Whole Foods opened its largest store in Southeast today in Midtown

ATLANTA — Free food, giveaways and gift cards worth up to $100 are just a few things customers can expect at Friday's opening of the largest Whole Foods in the Southeast.

The 70,000-square-foot store — twice as large as the average Whole Foods — sits at 22 14th Street in Midtown. The location marks the 500th store opening for the company. The health food grocery store is adjacent to the 39-story Icon Midtown high rise, which consists of 390 luxury apartments attached to a nine-level parking deck.

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The store includes an expansive selection of foods and wines, four fast-casual eateries across four floors, a rooftop bar, a pub, microbrewery, cooking school and programming for yoga and movie nights.

“From its extensive selection of responsibly-sourced, local, and innovative product offerings, to its four unique dining spaces, to its Atlanta-inspired design elements that capture the spirit of the community, we are confident that this store will offer something for a variety of tastes, preferences, and purposes,” the store’s team leader Abibou N'Diaye said in a news release about the opening.

Festivities began on opening day at 6:30 a.m. with free coffee from a local supplier, pastries and live music. The first 150 customers in line from Friday to Sunday will receive a gift card between $5 and $100.

The first 500 customers who were in line when doors opened at 7 a.m. also received a token for a free Whole Foods tote bag.

The day’s celebration continued with ‘cycle for a nonprofit’ from 9 to 10 a.m. Spin bikes were located outside the store and for every five minutes someone spins, the store will donate $1 to the Center for Puppetry Arts.

Live music played throughout the day as customers sample products and meet with local suppliers between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The store will donate five percent of its April 18 sales to Food Well Alliance, an organization that supports urban agriculture in Atlanta.

Cox Media Group