By Calista Stocker

Copyright timesofsandiego

A Whole Foods is set to open in mid-2026 on the intersection of Front Street and A Street, at the crosshairs of Cortez Hill and the Core-Columbia District.

The organic grocer will sit on the bottom floor of the new luxury apartment high-rise, The Torrey, developed by Holland Partner Group.

Although The Torrey has been in the works since 2019, this Whole Foods comes a decade after it originally signed to open a location at a 7th & Market office development. The grocer eventually pulled out of this deal following conflicts and delays, and the project ultimately fell through.

“Whole Foods was chosen for this project given the clear demand from the existing and growing resident base in downtown for additional quality grocers,” Brent Schertzer, managing director of development for Holland Partner Group, said in a statement.

“Given the convenient location off Front Street, adjacency to Little Italy and the dense downtown core, the grocer served as an ideal anchor for the project and to meet the increasing demand from downtown residents, workers and visitors.”

Demand came from residents and workers

This demand was echoed by residents and workers anticipating the store’s opening.

Downtown resident Rebecca Perez has worked as a correctional officer at a nearby building for 18 years.

“That’s awesome. I love [Whole Foods],” Perez said. “I need something like that … because there’s not a lot of options. We only have Ralph’s, and it’s okay, it doesn’t have a lot of options.”

Perez reported having to drive to get her groceries, something that Core-Columbia resident Ken Robb deals with as well.

“You have to seek it out,” Robb said about the local grocery stores. “It’s not very in-your-face, it’s kind of hidden. So, you have to maybe seek it out online and figure out where things are and go there. It’s not always apparent that there’s a store in this development or this building.”

Robb reported that he drives all the way to the closest Walmart in National City to get his essentials, but is hopeful that the Whole Foods might be a more convenient option.

Currently, the only big chain grocers downtown are a Ralph’s in the Gaslamp Quarter, as well as a Grocery Outlet, Albertson’s, and Smart & Final in East Village.

Lack of current food options

Local residents and workers reported a lack of food options in The Torrey’s immediate area until Broadway, where most places are grab-and-go or fast food.

“I think it’ll be beneficial because there’s not that many restaurants close by, and it will provide healthier options as well,” said Brianna C., who works nearby. “You do have to walk blocks to get somewhere.”

Lucy’s Taco Shop is the closest eatery to the development, but is also excited for the Whole Foods.

“It’s good, because we like to have competition to make it better,” said Irene Martinez, manager at Lucy’s Taco Shop. “Then, there’s more customers around. That [is] good, more businesses, different food. I love it. They [are] opening up a few businesses over here, like salads and Starbucks and all that and it’s a good idea because it has different tastes.”

Martinez said that even their current business has increased as a result of the development, as they get a lot of construction workers who come in for breakfast and lunch.

Currently, Lucy’s Taco Shop is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday to accommodate the working population of the immediate area, but is open to changing its hours to accommodate the needs of the community.

“When you have quality of the food, you don’t worry about [competition] because if it’s more business around here, more people that want to come and try it,” Martinez said. “And they go to walk around, they go to see the other businesses.”

Holland Partner Group is also hopeful that the development will grow the area and solidify its place as a part of the downtown community.

“The Torrey and Whole Foods will continue to build upon the current growth in this western portion of downtown, which benefits from a dense employment and hospitality base, as well as a quickly growing residential community,” Schertzer said in a statement.

“The completion of this project will provide a high-quality residential community near transit and employment, further connecting Little Italy with the Broadway District and Civic Core.”