Whole Foods opens 500th location with flagship store in Atlanta

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Whole Foods opened its 500th location Friday with the grand opening of its 70,000 square-foot, multi-level flagship Midtown Atlanta store.

The store is located on 14th Street NW. It features all the usual Whole Food flare, but in a greater capacity.

The location offers four different fast-casual eateries across four floors, including a rooftop bar with skyline views with exclusive food menus and curated selections of locally sourced beer and wine.

Some of those in line at the opening received totes and gift cards. They also got free coffee, pastries, and live music.

Whole Foods also donated a dollar to the Center for Puppetry Arts for every five minutes someone spent spinning on one of their spin bikes.

The store will employ about 350 full-time and part-time employees.

It is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

There are 11 other Whole Foods Market locations across the metro Atlanta area

On March 31, prior to the new flagship location opening, Whole Foods' first location in the area located on the corner of Briarcliff and LaVista roads closed. That location had been a part of the neighborhood for 15 years.