Houston Whole Foods unwraps cart escalator, in-store brewery

HOUSTON – Whole Foods Market has opened at 1700 Post Oak Blvd. The 48,000-sf Galleria area location will be the first grocery store in the world, according to Whole Foods, to have its own in-store brewery.

It will also feature new prepared food sections and a second-floor seating area. Customers can sample the in-house brews and other beers at bars on both floors and order food from the cheese and charcuterie counters.

“We try to make our stores more of a destination,” spokeswoman Jeannette Webster said. “When you’re thinking about where you want to go for happy hour, we want you to think of us.”

The bakery will use spent grains from the brewery, and the Post Oak location will be the first to offer a Greek food station. It will also have sushi, juice and smoothie, and sandwich and taco bars.

In the below-ground parking garage, Whole Foods has a system for finding parking. Green lights show open spots, and turn red once occupied. And customers can take their carts down to the garage on a cart escalator.