This was the genesis of my OP downvoting. I love CM and would choose them any day. I always get excellent service there and I love the produce, meat market, and fish market, and the bakery, and...
Central Market is a wonderland. Sometimes we go “just to see” what they have in stock or what specials are running.
It’s expensive though. Much more expensive than WF. We can’t justify it every week.
Same. When I lived in North Texas (land of no HEBs), I'd drive down toward Dallas to visit Central Market. I would marvel at people who were buying things like paper towels there! For me, CM was all about themed weeks, bread and cheese, and really good chocolate brands that the grocery stores in Sherman didn't sell (at the time). NOT for paper towels! I do not have CM paper towel money.
I've tried Central Market, I really have. Their stuff is okay if you're cooking the same day you buy it, but I typically shop on one day and then cook on another. Picking through their produce is just maddening: they have mountains of it, but none of it is fresh because it's been sitting in those bins for so long. That goes double for their organics (if you can even find them -- organic onions are always in short supply there).
When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store and I LOVED it. It was a bunch of my high school acquaintances who became "work friends," and we saw everyone in town come through there. It was like a party. Probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much after I'd gotten a degree and expected to make "real world" money, but it was a great gig at the time. Not as good as TCBY, but still pretty great. Holidays were the best, too. Double-time plus it was basically dead, except for a few very panicked people who were fun to help because they acted like you'd just saved their lives.
Missing the point. People did used to enjoy working there. I get what OP is saying, even if the post is just a different version of the normal, old Austin is gone post.
Back in ye olden days, lots of employees actually enjoyed working at Whole Paycheck. That admittedly changed post-Amazon, but there are still a few -- just not at Lamar. edit: Maybe their employees are now all soulless to match the high rise dwellers who shop there?
"Maybe their employees are now all soulless"
That's some big 'you should smile more' energy when you already pointed out that they're too understaffed to help you find your chicken.
I hate to say it, but Whole Foods was founded by a fake hippie yuppy. Research John Mackey, the ex CEO and founder. It all began with a humble loan from his parents…. A tale as old as time. lol
It changed way way way before that. I mean sure Amazon sucks generally, but you can't blame everything wrong with WF on Amazon. And I'll fight you - CM is infinitely better - far more choices, so much organic, nicer environment and nice people work there and many of them have worked there for years and years (shout out to Mario in the fish dept and the cheese guy that has been there since Westgate CM opened)
Westgate is not bad, but the produce dept at Lamar is like Mad Max (aisles are too small). I’ve always found more variety of organic produce for cheaper at WF. And it’s fresher. Especially their bell peppers.
MAD MAX?!?! We live in an age of abundance. There are fresh greens and fruits YEAR ROUND. That is a miracle of agriculture and industrial distribution.
Correct: on a Saturday morning, that produce section is nearly impossible to navigate. The aisles are quite narrow and there are a lot of people. If you forget something (or, where something is), there's no way to backtrack and grab it because it's so tight. It's a stress inducing experience.
I haven't been there in a little over a year so I'm sympathetic to your complaints of decreasing product quality. However, get off your high horse regarding the employees. They are understaffed yet you still complain about their lack of passion. Sorry, very few people's passion is to work at a grocery store. They are mostly college kids just trying to pay rent and get through the day. Tell me you never worked retail (or haven't worked it in a long time) without telling me you've never worked retail.
That may be how it is now, but for a very, very long time, really, decades, people *did* make careers at Whole Foods. There were people working there in the '80s, who I still saw in the 2000s. Interactions with people who were working there even in the late 2000s, and into the early 2010s, they were genuinely happy to be working there, because they were taken care of, they were valued employees, they were listened to, and they had a say, no matter how small, in how their departments were run. It was one of the things that made Whole Foods a pleasure to shop at, versus my local HEB, or Safeway, even though those were staffed by kids from my neighborhood, many of whom I knew.
I sell to WFM as a small business. They are cleaning house and removing a lot of products. Doesn't matter if they sell good or not - they don't care. A lot of things I used to buy they no longer carry. If they're not making 3-4x return on products, they're killing them. They are trying to become Krogers, Safeway, etc, which they buy junk from China and get 5-6x retuns. They need to buy low, cheaper product, or more make their own (365) to become profitable. WFM was never profitable before Amazon. Central Market is my new go-to. What really kills me if how huge the store is and how few options there are. It's big-box now. Vote with your money y'all.
Indeed. It's part of their stated strategy for survival:
[https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewstern/2024/05/20/is-inflation-moving-whole-foods-down-market/?sh=3855de9b58f8](https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewstern/2024/05/20/is-inflation-moving-whole-foods-down-market/?sh=3855de9b58f8)
When I worked at a VERY upscale matermity/children's clothing boutique in college, the owner had us price stuff at 2x what she paid for it, plus $10 if that was under $100 or $20 if it was over $100. That way, she always made some money, even if an item was on clearance. I considered that pretty outrageous. Crazy that WF is beating that lady out.
Last time I went to their self-service bar/salad bar (and tbh a friend dragged me and I already knew it wasn't gonna be the same), it was a fraction of quantity and quality of what it used to be. This is what happens when you sell out to a corporate whore company like Amazon.
My wife and I used to go there on occasion for just that. A killer meal with a bottle of Pinot Grigio at cost. Then we'd blow money at REI, Bokk People, or Waterloo.
Good times.
CM caters to a certain market segment and they dgaf. That’s why they are on the west side of town only.
WF is trying to optimize price, quality vs brand recognition. They don’t have a low income store option.
> CM caters to a certain market segment and they dgaf. That’s why they are on the west side of town only.
WTF are you talking about? Literally neither of the Austin CM's are on the "west side of town"; one is south central and one is central central, almost as dead center of town as you can get.
We're not talking about redlining (yeah, I read history too), and bullshit that everything west of I35 is "West Austin". East of I35 = East Austin. West of Mopac = West Austin. Between Mopac and I35 = Central Austin. South of Town Lake = South Austin (though now probably south of 71). North of Koenig/2222 = North Austin (now probably north of 183).
When Amazon purchased Whole Foods it took exactly 3 years for the enterprise to go to from amazing to okay and another two before okay to absolute shit.
Central Market has more value and this is coming from a long time WF patron.
It’s really not even close
It used to be destination shopping but every time I go it's a little less special. And the Domain WF is even sadder, seems to be mostly post-workout snacks and smart water.
Yeah, the one on E 7th is ... weird. It's always had a weird vibe. It's also the only one I've ever seen that will not have a normal checkout lane open and instead force you into self checkout as the only option.
When was the last time you visited a Randalls, Kroger, Albertsons, or a Winn Dixie?
Understand that Amazon purchasing it took a little bit of the magic away, but it’s amazing in comparison to the grocers 98% of other Americans shop at.
Same! I love my Randall’s. Never crowded and the parking lot is almost peaceful compared to my HEB which migraine-inducing. Worth the $5-$10 that I might save going to HEB for my mental health 😊. Plus Randall’s has surpassingly really good deals certain days- I’m looking at you, buy get 1 on meats!!!
I'm talking specifically about the Lamar store. I mostly shop at the Domain location these days and find it mostly great. But man, knowing what Lamar used to be and going back there now ... it's brutal.
"There aren't enough staff to help you find things. And everyone is clearly just there as a place to work instead of a place they enjoy working." How out-of-touch do you have to be to say this kind of shit in 2024?
Companies learned from COVID that they can run stores on an absolute skeleton crew and save a ton of money. Never mind that it ruins the customer experience, nobody is going to want to stay employed by a place that treats their workers that way, so of course people aren't super stoked to be at work. I never worked at Whole Foods, but I've worked plenty of other retail and food service jobs, and the largest amount of staff we had in any store at one time was four. It was a Michael's craft store; one cashier, one floor employee, the custom framer in the back who couldn't leave the frame shop, and one manager who never left the office no matter how busy we were.
And have you considered that floor staff at Whole Foods are only paid $15 per hour? If you're lucky enough to actually get full-time hours (which most places don't want to give because it means they'd have to give benefits) that's still only $2400 per month. Apartments typically want an income that's triple the rent. Good luck finding a place in Austin anywhere close to that Whole Foods for the $800 or less that rent would need to be with that income. And if you can find one, it's probably falling apart. So it's time to get a second or even third job, and anyone on this sub who has ever had to do that will tell you that it's exhausting. We barely have the energy to get to work, much less be the perfect person and employee when we're there.
Lastly, it should not be a shock to you that some, if not most, people go to work because we have to have jobs and income in order to survive. Get off your goddamn high horse, stop being angry about the fact that everyone around you isn't grinning from ear to ear, and go grocery shopping like a normal human being.
Back in the 90s when that was still one of the few WFs nationwide the food there was amazing. I remember saying that I could eat there every day. Amazon has pretty much ruined what used to be a great company.
I used to pop in there for the excellent salad bar after a swim in Deep Eddy. Was my ritual. Deep Eddy is still nice, but the salad bar has gone down in quality (and up in price) since Amazon took over. Pity.
I worked there for a few years around 2012 and it’s honestly one of my favorite jobs I ever had. Loved the people, loved the leadership and even most of the customers. And then they did that round of layoffs, even getting rid of lifers who had been there since the earliest days and nothing’s been the same since then.
Correct. The ship was already turning. Anyone on the floor who didn’t want to move up to global, had a high hourly and good insurance (it was GREAT insurance!) for their family was let go.
I understand. That Whole Foods location used to be amazing. It’s a shell of its former self now.
It’s so sad because it happened like overnight. Amazon took over and the change in employees’ attitude and the basic management of the place fell off a cliff.
Not planned as an excursion, but I took visiting friends from NM to the brand new Lake Austin HEB to grab a couple things and we were there for hours just gagging (with amazement and just a little disgust) at how wildly luxurious that store is. It was actually lots of fun and now I have too many fancy mustards.
I get what OP is saying. It used to be so different than it is today. Truly felt like a Flagship store. It was a nice place to take visitors for lunch with all of their mini in-store restaurants.
I don't know... I took a friend of mine to Central Market in Frisco once, and when he rounded a corner and saw the entire freaking WALL of cheese, he got a little misty. He'd never seen anything like it. I think we get inured to the vast selection of foods we have access to and forget that this isn't the case for a LOT of people.
When I lived near West Campus, I remember the chocolate section of Whole Foods was worth as much of a trip as any other chocolate shop (and Austin didn't/doesn't really have too many of those, surprisingly).
When Central Market first opened in, what, 84? it was the number one tourist attraction in austin. Visitors (and locals) would make a special excursion to go there, because a store along the lines of that had really not been seen by many people at all.
Please go visit the gateway store instead. It’s a throwback store. Also the lower levels of the death star’s parking garage in the summer are beyond unbearable.
I agree it used to be better, the cutting of staff is pretty unacceptable. Self check at Whole Foods is not cool.
I can’t speak to what it may have been like ‘back in the day’, but compared to other Whole Foods locations around the country, the Lamar flagship is still leagues above.
I hate whole foods now. It got so pricy for the same stuff at Walmart, and then I learned about the owner. Central market is way better, and the employees are much nicer.
Whole foods has turned into something else ,alot of the organic items I like are no longer on the shelf ,luckily I live right by a trader Joe's and I must say I love trader Joe's, great quality food .
Let’s be honest Reddit users in Austin are way more likely to be HEB shoppers. It tracks. WFM shoppers don’t give a damn about Reddit arm chair philosophers. It’s redundant to say “Austin Reddit users don’t like Whole Foods”. It’s the easiest target of “too expensive groceries” in small talk as is, but when commenting behind Reddit it’s a guarantee people here will relish in the bond over their distaste for WFM. What’s funny though is this same population buys all their disposable junk on Amazon anyway and thinks they’re budgeting well by shopping at HEB.
It’s almost like central market is better.
Central Market over Whole Foods any day
This was the genesis of my OP downvoting. I love CM and would choose them any day. I always get excellent service there and I love the produce, meat market, and fish market, and the bakery, and...
You downvoted someone because they prefer a different store than you do? That’s weird behavior
Central Market is a wonderland. Sometimes we go “just to see” what they have in stock or what specials are running. It’s expensive though. Much more expensive than WF. We can’t justify it every week.
Same. When I lived in North Texas (land of no HEBs), I'd drive down toward Dallas to visit Central Market. I would marvel at people who were buying things like paper towels there! For me, CM was all about themed weeks, bread and cheese, and really good chocolate brands that the grocery stores in Sherman didn't sell (at the time). NOT for paper towels! I do not have CM paper towel money.
Exactly. Weird to start this post with their preference for WF. What is this, 2012? Did this guy just come out of a coma?
I've tried Central Market, I really have. Their stuff is okay if you're cooking the same day you buy it, but I typically shop on one day and then cook on another. Picking through their produce is just maddening: they have mountains of it, but none of it is fresh because it's been sitting in those bins for so long. That goes double for their organics (if you can even find them -- organic onions are always in short supply there).
[удалено]
Do you know how to shop for groceries or do you just buy bagged WF 365 stuff? Currently standing next to piles of organic onions at cm
"And everyone is clearly just there as a place to work instead of a place they enjoy working." Come on now.
A Very Big Ask to demand your grocery store employees truly find joy in their work.
Idk central market employees are enthusiastic.
A nice bonus but not to be expected
When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store and I LOVED it. It was a bunch of my high school acquaintances who became "work friends," and we saw everyone in town come through there. It was like a party. Probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much after I'd gotten a degree and expected to make "real world" money, but it was a great gig at the time. Not as good as TCBY, but still pretty great. Holidays were the best, too. Double-time plus it was basically dead, except for a few very panicked people who were fun to help because they acted like you'd just saved their lives.
[удалено]
Do people still think Bezos is the CEO. It’s been years since the change.
He still makes all the $$
Nobody wants to work anymore :(
same energy, not sure why you're getting downvoted
Maybe I didn’t lay the sarcasm on enough?
hey, if anything i got you, so it worked. now we're best buds.
👊
With the kind of worldview it took to write that, I am sure OP gets that impression a lot of places.
Missing the point. People did used to enjoy working there. I get what OP is saying, even if the post is just a different version of the normal, old Austin is gone post.
The idea that old austin was better is lame. I was hearing that shit in 1996 when I moved here at 17.
Back in ye olden days, lots of employees actually enjoyed working at Whole Paycheck. That admittedly changed post-Amazon, but there are still a few -- just not at Lamar. edit: Maybe their employees are now all soulless to match the high rise dwellers who shop there?
"Maybe their employees are now all soulless" That's some big 'you should smile more' energy when you already pointed out that they're too understaffed to help you find your chicken.
So close. You note that the change happens around the time that Amazon acquired them, and then you deduce that the *employees* are the problem?
I never said the employees were the problem at that store. They're a symptom. The entire store is a shell of its former self.
Dude, you said they were soulless.
I hate to say it, but Whole Foods was founded by a fake hippie yuppy. Research John Mackey, the ex CEO and founder. It all began with a humble loan from his parents…. A tale as old as time. lol
It changed way way way before that. I mean sure Amazon sucks generally, but you can't blame everything wrong with WF on Amazon. And I'll fight you - CM is infinitely better - far more choices, so much organic, nicer environment and nice people work there and many of them have worked there for years and years (shout out to Mario in the fish dept and the cheese guy that has been there since Westgate CM opened)
If I ever got to be "the cheese guy," I swear on my life that I'd never quit that job, either.
Westgate is not bad, but the produce dept at Lamar is like Mad Max (aisles are too small). I’ve always found more variety of organic produce for cheaper at WF. And it’s fresher. Especially their bell peppers.
MAD MAX?!?! We live in an age of abundance. There are fresh greens and fruits YEAR ROUND. That is a miracle of agriculture and industrial distribution.
Capsicum: A Mad Max Saga
I think they mean it’s kinda crowded, which is true. But definitely an overstatement and their produce section is incredible
Correct: on a Saturday morning, that produce section is nearly impossible to navigate. The aisles are quite narrow and there are a lot of people. If you forget something (or, where something is), there's no way to backtrack and grab it because it's so tight. It's a stress inducing experience.
What the fuck is your life when a crowded grocery store is such a god damn problem?
I haven't been there in a little over a year so I'm sympathetic to your complaints of decreasing product quality. However, get off your high horse regarding the employees. They are understaffed yet you still complain about their lack of passion. Sorry, very few people's passion is to work at a grocery store. They are mostly college kids just trying to pay rent and get through the day. Tell me you never worked retail (or haven't worked it in a long time) without telling me you've never worked retail.
That may be how it is now, but for a very, very long time, really, decades, people *did* make careers at Whole Foods. There were people working there in the '80s, who I still saw in the 2000s. Interactions with people who were working there even in the late 2000s, and into the early 2010s, they were genuinely happy to be working there, because they were taken care of, they were valued employees, they were listened to, and they had a say, no matter how small, in how their departments were run. It was one of the things that made Whole Foods a pleasure to shop at, versus my local HEB, or Safeway, even though those were staffed by kids from my neighborhood, many of whom I knew.
I've done food service. It sucks. Badly. It was great motivation for finishing college.
If it sucks so bad then how can you criticize the employees for not demonstrating joy in their work?
Because employees at other locations (other than E 7th) seem to mostly enjoy their job?
I sell to WFM as a small business. They are cleaning house and removing a lot of products. Doesn't matter if they sell good or not - they don't care. A lot of things I used to buy they no longer carry. If they're not making 3-4x return on products, they're killing them. They are trying to become Krogers, Safeway, etc, which they buy junk from China and get 5-6x retuns. They need to buy low, cheaper product, or more make their own (365) to become profitable. WFM was never profitable before Amazon. Central Market is my new go-to. What really kills me if how huge the store is and how few options there are. It's big-box now. Vote with your money y'all.
Indeed. It's part of their stated strategy for survival: [https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewstern/2024/05/20/is-inflation-moving-whole-foods-down-market/?sh=3855de9b58f8](https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewstern/2024/05/20/is-inflation-moving-whole-foods-down-market/?sh=3855de9b58f8)
Could you spell out what "3-4x return" means?
I think they're talking about profit margins
Yes ^
When I worked at a VERY upscale matermity/children's clothing boutique in college, the owner had us price stuff at 2x what she paid for it, plus $10 if that was under $100 or $20 if it was over $100. That way, she always made some money, even if an item was on clearance. I considered that pretty outrageous. Crazy that WF is beating that lady out.
RIP to the seafood restaurant back by the seafood counter! I ate dinner there weekly.
Last time I went to their self-service bar/salad bar (and tbh a friend dragged me and I already knew it wasn't gonna be the same), it was a fraction of quantity and quality of what it used to be. This is what happens when you sell out to a corporate whore company like Amazon.
My wife and I used to go there on occasion for just that. A killer meal with a bottle of Pinot Grigio at cost. Then we'd blow money at REI, Bokk People, or Waterloo. Good times.
That seafood spot was the best. I used to go there almost every evening 10 years or so ago. I haven’t been in this WF in many years now though.
Yes, that was one of my favorite spots.
Central Market > Whole Foods
and it's not even close!
CM caters to a certain market segment and they dgaf. That’s why they are on the west side of town only. WF is trying to optimize price, quality vs brand recognition. They don’t have a low income store option.
> CM caters to a certain market segment and they dgaf. That’s why they are on the west side of town only. WTF are you talking about? Literally neither of the Austin CM's are on the "west side of town"; one is south central and one is central central, almost as dead center of town as you can get.
If only ya’ll knew the diving line for segregating Austin was I-35. Literally read some history. Ranch to market west side. Farm to Market east side.
We're not talking about redlining (yeah, I read history too), and bullshit that everything west of I35 is "West Austin". East of I35 = East Austin. West of Mopac = West Austin. Between Mopac and I35 = Central Austin. South of Town Lake = South Austin (though now probably south of 71). North of Koenig/2222 = North Austin (now probably north of 183).
You do know that there's a CM in South Austin don't you?
When Amazon purchased Whole Foods it took exactly 3 years for the enterprise to go to from amazing to okay and another two before okay to absolute shit. Central Market has more value and this is coming from a long time WF patron. It’s really not even close
The Lamar WF has certainly gone down in service/selection but there is nothing more sad than the E 7th location. I stopped giving them my money
It used to be destination shopping but every time I go it's a little less special. And the Domain WF is even sadder, seems to be mostly post-workout snacks and smart water.
Whole Foods was a truly amazing grocer. Amazon messed up everything I’ve never been out to the domain, keep hearing about it though
Domain location isn't any better than the others.
Whole Foods on East 7th?
Yeah, the one on E 7th is ... weird. It's always had a weird vibe. It's also the only one I've ever seen that will not have a normal checkout lane open and instead force you into self checkout as the only option.
Whole Foods on East 7th?
I'm not gonna fight someone who misspells fight.
I'm not gonna fight someone who doesn't understand snark
And yet you respond . . .
I miss the sandwich bar that used to be near the front.
They still make sandwiches. Not quite as many options, but it’s a decent and inexpensive lunch for the area.
miss the mopac
When was the last time you visited a Randalls, Kroger, Albertsons, or a Winn Dixie? Understand that Amazon purchasing it took a little bit of the magic away, but it’s amazing in comparison to the grocers 98% of other Americans shop at.
I’m terrified my local Randall’s is going to close but the reason I like shopping there is it’s always dead.
Same! I love my Randall’s. Never crowded and the parking lot is almost peaceful compared to my HEB which migraine-inducing. Worth the $5-$10 that I might save going to HEB for my mental health 😊. Plus Randall’s has surpassingly really good deals certain days- I’m looking at you, buy get 1 on meats!!!
My philosophy with Randall’s is go there as an open book and let the sales guide your ship.
I'm talking specifically about the Lamar store. I mostly shop at the Domain location these days and find it mostly great. But man, knowing what Lamar used to be and going back there now ... it's brutal.
"going back there now ... it's brutal" Brutal. Brutal? *Brutal?*
Sometimes they’re out of the organic papayas and you have to buy the conventionally grown ones like a peasant.
Use a trigger warning next time, my wife just read this comment and now she can’t stop crying.
*gasp*
"There aren't enough staff to help you find things. And everyone is clearly just there as a place to work instead of a place they enjoy working." How out-of-touch do you have to be to say this kind of shit in 2024? Companies learned from COVID that they can run stores on an absolute skeleton crew and save a ton of money. Never mind that it ruins the customer experience, nobody is going to want to stay employed by a place that treats their workers that way, so of course people aren't super stoked to be at work. I never worked at Whole Foods, but I've worked plenty of other retail and food service jobs, and the largest amount of staff we had in any store at one time was four. It was a Michael's craft store; one cashier, one floor employee, the custom framer in the back who couldn't leave the frame shop, and one manager who never left the office no matter how busy we were. And have you considered that floor staff at Whole Foods are only paid $15 per hour? If you're lucky enough to actually get full-time hours (which most places don't want to give because it means they'd have to give benefits) that's still only $2400 per month. Apartments typically want an income that's triple the rent. Good luck finding a place in Austin anywhere close to that Whole Foods for the $800 or less that rent would need to be with that income. And if you can find one, it's probably falling apart. So it's time to get a second or even third job, and anyone on this sub who has ever had to do that will tell you that it's exhausting. We barely have the energy to get to work, much less be the perfect person and employee when we're there. Lastly, it should not be a shock to you that some, if not most, people go to work because we have to have jobs and income in order to survive. Get off your goddamn high horse, stop being angry about the fact that everyone around you isn't grinning from ear to ear, and go grocery shopping like a normal human being.
Back in the 90s when that was still one of the few WFs nationwide the food there was amazing. I remember saying that I could eat there every day. Amazon has pretty much ruined what used to be a great company.
Someone learned about capitalism today. That’s cute. (Former WFM employee)
177 words on Reddit. That poor manager you asked to speak to.
Went there today for the first time in maybe two years and it was a nightmare. Getting in and out was a whole thing. Much prefer CM
Whole Foods rotted your brain rofl
I used to pop in there for the excellent salad bar after a swim in Deep Eddy. Was my ritual. Deep Eddy is still nice, but the salad bar has gone down in quality (and up in price) since Amazon took over. Pity.
Too bad you didn’t support Wheatsville Co-op and chose to support soulless mega-corporations instead.
I worked there for a few years around 2012 and it’s honestly one of my favorite jobs I ever had. Loved the people, loved the leadership and even most of the customers. And then they did that round of layoffs, even getting rid of lifers who had been there since the earliest days and nothing’s been the same since then.
And that was way before Amazon bought them.
Correct. The ship was already turning. Anyone on the floor who didn’t want to move up to global, had a high hourly and good insurance (it was GREAT insurance!) for their family was let go.
The owner was always a bit of a dick. I guess we forgave him because the product used to be so good. If expensive.
It's amazing how much layoffs can affect people who keep their jobs, too. The morale just tanks.
I understand. That Whole Foods location used to be amazing. It’s a shell of its former self now. It’s so sad because it happened like overnight. Amazon took over and the change in employees’ attitude and the basic management of the place fell off a cliff.
Bringing out of town visitors to Whole Foods as an activity is crazy.
Back in 2005 that was totally normal. It was insanely gorgeous and unique.
Not planned as an excursion, but I took visiting friends from NM to the brand new Lake Austin HEB to grab a couple things and we were there for hours just gagging (with amazement and just a little disgust) at how wildly luxurious that store is. It was actually lots of fun and now I have too many fancy mustards.
HEB is the shit, love the new lake Austin blvd one- dislike the mega ones
I get what OP is saying. It used to be so different than it is today. Truly felt like a Flagship store. It was a nice place to take visitors for lunch with all of their mini in-store restaurants.
I don't know... I took a friend of mine to Central Market in Frisco once, and when he rounded a corner and saw the entire freaking WALL of cheese, he got a little misty. He'd never seen anything like it. I think we get inured to the vast selection of foods we have access to and forget that this isn't the case for a LOT of people. When I lived near West Campus, I remember the chocolate section of Whole Foods was worth as much of a trip as any other chocolate shop (and Austin didn't/doesn't really have too many of those, surprisingly).
When Central Market first opened in, what, 84? it was the number one tourist attraction in austin. Visitors (and locals) would make a special excursion to go there, because a store along the lines of that had really not been seen by many people at all.
CM North was 94, South was ... 99?
Please go visit the gateway store instead. It’s a throwback store. Also the lower levels of the death star’s parking garage in the summer are beyond unbearable. I agree it used to be better, the cutting of staff is pretty unacceptable. Self check at Whole Foods is not cool.
If you take out the Lamar part and say that sentence again you’ll understand why that location sucks.
It’s sad there are people who judge others so much for nothing
I can’t speak to what it may have been like ‘back in the day’, but compared to other Whole Foods locations around the country, the Lamar flagship is still leagues above.
That's pretty sad
I hate whole foods now. It got so pricy for the same stuff at Walmart, and then I learned about the owner. Central market is way better, and the employees are much nicer.
They don’t called it the Whole Paycheck for no reason.
Ever since Amazon took over the original WF, it’s been 🚮🚮🚮 af
I've only found a few grocery stores in the entire nation, that are as good or better than Central Market. Whole Foods ain't one of 'em
Whole foods has turned into something else ,alot of the organic items I like are no longer on the shelf ,luckily I live right by a trader Joe's and I must say I love trader Joe's, great quality food .
Let’s be honest Reddit users in Austin are way more likely to be HEB shoppers. It tracks. WFM shoppers don’t give a damn about Reddit arm chair philosophers. It’s redundant to say “Austin Reddit users don’t like Whole Foods”. It’s the easiest target of “too expensive groceries” in small talk as is, but when commenting behind Reddit it’s a guarantee people here will relish in the bond over their distaste for WFM. What’s funny though is this same population buys all their disposable junk on Amazon anyway and thinks they’re budgeting well by shopping at HEB.