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The chain of grocery stores focuses on natural and organic food items. The fruits and vegetables are bought from local sources as much as possible, according to Michael Sinatra, the public relations manager for Whole Foods stores in the Northeast. That's not the only way the store is looking to integrate itself into the local community.
"Port Chester has a large Hispanic and Latin-American population, and we've done things around the store to pay homage to that fact," Sinatra said. One example is Fire & Pollo, a wood-grilled, Latin-inspired chicken venue located within the store.
The store's cafe also has a nautical theme because of Port Chester's proximity to the shore, Sinatra said. A series of tiles around the store were painted by children as part of a program run with the Carver Center. The Carver Center will also be receiving 5 percent of sales from opening day.
"It's all part of making the community a part of the store as much as possible," Sinatra said. The store will have approximately 200 employees, 50 of whom are Port Chester residents.
Other features that will make the store unique include a juice bar where customers can create their own juices and an in-house bakery with freshly made bagels, a waffle-making station and Doughssants, a combination of donuts and croissants. There will be two pizza ovens, salad stations, as well as fresh produce and seafood.
A walk-in "Beer Alley" will feature a variety of beers. The store will be exclusive distributor of local brewery Captain Lawrence's new Imperial Kolsch, a light German ale. There will also be a growler station with six beers on tap.
The meat department will feature hormone-free and antibiotic-free meat products. There will also be in-house smoked meats and sausages prepared on-site.
"All of our butchers are real butchers, who are trained in their specialty," Sinatra said. "They have that old-school butcher shop mentality that doesn't exist as much anymore."
The 49,000 square foot store is the third in Westchester and the 365th nationwide. It will celebrate its opening Tuesday with a day of events, sales and giveaways. Instead of the traditional ribbon cutting, there will be a bread-breaking ceremony at 8:30 a.m. The store is located in the shopping center at 575 Boston Post Road.
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