Opening Date Revealed For New Whole Foods Market In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — After months of planning and speculation, an opening date for the new Whole Foods Market in Stamford has been announced.

According to the company, the 44,648-square-foot store at 110 High Ridge Road will open its doors on Dec. 12 at 9 a.m. Regular store hours will be 8: a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The Stamford store will represent Connecticut's 12th location. There are currently stores in Avon, Danbury, Darien, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Milford, South Windsor, Westport and West Hartford (two stores).

"After nearly 20 years with Whole Foods Market, I am thrilled to help open our very first location in Stamford. We’ve hired an amazing group of team members – most of whom are from Stamford and surrounding areas – and are excited to serve the community with this beautiful new store," said store team leader, Alfredo Osorno, in an emailed statement to Patch.

"We would love to see you on opening morning – we’ll have coffee and muffins, and we’ll be handing out limited-edition tote bags and coupons with offers up to $100 off to the first 300 customers in line! We hope to see you there!"

In an announcement, Whole Foods said the renovated space, which was previously occupied by Lord & Taylor, will allow shoppers to explore curated areas that give each department its own boutique feel with a blend of natural textures and tones. The grocery store will share the building with Saks Off 5th, which opened in October 2022.

There will be more than 1,000 local products from 250-plus Northeast-based suppliers at the Stamford store.

Store highlights will include:

• A vibrant produce section with certified organic, conventional and Sourced for Good produce.
• A specialty department dedicated to celebrating cheesemakers and artisan producers.
• A Curated grocery section filled with private label favorites from 365 by Whole Foods Market and local products.
• A full-service seafood counter with only sustainable wild-caught or responsibly farmed seafood with a large selection of ready-to-cook seafood.
• A full-service meat counter, with butchers available to cut steaks and poultry to order.
• An extensive selection of over 220 craft beers, including products from 30 local breweries including several from CT.
• A prepared foods department with a hot bar, salad bar, pizza, made-to-order sandwiches, sushi and more.
• A bakery department with freshly baked bread and everyday favorites.
• A whole body department with an assortment of wellness, beauty and lifestyle items.

Amazon Prime members at the Stamford store will have access to several benefits year-round, such as discounts on select and popular products each week and an additional 10 percent off hundreds of in-store sale items. For more information, click here.

"All food at Whole Foods Market must meet the company’s rigorous Quality Standards, which prohibit hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup and more than 300 flavors, colors, sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food," Whole Foods said in an announcement. "In addition, all beauty and body care products must meet the company’s body care standards, which ban more than 240 commonly used ingredients, including phthalates, parabens and microbeads."

Stamford residents have been patiently waiting for the store open. News of a new store first came in April 2022 when Whole Foods said a Stamford store was in "development." A few months later, the location was revealed as 110 High Ridge Road.

"We are thrilled to welcome Whole Foods to Stamford," Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons told Patch via an emailed statement through her office. "This new location will not only provide new options for grocery shopping but its location adjacent to Saks Off Fifth will strengthen the retail in the Bulls Head area, making it an even more attractive destination."

Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin, Texas in 1980, and eventually became the first certified organic national grocer.

Over the years, the company has grown in popularity as a destination for organic, natural foods with expansive seafood, meat, bakery and prepared food departments. There are now more than 500 retail and non-retail locations in the U.S., Canada and the UK.

According to Whole Foods' website, the company has certain preferences for retail locations, such as:

• 200,000 people or more in a 20-minute drive time
• 25,000-50,000 square feet
• Large number of college-educated residents
• Abundant parking available for exclusive use
• Stand alone preferred, would consider complementary
• Easy access from roadways, lighted intersection
• Excellent visibility, directly off of the street
• Must be located in a high traffic area (foot and/or vehicle)

"The opening of Whole Foods has been widely anticipated and will be met with much excitement from residents. This location supports our vision for a thriving, accessible city center and will bring more foot traffic to benefit surrounding businesses," said Stamford Director of Economic Development Leah Kagan in a statement to Patch.

Whole Foods also announced that New Covenant Center in Stamford will receive a refrigerated van and food donation as part of the company's Nourishing Our Neighborhoods Program.

Launched in 2020, the initiative aims to enhance the operational capabilities of local food rescue organizations.

More info on the local products that will be offered at the Stamford store can be found here.