Whole Foods in Sarasota
The overwhelming success of Whole Foods in Sarasota is a mystery to me. From the day it opened I have marveled at how much money people are willing to spend for items readily and cheaply available elsewhere. The parking garage is an obstacle course with the spaces far too narrow to accommodate most cars and if you do manage to wedge yours in, you will probably take out a side panel when you smash into the huge concrete piling that you swear was not there when you parked.
I remember the very first time that I entered the store and was so excited about purchasing the items for a great home cooked meal. Then I went into sticker shock when I realized that a Salmon dinner for two would probably cost more than a dinner out for four in one of our finest restaurants. I regrouped and decided on some appetizer items but did not realize that cheese could rival gold at the price per ounce.
I took a look at the other shoppers, most of whom resembled bag ladies and hippies still lost in the ‘70’s and wondered how they got to be so affluent. The final straw was when I was in the beverage aisle and asked where the diet soft drinks were. Well, hit me with a stick….. I guess that was the equivalent of asking for cocaine in a rehab center, alcohol at an AA meeting or a discount on a purchase at Cartier. So, it was with much happiness that I read this article in the Huffington Post:
Now I know that I am not the only cheap person out there who has no food allergies and felt like a stranger in a strange land in a store that would be more aptly named "Whole Paycheck".
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