It looked like any other big store opening Wednesday morning on Monroe Avenue in Brighton: Hundreds of curious shoppers lined up to get in, local dignitaries smiling for the cameras.
But Rochester’s first Whole Foods store was nine years in the works, fighting legal opposition from neighbors and a group that was funded by competitor Wegmans along the way.
The court battles continued into Tuesday night, when an appellate judge refused to grant an injunction stopping the store from opening. While suits are still pending, Brighton Supervisor Bill Moehle says it's time to move on.
"There's room in this community for more than one supermarket to compete, and the time has come to let business proceed at Whole Foods and down the street at their store," Moehle said.
Louise Washby of Greece reacts to her first Whole Foods Market shopping experience this morning as the store opens its doors to the public for the first time in the Rochester area. @WXXINews pic.twitter.com/JBFj5d6UIV
— Max Schulte (@maxrocphoto) April 12, 2023
Barbara Brachfeld said she missed Whole Foods when she moved here from New York City 18 years ago, and she was there for Wednesday’s opening.
"I couldn’t believe that it took so long for this to happen, and the fact that it almost didn't open today was, like, mind-blowing," she said.
Wednesday was the first time Louise Washby of Greece had been to a Whole Foods, and she said she liked what she saw.
“Awesome. I can’t describe it,” she said. “They just have everything.”
Holding up a yellow, spiny-looking piece of produce, Washby asked her friend, Sonia Frye of Rochester, what it was called.
“Dragon fruit,” Frye answered.
“Dragon fruit,” Washby repeated. “This is delicious. They just gave me a sample over there. I could bite into it.”
While crowds were large in the store's first hour, Brighton Police Chief David Catholdi said officers kept traffic moving smoothly on Monroe Avenue. The possibility of congestion had been one of the potential problems raised by opponents.
The 50,000-square-foot store employs more than 100 people, offering a variety of food options, including many that are sourced from the Rochester area and upstate New York.
Includes reporting from Max Schulte.
