Whole Foods Sets Opening Date For Beverly Store

BEVERLY, MA — Whole Foods, which had been mum on when it would open its new store in Beverly, ended the suspense Tuesday. The upscale grocer said it would hold the grand opening for the new 34,500 square-foot store on Oct. 18. The store is the anchor tenant at the new North Shore Crossing plaza in Beverly.

The opening celebration will begin at 8, and Whole Foods is offering free coffee, pastries and music before the store opens. The first 200 customers will receive a Whole Foods Market Beverly reusable canvas tote bag and a savings card with mystery values ranging from $5 and $100.

"We’re excited to join the Beverly community with the opening of this new Whole Foods Market," Jason Lishin, Store Team Leader, said in a statement. "We look forward to providing our neighbors with access to high quality prepared foods, grocery and body care products, including hundreds of items sourced from local producers."

The North Shore Crossing project broke ground in 2015 after a lengthy approval process. Residents had filed an appeal of the planning board's March 2015 decision to grant a special permit for the project. That appeal was eventually dropped.

In addition to Whole Foods and a liquor store, the developer has booked Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, Especially for Pets, North Shore Bank and Verizon for the plaza.