Supermarket Sweep

Beyond the 'Wa, beyond the U2, beyond even the dining halls and eating clubs, there are many food options around Princeton that have become staples of the surrounding community. Wild Oats, a local health food store, and Cox's Gourmet Market are both located on Nassau Street. Shop Rite for more price-conscious shoppers is located on Route 1. Wegman's Food Market, also on Route 1, and the new Whole Foods Market have become the havens of off-campus food shopping. Both offer refreshing choices and aren't too far from the University. ¶ Whole Foods, a relatively new chain located in the nearby Mercer Mall, has opened around the country in towns and cities where healthy eating and living are a primary focus. There are 38 Whole Foods in California, featuring locations in Berkeley and Brentwood, and only one location each in Kansas and Kentucky. Whole Foods has been open in Princeton since Sept. 16. When I first walked into the massive store, I was greeted with a case of Ciao Bella ice cream and a friendly server behind it, eager to give samples. The flavors included Chocolate Jalapeno, Blood Orange and Blackberry Cabernet. The store is laid out in the fashion of a warehouse: wide isles that allow for little blockage and no need to interact with other customers and high, industrial ceilings.

The space is well lit, and the aisles are topped with large, potted plants that contribute to the store's natural feel. Around the periphery, there are several different counters: a sushi bar, wrap and sandwich bar, a seemingly endless dairy section, a seasonal fruits kitchen and a bread and handcrafted pastry kitchen.

The store's underlying message seems to say, "If you shop at Whole Foods and live by our suggestions, you will lead a healthier, happier and longer life."

In recent years, we have become a weight and health conscious culture. As statistics of American obesity continue to unnerve, more people with the means and motivation have begun to make healthier food choices. We have witnessed the boom of fad diets and carbohydrateand fat-free foods. We have heard (and probably seen) the criticisms of fast-food chains.

Now, the boom of the health food store is sweeping affluent America, and Whole Foods has established itself as the industry's frontrunner. Because the business of health is currently so lucrative, a shopper can feel ant-like in the scheme of things, a pawn in the massive store that is simply catering to a craze. And Whole Foods has claimed fans on Princeton's campus.

"Whole Foods has a great assortment of trail mixes, Turkey Jerky, cookies and energy bars," commented basketball player Michael Rudoy '07. "Check out the Lunas!"

Whole Foods, however, is aware of the awestruck insignificance a shopper might experience in their store. As a result, they overcompensate with friendliness, personalization and community initiatives. Along a main wall near the entrance there hangs a huge "Community Calendar" outlining events at Whole Foods during October.

"Whole Foods is even a great place to meet older women!" Rudoy joked.

Every Monday this month, different guest chefs from the community have visited the store. Chefs from Mediterra, La Mezzaluna, Hamilton Grill and Ferry House will be participating in this program. They host a "Carb Concious Cooking Class" and a "Smores Galore Party" for children. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. I was asked repeatedly "How are you?" by every employee I passed. When I asked where to find rice cakes, I was taken there instead of blindly directed to "aisle five."

Whole Foods offers free samples to shoppers. The fresh produce, sectioned off in a corner of the store, even offers juicy sliced fruits for tasting.

"I generally stay away from fruit and cheese samples," a young woman remarked as I poked inquisitively at a pile of diced Pineapple. "It just seems too sketchy to share fresh fruit communally." Their pork samples boast that they are from "grass fed animals only." Another advantage of Whole Foods' sample plates is that they do not have employees babysitting them, allowing for multiple extractions — even handfuls. One customer remarked at the checkout counter, "I even got to have lunch while I was shopping!"

Whole Foods shoppers seem to fall into two basic categories: people who have always believed in this style of living and who stop off at Whole Foods on their way back from Yoga class or their art studios; and the people who are trying to change their ways and redefine the role food plays in their lives.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

"I'm from California, and therefore am snobbish about my produce," remarked Bayley Dixon '07. "But this Whole Foods both met and exceeded my greatest hopes. It's a revolution – finally, a true garden in the Garden State."

Not far away, Wegman's attracts a different crowd and offers different products, but it competes intensely with Whole Foods. Wegman's, which opened in the Princeton area a few years ago, was once the best the industry had to offer. The massive store seems to offer everything one could ever need to buy: from caffeine pills to "Top Gun" to Normandy cheese.

Wegman's feels like the mega-store version of an overgrown European deli. Paneled with dark wood and dimly lit, this market is more mainstream than Whole Foods. The prices at Wegman's are cheaper than at the store's healthier" competitor. This store is most likely more practical and affordable for more people, but along with cheaper prices come the less healthy foods.

As I was turning into the health section, I ran into a young mother whose cart was piled with cookies, sodas, chips and pasta. Underneath her cart, shockingly, were her children. They looked forlorn, sitting next to each other in a plastic truck attached to the front of the cart. It seems that Wegman's is designed for mothers and busy people trying to get everything taken care of at one market. I decided to ask a few shoppers about their perception of Wegman's in relation to Whole Foods in order to see what impressions the two markets had made on the Princeton public.

An older man said, "This is such a big thing now, isn't it! I was just asked to do some Wegman's web survey comparing it to Whole Foods. It's what everybody's talking about. Well, both stores are beautiful, but Whole Foods offers more organic and vegetarian options, and the employees there are very courteous."

As soon as I finished writing down what this shopper had shared, I noticed a Wegman's employee standing next to me. "We forbid people from interviewing our customers," he said harshly. "You're on private property so you're going to have to stop immediately."

I obliged, asking if I could learn more about the web survey comparing Wegman's to Whole Foods.

"It doesn't exist," the manager said before walking away. After being asked to shell out exorbitant prices at Whole Foods and almost thrown out of Wegman's, I recommend that you visit both stores and make the experience your own. After all, in the words of Bayley Dixon, "There's room on Route 1 for the both of 'em!"