By Jason Meisner

Reprinted from the Pioneer Press Newspaper

August 24, 2000

Whole Foods to be community anchor

Whole Foods, slated to open this week, aims to satisfy a particular "hunger" in Deerfield's downtown shopping selection.

After more than nine months of construction, the anchor that in large part secured the success of the Deerfield Square development was expected to open Wednesday. Developers and village officials said they were are excited that the 40,000-square-foot grocery store will play a big role in the community.

After years without a supermarket in downtown, that role will be filled by a store bringing in high-quality food, said Charles Malk, president of CRM Properties, the developer of Deerfield Square. "Whole Foods, has the finest fish and beef of any grocery store I've seen," Malk said. "They also have great bakery and produce and do a great job with their prepared foods."

But beyond just groceries, Malk said he is encouraged by what part the store will play in the community.

"One of the reasons we chose Whole Foods is its involvement in charity," Malk said. "They're a unique chain, in that they're very involved with the community."

Each store in the chain donates at least 5 percent of its annual profits to area charities. The Deerfield store already has planned a "5 Percent Day" for Thursday, Aug. 31, when 5 percent of total sales will be donated to the Rory David Deutsch Foundation, a Chicago-based charity that supports advances in pediatric brain tumor research.

For Deerfield Square, at the corner of Deerfield and Waukegan Roads, the Whole Foods store has attracted other businesses like a magnet, Malk said.

After signing a lease with the chain in 1998, Malk said he was able to attract a host of higher-quality businesses eager to be associated with the reputation of the store. Five restaurants, a Barnes & Noble bookstore, Bank One and two boutiques are among the new businesses in the development.

The chain reaction of sign-ons has fulfilled the vision of having center where residents, can walk around and enjoy the square, instead of the typical strip mall where it's "drive up and drive away," Malk said.

"Most shopping centers anchored by a grocery store have the same thing. You've got a grocery, a pharmacy, an ice cream store and a cleaners, and then you're done," Malk said. "Whole Foods offers a lot more."

People from surrounding communities will make a special trip to the grocery store to do their weekly shopping, which in turn will affect all of the area businesses," said Paula Kucharski, a spokeswoman for the store.

Store managers are still busy filling out the staff of about 120 employees, said Jim Miller, team leader for Whole Foods. The search for employees has focused on areas outside of Deerfield, where many of the store's customers will come from as well, Miller said.

"We are going to be a destination nation store for people," said Jim Miller, the store's team leader. "

We're working to create a shopping experience," Miller said. "Rather than just coming to shop, we want people to stay and have some fun."

The store will host events on a weekly basis aimed at drawing customers through activities. Events already planned include a visit from the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream "Scoop Truck" on Aug. 27 and a yogurt and T-shirt giveaway by the Stony Field Farms "Moo Mobile" in September, Kucharski said.

The Deerfield Whole Foods joins outlets in Palatine and Evanston as the north suburban link in the chain. Whole Foods was founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas. In the past 20 years, it has grown to 112 stores in 22 states, generating $1.6 billion in sales. In addition to the new Deerfield store, there are 26 outlets in development.

Extending southwest from the corner of Waukegan and Deerfield Roads, the 10-building Deerfield Square officially opened late last year when several old tenants were relocated to the development.

By the spring of this year, Il Forno Pizza & Pasta, Bart's Barber Shop, Commons Cleaners, Bank One and Walgreens all were moved into the complex.