Whole Foods Plants a Bodega-Like Shop in Chelsea

Whole Foods Market has opened a bodega-like convenience store in Chelsea with an açaí bowl station and kombucha on tap.

Dubbed Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, it’s a quicker alternative to the grocery store at 250 Seventh Ave.; the to-go shop is located next door on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 25th Street. The name of the game here is convenience, with self-checkout kiosks added to get people in and out faster than the full-service grocery store next door.

The shop places focus on local products, specifically from Gotham Greens, breads from Balthazar, and doughnuts from Dunwell and Dough. Other grab-and-go fare — bagels, pastries, and some hot foods like paninis or salmon — are also sold. A separate bar run by Allegro Coffee Co. pours coffee, fresh juice, and kombucha, and an açaí station lets shoppers build their own bowls with toppings like fruit, granola, and nuts. There is some bar seating is available for people wanting to eat in the store.

A portion of the store is dedicated to common grocery items, including pet food and limited produce like mangos and avocados. Shoppers can also swing by for toothbrushes, shampoos, and travel-sized products — the kind of last-minute items available at a convenience store.

Whole Foods [Official Photo]

Whole Foods has been toying with different store concepts in New York City, opening a food hall-like branch in Bryant Park and another in Williamsburg. But it’s also shutting some of its previous concepts down: The upscale grocer owned by Amazon says it will close its cost-friendly 365 by Whole Foods Market stores and convert them to regular Whole Foods stores by the end of the year. And now, Amazon says it plans to open its own grocery stores — unaffiliated with the Whole Foods brand.

Chelsea’s convenient store-like shop is a new concept for Whole Foods, too. It’ll be open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.