Grocery shoppers west of the Galleria have been the most recent beneficiaries of Houston's grocery wars thanks to the arrival of a new Whole Foods on Post Oak and a gigantic new H-E-B on San Felipe. Before a second Whole Foods opens three miles from the Post Oak store on Voss (to replace the aging Woodway location), the Austin-based organic grocery opens its first store in The Woodlands on Wednesday.

Hubbell and Hudson may have closed its grocery store in the Waterway, but a new H-E-B in Creekside and this Whole Foods give area residents two solid grocery options.

Whole Foods team lead Jerry Brown tells CultureMap in an email that the store came to the area at the request of area residents. "There was even a Facebook page, run by community members, dedicated to bringing a store to The Woodlands," he writes. "The local community has been very patient and since we’ve announced our opening the support has been amazing. We take that very seriously and want to provide the best experience possible."

As the first significant opening in the Hughes Landing development that will soon include the northern outposts of inner loop restaurants like Del Frisco's Grille, California Pizza Kitchen and Local Pour, the 44,000 square foot grocery store is the anchor of an emerging food destination. Towards that end, the store will feature many of the amenities debuted at various other outposts around the Houston area including a wine and beer bar with 24 taps, build your own taco station, wood-burning pizza oven and the de rigueur electric vehicle charging station.

Additionally, concerige services are available for personal shopping and curbside pickup. Perfect for shoppers willing to pay a little extra for convenience.

"I am most excited about providing a healthier grocery alternative to The Woodlands community," Brown writes. "Our standards don’t allow artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives in the foods or products we sell. We work hard to ensure every product on the shelves meets our strict Quality Standards."

Shoppers who are following specific diets such as vegan or gluten-free can follow signs throughout the store to determine which items are compatible. "We will also have a healthy eating specialist on staff who can walk guests through the store, free of charge, and help them stock their kitchens based on their dietary needs," Brown adds.

Beginning on opening day, the store will donate one-percent of a day's sales to a different local charity on each of its first five Wednesdays. That kicks off with Interfaith of The Woodlands, followed by The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council on March 25, The Woodlands Children's Museum on April 1, Operation Pets Alive! on April 8 and concludes with Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch on April 15.

The store features indoor and outdoor seating options.

Courtesy photo

The store features indoor and outdoor seating options.