easter and Passover, two holidays we get excited about at Whole Foods Market. We also start setting up our grilling and gardening displays for all of the early birds that want to get a jump on burgers and bulbs.
Some of my favorite things about spring in our store are the seasonal foods. Local produce becomes more abundant, seasonal items like Spring Onions make an appearance, and everything tastes a little fresher. Spring is also a great season to invest in some home-brightening flowers, and we always have great deals on bouquets.
But I have to admit, my favorite thing about this season is that sometimes, on my day off, it’s warm enough that I can wear flip flops. Here are some signs of Spring from around my store:
We’re excited about showcasing Brett Dennen in April’s “Artist Discovery” initiative. Brett’s new CD, “Loverboy,” comes out April 12 and is already creating quite a buzz. Brett opened for John Mayer and has toured with Dave Matthews, Rodrigo y Gabriela and the John Butler Trio. He’s also made big splashes at Bonarroo, Austin City Limits, Coachella, and the Newport Folk Festival. You may also have heard his work on Grey’s Anatomy, Parenthood, House – or a slew of other shows. We hope you enjoy his music along with his tips for eating healthy while on the road.
I eat very healthy. Ninety percent healthy. The other ten percent of the time I allow myself to indulge; but for the most part, I’m healthy. I consume lots of raw foods and when I eat cooked foods, they tend to be whole foods: vegetables, sea veggies and quinoa. I am pretty much a vegetarian, except for seafood. I love sushi! I love oysters!
Whenever I explain my eating habits to people, I always hear, “How do you eat healthy on the road?” It’s actually quite easy. Every city of some significance has a Whole Foods Market, or something similar. At every venue I ask that they stock up on foods I like so that it is there waiting for me when I arrive. When I have some time to kill, I go out shopping and stock up on items to put on the bus for days off or for some of the places I may go where I know that healthy food is harder to find.
We want to make sure you don’t miss a very special, one-night only event. On Thursday, March 31st at 7:30 p.m., theaters nationwide will premiere the Sundance Film Festival documentary, To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America. This film follows the powerful stories of women in Queens, New York, who receive microloans to start their own businesses through the first Grameen America branch. Take a look:
Following thefilm screening theater audiences will be able to watch a simulcast panel discussion featuring Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and other special experts and celebrity guests. The panel will discuss the issues brought up in the film and explore opportunities for action.
The film premiere kicks off the To Catch a Dollar campaign, which aims to reframe perceptions of poverty, extend the reach of financial services to those in need, and celebrate women’s empowerment in America.
Here’s how Director Gayle Ferraro hopesher documentary and the overarching campaign will impact audiences:
“The stories that are presented in the film show a reality of what we don’t often get to view—not just the struggle, but the moment-by-moment living and discovery and development. It is very inspiring to me how people keep going, the ideas they come up with [in entrepreneurship]; the spirit of it. I hope people around the U.S. see the desire that the type of people in the film we often forget about, have to participate and contribute in society, with their families and communities and that people recognize how hard they work. I think the community organizing around the film can bring people to an understanding and hope of what can happen on a larger scale if we focus and allow all people to develop.”
Visit the To Catch a Dollar website to find screening in your area, buy your ticket and find out more about the campaign and the important work behind the film.
If you’re planning to tune in on February 27 to find out what films win top honors for 2010, why not make an evening of it and put together a menu in support of your choice for best film? Here are some ideas to get you started.
It’s only the middle of February, but here in New England — and in much of the country — it feels like we’ve been permanently relocated to the arctic.
At our stores, protocol is different on a snow day, but the preparation starts the day before. As a store manager, I pay close attention to the weather all year round, but especially in the winter – lots of things need to be adjusted in the event of a storm. When we get word that snow is coming, we start by modifying our orders to make sure we have enough of everyone’s essential items, such as bottled water, milk, toilet paper and baby food.
Next, we take a look at our staffing. The day before the storm is typically quite busy, as customers understandably want to get their shopping in before the roads get icy. To keep up with demand, we call in extra Team Members to make sure everyone gets what they need. Depending on when the storm is going to hit, we also shift schedules around. We make sure Team Members who live close to the store are scheduled to work opening shifts if the store is going to hit overnight, and we make sure anyone with a particularly bad commute is scheduled to have the day off or to go home early. The safety of our Team Members is always our top priority.
No matter what your team loyalty, everyone likes a “Game Day” party. And due to licensing issues, our team members have the opportunity to get really creative during our preparations for the Big Day. We can’t say “Super Bowl” or “Super Sunday” or a host of other licensed names in our marketing displays, and that makes for a lot of fun. Keep an eye out for the unique euphemisms throughout the store. Referring to everybody’s favorite Sunday as Game Day, The Big Game, or The Day New England Will Win Another Championship are just a few of our options here the North Atlantic region.
Of course, leading up to that one particular Sunday is the playoff season, and at our stores we take full advantage of the fun. We encourage team members to honor their favorite teams by wearing team hats on game day, create tailgating themed displays, and hold themed events. For example, at my store we are holding a special tasting event in honor of Coach Appreciation Week – a nice complement to playoff season. Our team members will dress in sports themed attire and create a tasty sample worthy of any athlete – we’ve even invited some local coaches to come to the store to enjoy the event.
We’re also playing up our Touchdown favorites with some creative merchandising – wings anyone? Party platters and extreme value deals are in abundance, so everyone can put together a great Game Day feast.
One thing that can be tough for some folks during this part of football season is the food. We’ve all over-indulged — at least a little — during the holiday season, and might be trying to watch our calories a bit. In our stores, we’ve been focusing on our Health Starts Here program and looking to our healthy eating team members to help us lighten up traditional favorites. In my store, Turkey Chili, Salsa with Lentil Chips, and Nachos made with naturally-light Fromage Blanc are just a few of the healthier options available. A new recipe this year is Tandoori Chicken Wings with Yogurt Sauce — still satisfying but a little lighter than a typical buffalo sauce and blue cheese combination.
Personally, I’m a Pittsburgh fan, so on that fateful Big Game Day, I’ll be rooting for the Black and Gold. Who will you be cheering for…and what will you be eating?
Around here, everyone is getting excited about our 30th birthday, including the 30 winners of our “A Heart as Big as Texas” essay contest. These winners, joined by a guest, will be treated to a VIP culinary weekend event in Austin provided by Whole Foods Market and our anniversary partners, Texas Tourism, JetBlue Airways and the Radisson Austin. Our friends at Texas Tourism got extra excited and, while the party is in Austin, they wanted to tell everyone about 30 great Texas destinations. Ever been to Texas? Plan on visiting? What would be on your top 30 places to see? Here’s their list:
Austin
Considered “the Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin has it all—blues, country, reggae, jazz, Tejano, swing and rock—featured daily in nearly 200 live music venues around the city. The city’s hills and lakes also lend themselves to abundant kayaking, hiking, cycling and other activities.
After a summer full of travel, I know I’m home in San Francisco when I see all the reusable bags at the checkout line at my Whole Foods Market. To a San Franciscan, forgetting your reusable bag when shopping for groceries is almost as irresponsible as forgetting your wallet. What will you carry your food in, if not a green bag? San Francisco banned hard-to-recycle plastic bags in grocery stores more than three years ago. Whole Foods Market was on the forefront of this initiative; we discontinued the use of plastic bags at checkout in stores across the country. While paper bags are still an option for customers, it’s now commonplace for customers to BYOB (bring your own bag).
I work on the team in our Global Headquarters that answers customer emails, calls, and letters sent to our office. As I’m sure you can imagine my job can get hectic at times. However, I recently received this letter from one of our customers. When I opened the letter it brought a moment of pause to my day. I found customer Janyne’s story so touching. Her letter is a beautiful reminder that the little things we do, even if they seem little to us, can make a big difference to others, and if we treat people with compassion and love it will not go unappreciated. I thought the kindness shown by the Team Members in our Raintree store to Janyne’s family was worth sharing. After opening the letter I shared it with many of my fellow Team Members in the office, and now I’d like to share it with you – a little message of love and caring on Valentine’s Day.
To whom it may concern:
This letter is being written to acknowledge and thank the employees of the Whole Foods Market in Scottsdale, Arizona. Last fall I traveled to Scottsdale to help care for my 94 year old mother, Myrtle Jenkins, who had been placed under in-home hospice care. While there, I accompanied my father to the Whole Foods Market where he and my mother had shopped for the past five years. I assumed that my elderly parents were well recognized in the store, since few who reach that age are out doing their own shopping, let alone driving themselves to the store! When we began checking out, the cashier asked me about my mother and he was visibly shaken at learning she was nearing death. I was certainly taken back by this show of concern from a store employee!
A week or so later, my father once again returned to the store and as he was checking out, realized that a bouquet of flowers had been placed in his cart. When he told the cashier that the flowers had been mistakenly placed there, he was told that they were for my mother-from the store employees. Though we were extremely grateful for the kindness, we did not think that my mother would even be aware of the flowers, as she had very minimal sight at that point. To our surprise, she became quite animated and asked to touch them, then requested they be placed where she could see them-even asking about them during the days that followed.
It is a tribute to your employees, and I believe corporate vision, that this kindness was shown to my mother and our family. Thank you! My mother died November 4th, and my father has since then relocated to Roseville, California where my brother who lives close by has been sure to help him locate the nearest Whole Foods Market. I am sure the employees there are starting to recognize Kenneth Jenkins, the elderly, bent figure with the ready smile.
Again, thank you for the kindness shown to my family.
With stores all over the country (and in Canada and the U.K.), we have a lot of team members who travel… a lot. Alana’s post about eating well when traveling inspired me to check in with some of our enlightened travelers to find out about their healthy travel routines. Here are their secrets. What are yours?
From Jody:
I find that minimizing stress is a really simple way to enhance wellness during traveling. For me, this means getting to the airport early, being prepared (researching parking beforehand, having your boarding pass printed out, have your liquids in the baggie), not rushing during the travel, keeping a mellow and patient attitude when you encounter other potentially cranky travelers or during delays, and having calming music in my ipod for the plane. I also bring rescue remedy (I hate turbulence!) as well as some calming supplements or tea. If I remember, I bring a small spritzer of water with a couple drops of essential oil to freshen my skin during the plane ride, as the air can be dry and stuffy. And I always remember to pack my daily supplements: a multi, probiotics, fish oil and a mushroom (or immune enhancing) supplement. Read the rest of this entry »
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We’re excited about showcasing Brett Dennen in April’s “Artist Discovery” initiative. Brett’s new CD, “Loverboy,” comes out April 12 and is already creating quite a buzz. Brett opened for John Mayer and has toured with Dave Matthews, Rodrigo y Gabriela and the John Butler Trio. He’s also made big splashes at Bonarroo, Austin City Limits, Coachella, and the Newport Folk Festival. You may also have heard his work on Grey’s Anatomy, Parenthood, House – or a slew of other shows. We hope you enjoy his music along with his tips for eating healthy while on the road.
The film premiere kicks off the To Catch a Dollar campaign, which aims to reframe perceptions of poverty, extend the reach of financial services to those in need, and celebrate women’s empowerment in America.
It’s only the middle of February, but here in New England — and in much of the country — it feels like we’ve been permanently relocated to the arctic.
Next, we take a look at our staffing. The day before the storm is typically quite busy, as customers understandably want to get their shopping in before the roads get icy. To keep up with demand, we call in extra Team Members to make sure everyone gets what they need. Depending on when the storm is going to hit, we also shift schedules around. We make sure Team Members who live close to the store are scheduled to work opening shifts if the store is going to hit overnight, and we make sure anyone with a particularly bad commute is scheduled to have the day off or to go home early. The safety of our Team Members is always our top priority.
No matter what your team loyalty, everyone likes a “Game Day” party. And due to licensing issues, our team members have the opportunity to get really creative during our preparations for the Big Day. We can’t say “Super Bowl” or “Super Sunday” or a host of other licensed names in our marketing displays, and that makes for a lot of fun. Keep an eye out for the unique euphemisms throughout the store. Referring to everybody’s favorite Sunday as Game Day, The Big Game, or The Day New England Will Win Another Championship are just a few of our options here the North Atlantic region.
We’re also playing up our Touchdown favorites with some creative merchandising – wings anyone? Party platters and extreme value deals are in abundance, so everyone can put together a great Game Day feast.
Austin 
