Yesterday evening, Thursday October 21st, an unpublished event at the Glover Park Whole Foods caused traffic chaos on Wisconsin Avenue for hours. One attendee described the event as a “soft opening” for all Whole Foods employees prior to the expected full opening early next year. DC police and yellow-vested DDOT-looking officials with glow-wands were in the street and on the sidewalk attempting to direct cars in an out of the Whole Foods parking garage as traffic backed up maddeningly both north and south.
A passerby might have thought Whole Foods was hosting the Oscars, yet a media and social media blackout preceded this event. Possibly a VIP was in attendance to draw such a police presence? My attempt to use the secret password, “Fidelio” for entry was rejected, and I realized later I should have said “Filo Dough” – my mistake. Another attendee hinted that part of the event involved a deeply discounted shopping experience for employees, which might suggest stocked shelves and maybe the potential to open earlier than their announced “early next year.” Yet, the store has 25 employment positions advertised currently, while securing hourly wage employees has gotten quite difficult in this economy. This aspect could take more time than the testing of the new technology they are rolling out – palm scanning, remote checkout, and more. See prior article.
Whole Foods petitioned the DC Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration on July 28th, 2021 to restore its two liquor licenses to active status from “safekeeping” – the retail beer/wine as well as restaurant license for the planned sit-down bistro. Considering they have no pending violations, citations, enforcement actions or settlement agreements with the ANC, the request is a mere formality. Stay tuned.
Chris Jones
