That's right, Whole Foods is coming to the beautiful town of Sonoma. What exactly does that mean for this quaint, somewhat remote, little town? To really understand that, you have to understand Sonoma.
Sonoma is steeped in history. A history that is condensed, that can be seen as you walk the cemetery, and is documented on the street signs. People that come to live here do not leave. They fall in love. Deeply. Families have been here for generations. It is a very tight knit community. Everyone knows everyone. And even if they don't actually know you, they know your name, who you are, where you live, where you work, what you do...
Why does this have anything to do with Whole Foods? Well, Sonoma Market, of course. Sonoma Market and Glen Ellen Village Market not only provide great food, wine and other essentials to the community, but they are owned and operated by a family, the Shones, that have been here for a very long time. People here are loyal. They don't want to see "their own" be hurt.
Truth be told, however, many people are looking forward to Whole Foods coming to town. Will it hurt Sonoma Market, Glen Ellen Village Market and the Shones? I personally don't think so. Why not? Based on my unscientific research (read: I am representing buyers that will be transferring to Sonoma to open and work at Whole Foods), my clients are more than welcome as is the store, and many people that live here already drive to Petaluma and Santa Rosa to shop at the Whole Foods in those towns.
Besides that, Whole Foods has a very specific business model. I shop at Sonoma Market. When Whole Foods comes to town, I may shop there too. It depends on what I will be shopping for. There is another reason that I don't think it will hurt the Shones or their markets: competition is good. Right now there is Safeway, Albertson's and then a few small markets in Boyes Hot Springs that cater to a totally different crowd. My personal thoughts on Safeway, Albertson's and the like: I don't buy meat that comes in a styrofoam container. I want to pick my own cuts. I like a butcher. Plus, in the past when I did shop at big grocery stores, there would be fresher meat wrapped around stale, rotting meat. Not for me.
I digress... Whole Foods is a completely different animal... all natural, all organic, all sustainable farming, all things I believe in and agree with. That said, I like Topol toothpaste. No, I don't smoke. But I do like to have a nice strong cup of Peet's Ethiopian Fancy in the morning, and an occasional glass of red wine. Nothing cleans my teeth like Topol. I also like the floss that is more like a tape that cleans between the teeth--and the Listerine with hydrogen peroxide that helps whiten while killing germs. You might think I'm a dental hygiene freak at this point. But my point really is, is that you can't get these things at Whole Foods. Not because they are not accomodating, but because these products don't fit into their business model, for one reason or another.
In summary, I think Sonoma Market will be fine.
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