On April 15, Los Gatos welcomed its latest supermarket, a brand new Whole Foods, a couple blocks north of its previous location on the corner of Los Gatos Boulevard and Los Gatos Almaden Road.
The much larger location is at the site of a former Chevrolet dealership—a casualty of the 2008 recession. It’s situated next to the Tesla sales and service center, which opened last year.
Two blocks down, twice the size
The 15650 Los Gatos Blvd. address was developed by Sand Hill Property Company as part of an eight-figure deal. For 32 years, the previous Whole Foods served as a primary grocer to many local residents. Los Gatos is a suburban town, where couples come to raise their children, in large part due to a reputation for excellent schools. But finding a grocery story that is reliable and familiar—and with high-quality merchandise—is a key ingredient for that lifestyle.
Even though the Whole Foods just moved up the street, the interior tells a totally new tale. Customers will be walking through a 43,000 square foot structure—twice the size of the previous space.
Past and present
Famously, John Mackey (a college dropout) and Renee Lawson (Hardy), 21, borrowed $45,000 to kick-off their journey with a small natural foods store in Austin, Texas, called SaferWay.
The original Whole Foods Market started in 1980 (it was 10,500 square feet).
By 1989, it expanded to the West Coast with a store in Palo Alto. In 1994 Whole Foods staked its claim in Los Gatos.
Then, in August 2017, Amazon purchased the corporation for $13.7 billion.
Since then, Whole Foods has added thousands of brands to their offerings. The new Los Gatos location will feature an assortment of more than 2,000 local items (meaning from California-based suppliers).
Sheila Reno is a manager and co-owner at the Los Gatos Cafe across the street from the latest Whole Foods. Reno has been at the cafe since before Whole Foods even arrived in the Bay Area. She’s quite excited about the local opening.
“It’s very beautiful,” she said. “I’m excited for them. And it’s nice that it’s right across the street. I think it’s good, because it will offer more options, like organic or specialty products.”
And what about Whole Foods’ former home?
The Rite Aid next door closed—and is now in the midst of transforming into a Club Fitness, according to the Los Gatos Town Facebook page. Sure there are rumors about what might take the place of the old Whole Foods. However, there are no official announcements just yet.
In an image from 1967, archived in the Los Gatos Library’s collection, the Cornerstone Shopping Center is visible at the intersection of Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road. This quaint photograph is a reminder that change is inevitable, and oftentimes for the better.
You can stop by the new Whole Foods at 15650 Los Gatos Blvd. during its operating hours from 8am-10pm daily.
