Whole Foods Update: When Will The St. Charles Grocery Store Open?

ST. CHARLES, IL — The Whole Foods in St. Charles is inching closer to opening day.

But, it's still unclear exactly when that will be.

• No Word On Whole Foods Opening Date

Russell Colby, director of community development for the city of St. Charles, said the city has issued a "punch list" of items during a final inspection that must not be completed before a building permit project is considered complete.

"Once the project is complete, the city can issue an occupancy permit to allow the building to be occupied. With an occupancy approval, the store would have the ability to begin stocking the store and bringing in employees," Colby said.

The store is still planned to open in the spring, but a specific opening date has not been announced, he said.

Meanwhile, hiring has gotten underway for a variety of positions at the store. Those interested in working for Whole Foods can apply here.

Fort Union, a regional development commercial specializing in grocery anchors, acquired the property in 2023 and entered into a lease agreement with Whole Foods Market, according to city officials.

As part of upgrades to the site, parking lots around the store were reconstructed for future use by Whole Foods, including the city-owned parking lot located at the southwest corner of Illinois and First Streets. The sidewalks and landscaping around the parking lots were updated to add angled street parking, paver bricks, landscape beds and decorative lighting.

In recent months, work has been done inside the store.

As a part of the project approval, the city approved an incentive agreement to reimburse the developer for the cost of the parking lot and street/sidewalk improvements, according to city officials.

In March 2022, the Blue Goose closed its doors for good. The store first opened in 1928.