Shoppers crowd new Whole Foods

It was about two years later than initially expected, but Whole Foods Market still received a warm welcome from Windward Oahu shoppers Wednesday after the natural and organic grocery retailer opened its store in Kailua.

About 600 consumers checked out the store in the first hour after the 9 a.m. opening, attracted in part by special giveaways, promotions and food samples, according to the Austin, Texas-based chain.

"Our team members have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and warm Windward welcome that we have received from the community and all our shoppers on our first day of business here in Kailua," Tim Talkington, the store’s team leader, said in a statement.

Added Patrick Bradley, the company’s Southern Pacific regional president, "For many years we have been eagerly anticipating joining the Kailua community as a gathering place for island residents to shop, play and eat."

The Kailua store is the third for Whole Foods in Hawaii. The first opened at Kahala Mall in 2008 and a Maui store followed in 2010. The Kailua outlet also was slated to open in 2010, but that was pushed back to last year, then to this year largely because of construction delays.

The Kailua Whole Foods also was downsized from 40,000 square feet to 32,000 square feet, but is still larger than the other two Hawaii stores by about 4,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet.

Another unique element for the store compared with the other Whole Foods in Hawaii is a beer and wine bar where shoppers can buy a pint of beer or a glass of wine.

The store also features a self-serve poke bar, solar-powered air-conditioning and refrigeration systems and an electric vehicle charging stall in the parking lot.

As part of the retailer’s opening events, Whole Foods will donate 5 percent of net sales on April 25 to Paepae o Heeia to help the nonprofit preserve the ancient Hawaiian fishpond in Heeia.