GALLERIA WHOLE FOODS MARKET OPENING NOVEMBER 6, WILL INCLUDE AUSTIN-IMPORT BEER-ON-A-TRIKE 
The long-awaited BLVD Place Whole Foods Market will finally open on November 6, reports the HBJ‘s Jenny Agee-Aldridge. And the grocery juggernaut has fed her another notable market-marketing nugget: Shoppers at the new 55,000-sq.-ft. store at 1700 Post Oak Blvd. will be able to make beer orders and receive deliveries while shopping — from a beer-toting store employee riding a tricycle around the market. The non-motorized alcohol delivery setup, Agee-Aldridge notes, is an Austin import. But the beer source is a Houston first: The store will be the first Whole Foods’ anywhere to have its own brewery on the premises, and will feature beer-themed breads and desserts as well. [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Russell Hancock
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Nothing says ‘hipster’ like a dude riding a tricycle around a Whole Foods delivering beer. $10 says he has a shaggy beard.
This just seems an odd placement for a grocery store. It’s all upscale hotels, high end office’s and restaurants and …a grocery store. I’m sure it will be a very nice one, but frankly BLVD Place already looks dated, I have no clue why they went so 50’s retro mid century on the styling, it not awful, but it looks a bit cheap. Personally, I prefer Central Market, but I’m sure this Whole Foods will do well, I’m sure the people in that Hanover Tower will be pleased. You have to figure the rent for this much space in BLVD Place must be astronomical so this Whole Foods will have to be a huge success to even break even. I’m sure it’s a “Flagship” store for them so profit margin isn’t of utmost importance. I’m sure I’ll check it out at some point, I’m sure parking will be interesting–valet?
@ j
My money is on a an ironic mustache.
Taking bets on how long before Fresh Market on San Felipe shuts its doors. I can’t understand their business model to place their stores across the street of more successful grocery store brands like Whole Foods and Central Market.
I submitted my resume for the position. As an expedition touring cyclist I think I’m qualified to make a few rounds within 55k sq.ft. toting clanging bottles of beer. Instead of wearing weather resistant gear I think I’ll gladly don tweed knickers and a driving cap to look the part. Here’s to 1mph in the meat section. Wish me luck Houston. I ride with the wind.
I cannot and will not find any fault with any form of beer delivery system.
“This just seems an odd placement for a grocery store. It’s all upscale hotels, high end office’s and restaurants and …a grocery store”
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Why is it odd to have an upscale grocery store in an upscale shopping center? This is common in dense areas all over the country (and world for that matter).
Whole Foods is becoming a parody of itself.
Shannon Wrote “…but frankly BLVD Place already looks dated, I have no clue why they went so 50′s retro mid century on the styling, it not awful, but it looks a bit cheap.”
So is this a professional opinion or layman observation? I would love to hear your treatise on what makes this building complex design 1950’s retro Mid-Century….
Also, that grocery store will do well at that location because it is filling a need for all of those people living and working in that area. Upscale residential towers are all within walking distance to this location… tell me how its a bad idea again…
Really? Where in Houston is an grocery store in the middle of a development like this? Post Oak has never had a grocery store on it before and it’s been a major thoroughfare for years. This is hardly normal. You don’t see a Central Market in the middle of the Arboretum in Austin or in La Cantara in SA or in the Highland Park Village in Dallas. Give me a break
Did you even read my comment? I didn’t say it would fail. And it’s very 50’s modern, if you can’t see that I hardly will bother explaining to you.
Can we stop with the whole Austinization-of-Houston thing? The Californication was bad enough; then they filled up Austin and are starting to drift down here.
Shannon, lots of people live in the Galleria area already. There are also a huge number of new condo / apartment high rises under construction or planned for the near future in that area. So there will be even more people there in the near future. People buy groceries, and they don’t like to drive very far to do it if they don’t have to. This is especially important in this case, as one of the major draws of the Galleria area, or of any type of higher-density environment produced by a concentration of tall buildings, is the ability to be near the places one normally visits on a day-to-day basis. Given that that area is one of the wealthier areas of the city (and is located near other wealthy areas without a “signature” shopping experience like this Whole Foods), one can only presume that a relatively dense (for Houston) concentration of wealthy people who don’t want to drive 30 minutes to do anything is a PRETTY GOOD LOCATION FOR A PREMIUM GROCERY STORE.
I see a certain demographic who might think this is cool. Luckily, it is not a demographic that I hang around.
Houston is a great city, but I fear these Austin imports may ruin it. Austin is not “weird”. It is lame. And, they are exporting their lameness here. We must resist.
Because….. BEER!
Shannon, I am with you. I would definitely not call the Rice Epicurean on Post Oak a grocery store. The city ordinance clearly states if a rock is hurled in ones direction then a rock so to shall be hurled back. But I don’t think this business model will work with plastic or paper.
Gentlemen, let’s think about this. These men are professionalss [sic]. The Ritz Carlton tower did not go here. During the downturn it looked like this entire development was in jeopardy. I seen now things have changed. It would be interesting to understand the underlying economic restructuring that occurred. Eatzis used to be where the whole foods is going. Funny thing is, in 1998 i took a MASSIVE dump in Eatzis…thing looked like three coke cans with a baby turtle on top! Later.
I must be missing something about the beer tricycle. The potential beer customers are moving around the store, and the beer is also moving around the store, which seems like it just introduces the chance that the potential beer customer never sees the beer. By keeping one of those two stationary you can guarantee that the potential beer customer and beer are co-located at some point in time.
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So what the hell?
I’m a native Houstonian, who has lived and frequented the Galleria Area, I don’t need a demographic lesson. There has never been a large grocery store on Post Oak, it just seems an odd location. There are certainly already grocery stores in the area, it’s not like this area is hurting for grocery stores. Do you really want to fight all that traffic (I can only imagine the parking situation) to shop at an over priced Whole Foods? I’m sure at first it will do very well, but after the novelty wears off and the parking nightmare gets old, will they still come in numbers to make such an expensive property profitable? Maybe, but I’m not sold on it. BLVD Place has had grand ambitions, remember the 50 story Ritz Carlton? Apache seems in no hurry to develop their portion so that land is idol. I personally loved The Pavilion, it was 80’s over the top at its best. I wish I had been able to get the bronze ram heads from the entrance pillars, I’d love know who has them, I’d buy them.
Idle*
Hey there brother Shannon – I loved the Pavillion [sic] too. I mean houlihans, old 3 screen theatre, HUNANs, original amazon cafe and the list goes on. I think your fear is well placed. I’m a native Houstonian and you can kiss my A** if you think i am going to park in a GD parking garage to go drop $100 to eat a meal at home. Especially when i can go down the street and go to Randalls (never mind, they are sloppy now), soon to be brand new HEB, soon to be whole foods on voss and the felipe. You also have that fresh market right there too. I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in the theatre at the Pavillion….after the show a guy stood up and said “May i See your Bu** hole?” to the entire theatre. Those were the days. Anyways, i think you are right. This Whole Foods will be a flash in the pan. Just too many other options IMHO. Of course, YMMV. I will advise when i make it to Whole Food and take that HERODIAN dump in their facilities my great brother. Later brosef.
Guys, Shannon is spot on. I told my boy Kris that ‘smokin rocks’ and he had no idea you forgot about a Rice Epicurean. That is some jedi mind training there, buddy. Anways, I remember when you said Phils BBQ was a good idea over off of Warshington (sic) Ave. Wowzer! Yeah and who wants to buy a “Lite Beer”? PUKE! Too many big box retail for the square foot price. Might as well turn that place into a tatoo parlor where they give away free superman arm tats.
Well there you have it folks. Shannon pronounced it a stupid idea therefore it is. Let’s see if he is wrong yet one more time. And yes, we all know he is a native Houstonian, suppossedly turns heads, went to UT , was the toast of Yorktown Creole etc…etc…Too bad one of us isn’t a biographer by trade…
Good Grief Dude, if my comments bother you so fucking much, stop reading them. It’s comical how you bitch and grip about my conments everyday and take personal shots at me all the while never really commenting on the actual thread. Maybe you do and use another name, I don’t know, and frankly really don’t care. I don’t get this obsession with my comments, it’s creepy.
Pobrecito Shannon…..What’s comical is how you are seemingly an authority on every topic yet are frequently called out by many people on the board for your continual stream of gross inaccuracies. Or as my Dad used to say “Open Mouth Insert Foot”. My take on Whole Foods? I would imagine Ed Wulfe who is a longtime Houston developer with a very good track record knows a lot more about vetting tenants for his projects than you or I or some of the other naysayers on this thread. I would also imagine Whole Foods put a great deal of research into the site before signing a lease . Rice Epicurean is gone from that general corner. Eatzi’s was very successful at this location but closed from a corporate meltdown. There are new residential projects happening on each end of Post Oak, the coming project at Post Oak Place condos, projects at the former Westcreek and the disposable income of Tanglewood all within a mile. Just because you think it is overpriced or or others do not want to navigate a parking garge doesn’t make much difference. The demographics are there and since when has anyone not decided to grocery shop because of the architecture of the building? Oh yes, and by the way Lady, I’m a girl.
Hey. Hey J BroMance…… there are only TWO kinds of beer. Hot and Cold! LOL
I will definitely have to hit up this new location to check it out since it’s going to be a lot larger and may have a bigger variety of things than my normal Montrose location. I do potentially see this turning into a bit of a traffic nightmare to access on peak hours and weekends – being on Post Oak and with the close proximity to the Galleria. I generally avoid that area like a plague…
My husband (a former bartender) applied for and recieved a position in the beer and wine department. I can assure you, he has a scraggly beard and hipster moustache, which I have been telling him for months. So by all means, if he ends up riding a tricycle through the store, feel free to tell him as much.