An innovative new food store called 365 by Whole Foods Market (WFM) opened today in Silver Lake, a millennial-rich part of Los Angeles. The grocer’s new lower-priced chain, destined for a national rollout in the coming months, hopes to attract more and younger buyers.
How? First and foremost, with cost-conscious healthy food options (read: cheaper than the pricing of Whole Foods’ flagship brand). There are also high-tech features: automated hot food to-go ordering at in-store kiosks, and a robotic tea-making machine that dispenses and mixes 18 varieties and allows you to customize strength and temperature. The store also includes a vegan café, by CHLOE, the first outpost of the successful New York restaurant, as well as a craft beer bar that dispenses beer, wine, and cold-pressed juice options. There’s also a loyalty program that offers in-store instant discounts for members.
Fortune toured the sprawling 28,000-square-foot retail space yesterday as 100 workers scurried to stack the last watermelons and arrange bags of rosemary truffle popcorn. Now comes the acid test—not only for this retail space but also for the public’s adoption of a hybrid between Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Costco and Starbucks. The elements of a winning combination are there; stay tuned.