A new 45,000-sq.-ft. Whole Foods Market will move into a portion of the soon-to-be-closing recently closed Randalls grocery store in the Westchase Shopping Center, landlord Weingarten Realty announced today. The 25,663-sq.-ft. Whole Foods Market that’s been operating in the same REIT’s Market at Westchase since 1991 — just across Wilcrest at 11145 Westheimer — will shutter when the new Whole Foods opens — in 2016.
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A site plan already posted on the landlord’s website (above) shows Whole Foods taking up only a portion of the 74,000-sq.-ft. former Randalls space — an additional 29,056 sq. ft. of it (shown in yellow) is marked as still available. Randalls announced the closure of its store at 11041 Westheimer Rd. last December, confirming earlier reports. Randalls’ lease for the property is up at the end of this month, Nancy Sarnoff reports.
- Whole Foods to open new store on Westheimer [Prime Property]
- Whole Foods to move Westheimer store across the street [Houston Business Journal]
- Previously on Swamplot: The End in Sight for Randalls
Photo and site plan: Weingarten Realty
The fact that Randalls (Safeway) wouldn’t fight for this location – which was still profitable, unlike some of their others – is a sign that this entire chain will probably soon go the way of Gerland’s, Rice, Weingartens, and the rest.
Whole Foods will do well there. I had a friend who managed the Whole Foods across the street about fifteen years ago. It was one of their most profitable stores then, even with that booming Randalls within walking distance.
For the affluent westsiders west of the Villages, this is probably the most convenient Whole Foods. It just happens to be at the edge of the affluent area instead of ensconced within it, which is a little unusual.
What a shame. Randall’s used to be THE store in Houston. Now it’s a mere shell of it’s former self. Used to shop the Whole Foods on Wilcrest,when I lived the boring burbs. Very nice store. It’ll do very well in the larger ,former Randall’s spot.Was leaving Highland Village yesterday and noticed the old Rice Epicurean on Westheimer-east of Weslayan/Willowick is for lease. I guess the Fresh Market concept didn’t open there /or was a flop. Something will eventually take that space. Only Rice store is on Fountainview. They gotta love that Tanglewood demographic.
Then it makes perfect sense that Fresh Market will take the space next door.
My one and only experience with that WF was back in the early days of that location. When I got home, I realized there was a markup on my items vs. the then-Shepherd store. I called to ask about the discrepancy and they said each store had the discretion to price for its clientele. Never went in again. Now that WF is a national chain, it isn’t an issue, but it was an interesting discovery that that area was considered “upmarket” vs. Montrose location. My money hadn’t inflated on the drive over…
That Randalls has actually been closed for several months now.
A lot of people seem behind on reality. Like someone else said, this Randalls has been closed for a while now, but they opened up a new, much fancier and bustling location several lights down on Westheimer across from where Borders used to be.
How many Randall’s have been closed since Safeway took over the chain?
If I look on their website it only shows 20 stores is that all of them in the greater Houston area?
The Westchase area has turned very ghetto in the last 15 years.
I work at One Westchase Center across on Walnut Bend. Lunchtime at WF is busy. I imagine it will get busier with better seating. And yes, it does get dicey in some parts back there.
http://www.khou.com/news/crime/HPD-searching-for-suspect-who-kidnapped-woman-from-Whole-Foods–228253541.html