Seattle/Bellevue: 365 By Whole Foods Opens This Wednesday!

Seattle & Bellevue, get ready! 365 by Whole Foods opens tomorrow morning at 9:00a.m.

This is the third store in the new 365 concept, and in a nutshell, it's all the quality standards that Whole Foods is known for without the bells, whistles, and frills of a normal Whole Foods store.

"Whether you're planning a quick stop on the way home from work for a grab-and-go dinner, stocking up on groceries for the week or fueling up with a burrito after shopping, you'll find a blend of innovation and convenience here that's unmatched." - Jeff Turnas, president of 365 by Whole Foods Market.

I had the opportunity to tour the store yesterday morning, and it's clear the store was designed with the on-the-go, cost-conscious customer in mind. Almost everything you can find at 365 are things you can also buy at Whole Foods, but are merchandised in ways that help cut costs.

For example, rather than buying apples at, say, $2.99/lb, each apple has a set price. Same goes for the containers at the salad & hot bars - so you don't have to hold your breath at the cash register and pray you don't accidentally spend $20 on a salad!

While Whole Foods has butchers, fishmongers and cheesemongers onsite, 365 by Whole Foods Market works with distributors that uphold the same quality standards to provide packaged goods for meats, pasta, seafood and frozen goods.

Something I thought was super cool is the My 365 Rewards program. It's a digital loyalty program, where you can get customized product recommendations, coupons, digital punch cards and 10% off on various products in the store (you'll find them marked as "Gimme 10 Deals" at aisle endcaps and elsewhere.) Just sign up online, then use your digital membership card or phone number at checkout to get your benefits!

Technology abounds in the new 365, where you can order whole pizzas, tacos, burritos, bowls & hot dogs through a kiosk. A similar kiosk in the beer & wine aisle will help you navigate the many brands and preferences to find the right libation for you.

365 will bring in small pallets of products for a limited-run - you'll find these under "Flash Finds." It'll be fun to keep an eye on these Flash Finds for new brands and products to try out, especially for seasonal goods!

Watch out in mid-October for Wild Ginger Kitchen to make its debut in the new Bellevue 365 store. That's right - through the "Friends of 365" partner program, our beloved Wild Ginger is taking its famous Asian noodle, curry and salad dishes and making them available in a fast-casual format right inside the store! They'll be doing food demos and other fun things in the space as well. 

365 by Whole Foods Market will be open daily from 8:00a.m. to 10:00p.m at 10200 NE 4th St. in Bellevue Square (underneath Zara & Uniqlo.)

Take a look at more photos of the new store below, and check out more on my Snapchat for the next couple of hours! JessEstrada206