After the long awaited arrival of Akron’s newest supermarket, Whole Foods 365 was opened on Sept. 14, replacing the longstanding Akron hallmark— the West Side Market.

The store is the newest addition in the West Market Street Square. Whole Foods sells a colorful variety of healthy foods. In addition to the grocery store, the new building also contains a taqueria, an asian kitchen, and a coffee shop.

Brandon-

One intriguing aspect of the new Whole Foods is the taqueria. I decided to investigate the quality of this spicy location.

A tablet was set up to customize and order meals. At the taqueria, I had the choice of ordering four different Mexican-style items, similar to restaurants like Chipotle and Moe’s. There were over 15 toppings and five sauces from which to choose. I was slightly overwhelmed by the choices on the screen, but overall, I enjoyed the customization of the cuisine.

I ordered three tacos with corn tortillas, chicken, black beans, and romaine lettuce, topped with avocado crema sauce. The meal took about five minutes to prepare and cost $7.

After receiving our food, Marissa and I moved to the outdoor tables to eat. The chicken in my tacos was fully cooked and delicately seasoned. Additionally, the avocado crema sauce scrumptiously complemented the other ingredients. However, the black beans were mildly undercooked, a bit too tactile for my taste. The portion size, slightly bigger than the typical taco serving from Chipotle, was suitable for the price. Overall, my tacos were a solid 9/10.

In addition to the tacos, I ordered a small medium-roast coffee from Artisan Coffee, which was conveniently located right at the entrance of the store. For $1.75, the coffee was decent. This price is almost identical to other coffee shops, like Nervous Dog which happens to be located on the same street.

As a whole, the newly opened Whole Foods 365 was a nice addition to the plaza. The West Akron area has been fairly lacking in restaurants and casual eating spots, so the bustling new plaza pleases locals like myself.

Marissa-

The formal sit down restaurant offered at Whole Foods 365, called Fire Leaf: Asian Kitchen, offers a variety of stir fry and salad options. While, providing choices catering to all palates and diets, the restaurant proved to be a letdown.

After choosing the vegetarian stir fry option, I proceeded to add a few extra veggies listed as add-ons, and found that each added almost a dollar extra to my meal! Ridiculous for a stir fry originally priced over $9. Also, adding rice or noodles, which are both pictured in advertisements, cost an additional $3 or $4. I ended up paying around $12 total.

The pictures advertised and the actual portion size vastly differed. Promised a large bowl, I only received a small take out container filled just half way. After eating every last bit, I left hungry, going home to eat a second lunch.

Another flaw found not only at Fire Leaf, but also at Taqueria, was the lack of communication between customer and employee. Customers use a tablet to order and pay, so there is zero interaction until the food appears. One flaw, the inability to pay with cash, really bothered me. This, I’m sure, will become a problem for the restaurant and I would not be surprised if the tablets caused more confusion than innovation.

Despite these glaring flaws, dang that was some good stir fry! The combination of vegetables and sauces impressed and even encouraged the thought of another trip, although the price and portion size may keep me away. Ultimately, I do not believe it was worth it.

Supermarket       

Overall, the supermarket aspect of Whole Foods 365 proved charming. Many helpful employees trafficked the floor, ready to assist and inform customers. For being an organic-based company, prices were considerably low, compared to non-organic grocery stores in the area.

One downside that may turn off customers is the fact that is it a corporate chain, born from the Amazon buyout. It claims to be local and organic, which Akron is known for loving, yet is really just cookie-cutter. Right down the street lives Mustard Seed Market and Cafe, which is 100% local and organic. The customers, employees and owners at Mustard Seed are Akronites and the store is fully immersed the the culture of the town.

In regards to other supermarkets, namely Acme Fresh Market and Giant Eagle, this organic and whole foods based store is a step in the right direction, but is not even close to the authenticity of Mustard Seed.