Alternative; Whole Foods Market moving into vacant Mishawaka store

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Healthy choices are what shoppers will get when Whole Foods Market moves into the ex-Borders bookstore building on Grape Road.

The company announced the new location on Wednesday afternoon, sparking immediate community buzz on social media sites.

There seemed to be many different reasons people were excited to see the vacant building filled; not least of which, the creation of nearly 100 jobs.

According to Whole Foods Market Midwest Regional President Michael Bashaw, most of the jobs will be full time positions with benefits.

Hearing that made Gloria Gray an instant fan of the grocer. “Business is business, and if we can get jobs created for some people that are out of jobs; I guess that’s better than no business at all,” said Gray.

According to Bashaw none of the food in the store will have artificial preservatives, color, or additives.

Kara Caviness was excited when she heard the market was moving into Mishawaka, because she has been searching for healthy alternatives for her family.

While that may make some of their products a little more expensive than a less healthy option, Caviness plans to shop there anyway. “Anybody who is into buying healthy nutritious food for their family understands that it might be a little bit more and there are other ways to cut costs to make sure you are getting that quality,” said Caviness.

But non-commercial customers are not the only ones chomping at the bit to see those doors open.

George Pesek and his wife Tammy own and operate Corndance Tavern, a restaurant on Grape Road, about a block from where the grocer will be located.

Both George and Tammy are thrilled to hear about the new option they have and the opportunities it will provide them.

Corndance Tavern is billed as a local fresh food eatery inspired by the seasons. That means seasonal vegetables will help extenuate the already fresh menu. “There is just about anything that a chef could dream of [in there], so we’re just absolutely excited about them coming in,” said Pesek.

Still, healthy food is not the only thing Whole Foods Markey will offer shoppers, “Whole Foods has what we call our Health Starts Here program; where we’re seeking to educate our customers about healthy eating,” said Bashaw.

The market may be ready to open in the fall of 1012, but that is very optimistic according to Bashaw.

A more likely opening could come the following spring as long as construction inside is not hampered by delays, according to Bashaw.

Each Whole Foods Market is uniquely designed for every location, said Bashaw. The store on Grape Road will be roughly 24,000 square feet.

There is not another Whole Foods Market within 100 miles of the impending Mishawaka location.

Mishawaka was chosen after careful research indicated the Mishawaka location would be a good fit for the organization, said Bashaw.