Whole New Look: Renovations Underway At Whole Foods Vienna

Whole Foods Vienna hasn't changed much in the 15 years its been in town. 

But this fall, the national corporation is pouring more than $2 million into the space on Maple Avenue to create an updated location with a larger frozen foods section, a pizza station and a "tap room" offering wine and beer by the glass, among other new features.

"We've talked before about how we're growing really well," said Katie Wolffe, the Store Marketing Team Leader. "And our footprint can't get any larger, so there won't ever really be an expansion, but these renovations are going to let us offer a lot more to the Vienna Community."

The renovations began July 25 and are expected to take about 10 weeks, Wolffe said. Crews are completing all of the work at night, after the store is closed, and cleaning up before the store reopens at 8 a.m.

"It's not affecting the shopping experience at all," Wolffe said.

The first major change: The store's "Whole Body" section – of vitamins, lotions, shampoos and other health and beauty products – has been removed from its old home in the middle of the store and relocated to a few temporary stations in produce. In its place, crews have dug up the floor and dropped freezer lines in preparation for a new row of freezer cases. 

The produce, seafood and meat departments – to the left of the store – are remaining largely unchanged, Wolffe said. But the dairy section will soon stretch throughout the back wall of the store. The specialty section – featuring cases of cheese among other goods – will move beside it, shifting the bread and bakery section over as well. (A PDF of the new store map is attached to this article).

The larger space will allow the store to introduce several new products, Wolffe said.

The renovation will also include a much larger hot bar, a new salad bar, more soup offerings and a pizza oven. (Currently, customers who buy pizzas at the store must take them home to cook them).

In place of the current coffee station, the store will be creating a "tap room," where customers can buy wine or beer by the glass. The booths along the windows will be replaced with a long, bar-style seating arrangement with stools, and three "community tables" will be installed in the middle. Pub tables will also be added in the corner.

The store is also adding a number of express checkout lanes.

A grand re-opening party is scheduled for Oct. 1, featuring live entertainment, food and other events.

Customers can follow the renovations as they progress on the Whole Foods Vienna blog.

"We're really excited," Wolffe said.