Opening Alert

Whole Foods' new low-price store finally opens in Austin area — with local surprises

Cedar Park gets the first 365 by Whole Foods Market in Texas.

Photo courtesy of 365 by Whole Foods Market

The first Austin-area 365 by Whole Foods Market, a new lower-price concept designed to appeal to younger shoppers, debuts Wednesday, April 26. The new Cedar Park store is stuffed with local touches, including outposts of Austin favorites Easy Tiger and JuiceLand.

This marks the second Easy Tiger outpost. It will offer the same sausages, sandwiches, pretzels, craft beer, and fresh coffee as the original downtown location; signature breads and pastries will be available for purchase in-store.

"Our exciting partnership with 365 by Whole Foods will give us a chance to feature not only Easy Tiger's food and hospitality to a new audience, but also to showcase many local farms, purveyors, and products that are not typically represented on such a huge stage," says chef Drew Curren of Elm Restaurant Group, in a release.

JuiceLand will serve its signature lineup of juices, smoothies, and snacks. The opening is part of JuiceLand's rapid expansion in the northern suburbs of Austin that also includes a new spot in Georgetown.

The 30,000-square-foot 365 store, located on the U.S. Highway 183A toll road near New Hope Drive, offers a wide selection of 365 brand goods, grab-and-go meals, bulk foods, and body care products. This is the fourth location in the U.S. Stores opened last year in Bellevue, Washington; Lake Oswego, Oregon; and the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

"Whether you're looking for a quick in-and-out shop for a few items, stocking up on groceries for the week, grabbing a smoothie from JuiceLand, or meeting for a drink at Easy Tiger, you'll find a blend of innovation and convenience in our store,” says Jeff Turnas, president of 365 by Whole Foods Market.

365 by Whole Foods Market hosts a grand opening celebration on Wednesday, April 26, with live music from Shinyribs. Five percent of proceeds from the day will benefit The Thinkery.

openings

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.