A new Whole Foods Market has opened just across the Somerset County line, giving Hopewell Valley residents — particularly those in and around Hopewell Borough — a much closer option for shopping at the grocery chain.
The new 45,000-square-foot store opened Aug. 21 at Montgomery Promenade, the sprawling new shopping development taking shape near routes 206 and 518. Using Hopewell Borough Hall as a reference point, the new store is about six miles away, compared with roughly 12 miles to the Whole Foods on Route 1 in Lawrence Township.
About an hour after the opening-day ribbon cutting, the new store was already bustling. Shoppers filled the aisles, employees offered samples throughout the store and the parking lot was busy as customers got their first look at a Whole Foods that has been years in the making.
Inside, shoppers found the familiar Whole Foods offerings, including produce, meat and seafood counters, prepared foods and salad bars, a bakery, specialty cheeses and wellness products.
The company says the Montgomery location also carries more than 1,000 products from local and regional suppliers across the Northeast. Among them are mushrooms from Mushroom King Farm, apples from Hudson River Fruit, breads from Balthazar Bakery and Bread Alone Bakery, and chicken from Bell & Evans.
But outside the store, it was just as apparent that Whole Foods is only the beginning.
Much of Montgomery Promenade remains under construction, with new storefronts and internal roads still taking shape around the development’s first major anchor. The construction and changing traffic patterns were already part of the opening-day conversation.
In the parking lot, two shoppers who had just met struck up a conversation about their Teslas. Before long, the discussion turned to the development surrounding them — the amount of new construction, changes to traffic patterns, the convenience of having a Whole Foods in Montgomery and just how many more businesses are still on the way.
Much more is coming
Montgomery Promenade is a planned 292,700-square-foot, two-phase shopping center on a 54-acre property along Route 206 that had sat undeveloped for more than 15 years.
Whole Foods is the anchor, but it will eventually be surrounded by a substantial lineup of restaurants, retailers and service businesses.
The current tenant roster includes Ulta Beauty, The Robinson Ale House, Turning Point, European Wax Center, Hair Cuttery, Spavia, Shake Shack, BodyROK, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, Panera Bread, Norman’s Hallmark, YogaSix, Everbrook Academy and Dor L’Dor.
Plans for Montgomery Promenade also include outdoor dining, green spaces and walking areas.
The development has brought substantial road work to the already busy area around routes 206 and 518. According to developer SJC Ventures, improvements include roadway widening, additional turn lanes and modifications to traffic signals designed to accommodate existing traffic and the additional vehicles expected as Montgomery Promenade fills out.
The developer has said internal roadways will connect with those improvements as the project continues to take shape.
Opening the doors
The store includes full-service meat and seafood counters, a specialty cheese department, bakery and prepared-food section. Prepared offerings include hot food and salad bars, pizza, sandwiches and fresh sushi.
The Montgomery Whole Foods, at 40 Nevius Blvd. in Skillman, is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
For Hopewell Valley residents making the short trip north, the store is already open. Around it, Montgomery Promenade is still very much a work in progress with construction happening on a number of other stores.
