Hollis duPont ’21
Kathleen Mark ’21
Maiah Islam ’21
Photo courtesy of Peg Degrassa
The new Whole Foods opened in Newtown Square on January 19th this year, and has been constantly buzzing with new customers, many of them from EA. Whole Foods purchased the lease in 2015 but a series of setbacks delayed the opening for nearly four years. Located only two miles from EA at the Ellis Preserve Shopping Center, Whole Foods has made itself a hub for students. Riley Hurda ‘21 states, “You can’t go there without seeing someone you know.” A Whole Foods employee even commented that she’s seen
“lots of EA students here after school.”
Whole Foods is known to be one of the healthier supermarkets in the area. This is appreciated by students such as Camilla Stapleton ‘19 who said “it is really nice to have a healthy option close by.” Whole Foods offers a wide variety of natural and organic foods and caters to many dietary restrictions and the company sources ingredients from sustainable farms. Alex Jimenez, Upper School English teacher, talked about some of the specific things he buys there, “I buy produce and meat products at Whole Foods because they generally have high quality options. Additionally, I usually go to Whole Foods to buy obscure ingredients whenever I opt to make a European or Latin American dish.” Jimenez also added that the new Whole Foods feels much less crowded because it is so large saying, “I do like Whole Foods because the lines tend to be shorter, and the aisles feel more open and vacant. It generally feels empty, which I like.” Caroline Mark ‘22 agreed saying, “It’s the biggest Whole Foods I’ve ever been to.”
Not only does the new Whole Foods provide healthy groceries, but many students say it is also a great place to grab a snack or dinner. Ally Wilchusky commented, “Whole Foods has a variety of great snacks from sushi to Alfredo pasta. It’s a great place to grab dinner with friends because it’s so convenient to go there.” Students enjoy the pre-prepared meals that Whole Foods offers. Sona Bardakjian ‘21 says she enjoys that unlike traditional grocery stores, Whole Foods has “the flexibility to buy pre-prepared food or food that still needs to be prepared,” making it not only a grocery store, but also a great place to sit down with friends and enjoy a meal. Whole Foods even caters to student’s tastes by introducing an acai bar where customers can create their own bowls. Popular among students, an acai bowl is a thick smoothie topped with raisins, oatmeal, or fruit. Morgan Bramwell ‘21, confirms this, saying, “I love the acai bar. It’s fantastic!”
One complaint that is not exclusive to the EA community is Whole Foods’ exuberant prices, giving it the nickname “Whole Paycheck.” Wilchusky says, “The prices are crazy. Everything seems to cost twenty dollars!” The high prices may deter some students from buying food there, especially since there are many cheaper options located within the Ellis Preserve Shopping Center. Daniel Hu ‘20 says, “I’d rather go to Wawa, Chipotle, or Mod Pizza to eat because it is much cheaper.” Jimenez added “Whole Paycheck is a bougie luxury that I can do without every so often.”