Get A Sneak Peek At Bridgewater's Whole Foods Opening Friday (2024)

Whole Foods in Bridgewater will now open Friday due to the impending snowstorm. Check out these photos of what you can expect while we wait.

Posted Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 11:21 am ET|Updated Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 1:04 pm ET

Here at Patch we got an exclusive VIP tour of the inside of the much anticipated new grocery store that is set to open in the new Chimney Rock Complex at 319 Chimney Rock Road off Route 22. The opening date, however, has been pushed back to Friday due to the impending snowstorm.

But while we wait for that, let's distract ourselves on what we can expect inside.

This 49,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market will be their first Somerset County location and 19th location in New Jersey.

Doors open to the public on Friday at 9 a.m, and opening day will include giveaways, sales, product samples and more. Regular store hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. There will also be coffee and pastries available to those lining up before the 9 a.m. opening.

Upon first entering, shoppers will encounter Plant & Plate, a new lifestyle shop dedicated to beauty, garden and home goods rooted in nature. Featured products include Hedley & Bennett aprons and local favorites such as Beaucycled jewelry and floral crafts from Hoboken and Brooklyn-based Apotheke candles. The shop also features pottery by Bridgewater’s own Keiko Inouye.

Moving forward, shoppers will encounter the produce section which features fresh, natural and organic produce, including seasonal selections like spring peas, morels and asparagus. Exclusive to this store is Whole Foods Market’s first indoor mushroom farm, in collaboration with Smallhold.

Next is the specialty department that offers cheese, charcuterie, antipasti and chocolate, including a number of Jersey-made artisanal products such as Elements Truffles from Jersey City. The Bridgewater store also has Juice + Kombucha, an in-store tap system serving local beverage brands Pilot kombucha and Ripe juices.

There is also a coffee grinder area and large tea selection.

There is a whole body department that has an assortment of natural cosmetics and body care products include Pure+Fresh Beauty, and essential oils-based collection from Buffalo, New York. On opening day all of these products will be 25 percent off as well.

The grocery aisles offer bulk bin staples, 365 Everyday Value store brand products and special diet offerings. Shoppers will also find dozens of local, Jersey-made artisanal brands such as Undercover Chocolate from East Hanover, Glenda’s Kitchen cookies from Atlantic Highlands and Juice Basin juices from Asbury Park.

Many of the products throughout the store are labeled by organic, vegan, gluten-free, local, etc. for shoppers as well.

The meat and poultry is raised with no antibiotics or added hormones, and is rated on the Global Animal Partnership’s five-step animal welfare scale. Local options for Bridgewater include products from Snoep Winkel Farm in Sussex County. There is also an open butchery room where shoppers can see how the meat is cut through a clear glass window.

The seafood offered in store is rated by a trusted third-party organizations to ensure it is sustainably caught or responsibly farmed, and customer orders can be deboned or fileted for free by expert fishmongers. Bridgewater features local fish from New Jersey-based Trinity Seafood.

In addition to a wide selection of from-scratch baked goods, the Bridgewater store offers exclusive “take and bake” croissants, cookies, breads and pies. Local options also include treats from New Jersey vendors Keeping You Sweet gluten free bakery in Hawthorne and Mo’Pweeze vegan bakery in Denville.

There is also a large antipasta section and hot food area to grab quick meals. The Kitchen section also has a burger station, pizza station, salad bar and freshly rolled sushi everyday.

Bridgewater Coffee & Kitchen is another way to grab a meal. This brand new all-day restaurant and coffee bar features options for breakfast, lunch and dinner including local Pain D’Avignon pastries and fresh soups, salads and sandwiches.

Juice Press, based in New York City, has also opened a location inside the store. It is an organic, kosher, vegan juice bar that offers fresh pressed juices, soups and snacks.

After grabbing a meal, Whole Foods offers a Community Space, which is an indoor lounge and café seating that has shuffleboard tables and an outdoor space with a fire pit to hang out.

During the grand opening, Whole Foods Market Bridgewater will also host a 5 percent Community Giving Day. Five percent of net sales from opening day will be donated to the Somerset County Park Foundation to fund community wellness programs and improve local trails.

For more information, customers can follow @wholefoodsbridgewater on Instagram for news about Whole Foods Market Bridgewater and opening day activities.

(Images by Alexis Tarrazi)

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