Whole Foods To Offer Free North End Shuttle

Though it's a Charlestown grocery store that will be closing next week—undergoing a year of renovations to become a Whole Foods—North End residents also will benefit from the new shuttle service Whole Foods Market is providing to tide shoppers over during the closure.

The Johnnie’s Foodmaster near Thompson Square is scheduled to close on Nov. 19, one of six locations in the Boston area that Whole Foods purchased in October.

On Friday, Whole Foods sent out a press release announcing a new complimentary shuttle service for residents in the Charlestown and North End communities, set to begin the day before Thanksgiving.

“The complimentary shuttle will take shoppers to the closest open Whole Foods Market location, in Beacon Hill, while its Charlestown store is undergoing renovations,” the press release stated. “Whole Foods Market has arranged this free shuttle service from Bunker Hill Mall and three North End locations, to the Charles River Plaza store, twice weekly.”

The Whole Foods shuttle will begin running on Wednesday, Nov. 21 and again on Saturday, Nov. 24. After that, a regular schedule will start up, with three trips offered on Thursdays and two on Saturdays.

Each trip will run 90 minutes, including about half an hour of roundtrip travel time and an hour for shopping, according to the press release.

The Thompson Square store is set to reopen sometime in 2013.

Below is a the complete schedule for Wednesday, Nov. 21 and Thursdays and Saturdays thereafter:

Whole Foods Complimentary Shuttle Schedule

Wednesday (Nov. 21) 
Thursday/Weekday

Depart

Arrive

Return

Bunker Hill Mall

9a

9:15a

10:30a

Casa Maria - Endicott St

9:35a

10:10a

11:45a

Paul Revere Mall - Hanover St

9:45a

10:10a

11:45a

Christopher Columbus Plaza - Commercial St

9:55a

10:10a

11:45a

Depart

Arrive

Return

Bunker Hill Mall

1p

1:15p

2:30p

Casa Maria - Endicott St

1:35p

2:10p

3:45P

Paul Revere Mall - Hanover St

1:45p

2:10p

3:45P

Christopher Columbus Plaza - Commercial St

1:55p

2:10p

3:45P

Depart

Arrive

Return

Casa Maria - Endicott St

6:30p

7:10p

8:30p

Paul Revere Mall - Hanover St

6:40p

7:10p

8:30p

Christopher Columbus Plaza - Commercial St

6:50p

7:10p

8:30p

Bunker Hill Mall

7:30p

7:45p

9p

Saturday

Depart

Arrive

Return

Bunker Hill Mall

9a

9:15a

10:30a

Casa Maria - Endicott St

9:35a

10:10a

11:45a

Paul Revere Mall - Hanover St

9:45a

10:10a

11:45a

Christopher Columbus Plaza - Commercial St

9:55a

10:10a

11:45a

Depart

Arrive

Return

Bunker Hill Mall

11a

11:15a

12:15p

Casa Maria - Endicott St

12p

12:35p

1:45p

Paul Revere Mall - Hanover St

12:10p

12:35p

1:45p

Christopher Columbus Plaza - Commercial St

12:20p

12:35p

1:45p