Closing: The tiny Whole Foods Market in Brookkine...block will seem abandoned.

[Urban Peasant]

Perhaps someone can open an independent cooperative in that space on Beacon Street. For your information for those who like smaller footprint grocery stores, the tiny Whole Foods in JP that used to be HI-Lo is still there. The Stop and Shop on Broadway in Southie still exists too. Personally, I did not think Amazon acquiring Whole Foods was beneficial to the chain. Now a mega-billionaire gets to pull the puppet strings and decide what to open and what to close, regardless of whether patrons need a store out of convenience for necessities. It really is all about the profit now.

[bostonguy1960]

At least the Ink Block Whole Foods Market opened a few years ago, much bigger and has wine; otherwise I'd be especially disappointed about this spot closing.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

Perhaps someone can open an independent cooperative in that space on Beacon Street. For your information for those who like smaller footprint grocery stores, the tiny Whole Foods in JP that used to be HI-Lo is still there. The Stop and Shop on Broadway in Southie still exists too. Personally, I did not think Amazon acquiring Whole Foods was beneficial to the chain. Now a mega-billionaire gets to pull the puppet strings and decide what to open and what to close, regardless of whether patrons need a store out of convenience for necessities. It really is all about the profit now.

The "smaller footprint" is the issue. Most smaller independent chains are having a rough time now competing with the bigger chains that buy in volume and therefore keep prices (relatively) low.

You can argue that WF definitely has a bigger footprint and therefore one small store shouldn't make an impact but multiply that small store with others in the chain like it and financially it doesn't make sense for WF to keep them open.

[id77]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

(Not Brookkine...Brookline! How do I edit a title? I think I used to be able to do that.)

...

Sad, and surprised, to see in the Boston Globe today that WFM on Beacon Street near Audubon Circle is closing next week. They're also closing five or six others around the country.

Yes, at the time of its opening, it was the smallest in the country (world?). But I enjoyed having it there whenever I was in the area.

It had a bakery and a pizza bar, but no deli unlike other WFMs; a few fresh cut deli products were wrapped and bagged elsewhere then sent to this location. I liked the presence of its sidewalk patio. Now that block, without the store and patio, will have even less life and vitality.

Unlike other WFMs, it never reopened its small salad bar and hot foods bar after closing them in the early pandemic. One staff member told me months ago they were too short-staffed to bring those back.

And isn't Cafe Japonaise bakery still closed (temporary for renovation (?) on the sign posted long ago? ). And empty spaces at Matt O'Leary's bar and Dunkin' are are still there? All on the same side of that block. It'll seem depressing around there.

Hopefully not another bank or phone store to occupy the spot. Or unfortunately, it may be vacant for years?

It was a bit of a tough location for WF. The few times I would go to that particular location, I just never saw the same foot traffic I would as I would at the stores on Washington, Symphony, or Ink Block. It may have something to do with the fact those other three locations have better parking options.

[explore1950]

Too bad about that Whole Foods closing. I loved it's smallish size. I wish another city-style supermarket would come in.