Whole Foods Market
Opened: 2002
We are here in Jenkintown, about 10 miles northeast of center city Philadelphia, for a look at one of the best reuses of a pitched-roof ACME ever. According to JoshAustin610, this was a very early pitched-roof store opening in 1959, and its original size was around 17,000 square feet. The store has been expanded out almost every direction for a current total of around 42,000 square feet -- or just about the size of many Whole Foods stores today.
We can see that, although Whole Foods has modernized the facade (or maybe that was Fresh Fields in their brief time here, before the stores were acquired by Whole Foods in 2002), the bones of the pitched-roof are very much present and visible.
The door we see here is the exit, and the main entrance to the supermarket is on the far right side in an expansion holding produce, seafood, and bulk foods. HABA is located between the expansion on the right side and the main supermarket. Meat and dairy line the back wall, with bakery, deli, and prepared foods on the left side of the building, which has also been expanded.
The Whole Foods influence is clear in the right-side expansion, which looks just like any other Whole Foods. I do believe this is an older decor package, as it tends to have the warmer colors of older stores like West Orange before its renovation and not the cooler colors of the West Orange post-renovation.
Floral department right next to the entrance.
Based on the flooring, it looks like this expansion was not something else previously since there's no evidence of scratching on the floor that might suggest moving walls or something like that.
Looking out from produce towards bulk foods and seafood, as we move into the main area of the supermarket.
Again, this decor is very attractive (maybe nicer than the newer decor) but doesn't look brand-new.
The decor is pleasantly understated around the store.
So overall, the impressive building is left to speak for itself with accents around on the walls. It's a good decision because, as we see above, the facility is downright impressive based only on the high sloped ceiling. Whole Foods knew they had something worthwhile here, much like they did in Morristown. I'll say that -- Whole Foods' store design and construction team sure knows what they're doing, and they know how to work with older facilities.
Dairy is in the last portion of the back aisle.
Now let's head over into the grocery aisles...
What a beautiful view! As we see, the aisles are split in half, and HABA takes up the first few aisles.
This store still has Whole Body branding, another indication this is an older decor package.
I wonder, in fact, if either Fresh Fields or Whole Foods re-poured the concrete for the flooring. At the very least, they certainly refinished and stained it.
No coffin cases here -- all the frozen foods are in upright cases with doors. As we see, a lot of light is let in by the giant wall of windows.
As we move into the last few aisles, we move along to cheese, bakery, and deli/prepared foods in the last aisle. Part of that section is located in the expansion along the left side wall, which is under a lower ceiling.
In the photo below, you can see the division between the original supermarket and Whole Foods' expansion.
The decor of this area actually reminds me of what was in the Holiday Thriftway before it closed, which was Penn Fruit decor. I wonder if that was intentional (I assume not).
And in the front corner is the beer & wine department. This looks fairly new, probably newer than the rest of the store and its decor.
One final look across the front end before we move on...
Opened: 2002
Previous Tenants: ACME Markets (1959-1997) > Fresh Fields (1997-2002)
Location: 1575 The Fairway, Jenkintown, PA
Photographed: July 22, 2021
What a view! In 1997, ACME moved out of this location into a former department store not far away (about a mile and a quarter south). That'll be our next stop, so come back tomorrow to see the Jenkintown ACME as it is today!
Love all the natural light!
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