MARLBORO — The long-awaited opening of Whole Foods Market in Marlboro is scheduled for May 21. The grocery store will be an anchor in the Marlboro Commons shopping center at Route 9 south and Route 520.
Whole Foods Market boasts more than 360 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, according to the company. The business built a strong reputation among health-conscious consumers through its pledge to only sell products that are free of preservatives, added colors and artificial flavors, according to spokesman Michael Sinatra.
“We have an incredible diversity of products on our shelves. We are a full-service grocery store,” he said. “We have just about every item you could imagine, but it is the natural or organic version of that.”
Butchers, who offer custom cuts and deboning services, sell meats that conform to strict regulations based on the raising of the animals, Sinatra said. Customers will only find sustainable species in the seafood department, he said.
Whole Foods Marlboro will take advantage of local food sources in New Jersey and New York.
“The location of the store is great because there are so many great farms around us and we will have fresh seafood from the Jersey Shore,” Sinatra said.
While eager consumers stand to benefit from the store’s product line, the new business promises work for local job-seekers.
Sinatra said Whole Foods Marlboro will employ 260 people. That includes the creation of 200 jobs and the transfer or promotion of 60 individuals who work at existing stores, he said.
During a recent Township Council meeting, Mayor Jonathan Hornik said Whole Foods executives hope to make their presence known in the community.
“Whole Foods expressed a strong interest in being very supportive of our community and events in our community, so I think they are going to be a good partner with Marlboro,” Hornik said. “I am looking forward to them opening up and adding to the quality array of stores we have in town.”
Sinatra said store employees hope to build partnerships with local organizations. Whole Foods Marlboro might donate to local food banks, schools and other groups that are important to residents of Marlboro and surrounding municipalities, he said.
“We always look to things that are really tied to food, education, the environment and children,” he said.
Whole Foods executives plan to celebrate the store opening with local officials and members of the public. The market will hold a bread-breaking ceremony — as is the company’s tradition — and offer free samples and sales, Sinatra said.
The company has yet to set a time for the bread-breaking event.