Opening creates more customer service jobs in Chicago

Posted on October 2, 2016

The opening of a new Whole Foods store is creating more customer service jobs in Chicago.

The new Whole Foods store is in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Whole Foods Market Englewood is bringing better access to fresh, healthy food to Englewood and surrounding South Side neighborhood residents, plus more than 100 new jobs and economic opportunities. The new 18,000-square-foot store represents three years of community collaboration and will have products from more than 35 local suppliers on its shelves.

“Today we are doing much more than opening the doors to a new Whole Foods. We are opening doors to a new future for the Englewood community,” Mayor Emanuel said. “This store is also putting products from dozens of local suppliers on its shelves, helping turn small businesses into big businesses and creating even more economic opportunities that reach across Chicago.”

“Working alongside the many individuals and organizations bringing positive change in their community was inspiring. Englewood has more good happening here and we’ve had the privilege to support the next class of food innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs of the South Side; helping to bring healthy food access to their community,” Robb said. “We hope to this store provides wholesome food choices and continues to help support the economic growth in the community.”

More than 100 team members will work at Whole Foods Market Englewood, with the majority coming from nearby. Additionally, the store will utilize more than 35 local suppliers to provide a variety of products on the shelves.

Since the announcement of the store in 2013, Englewood residents and Whole Foods Market teams have engaged in two-way conversations to ensure the new location on Chicago’s South Side would reflect the community it serves and meet the needs of those living and working in the area. From the early discussions, three key themes rose to the top for the company to focus on: food access; community engagement; and economic development and employment.

“We are witnessing the revitalization of the Englewood community and I would like to thank the mayor and Whole Foods for their leadership in bringing about economic growth to the south side of Chicago,” U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (IL-01) said.

To prepare for the store opening, Whole Foods Market worked with community partners from Teamwork Englewood and the Greater Englewood Corporate Development Center to hold a variety of workshops and events to support small businesses in Englewood across the south side