A preview of the new Whole Foods...

Well, despite my own technological ineptitude, I did manage to post some photos I took on my phone during today's media preview of the new Raleigh Whole Foods store. You can find the whole album on my Facebook page HERE. (And while you're at it, why don't you friend me?) Some of them are not that awesome, but they were taken on my phone and hey, that's why I'm not a photographer.

Anyway, the store is quite impressive and is going to be a welcome addition for Whole Foods shoppers who constantly wish there was more space and more parking at the current Raleigh Whole Foods on Wade Avenue. This Whole Foods is being billed as the "greenest" Whole Foods in the South and was designed specifically to meet LEED design principles. Whole Foods tells me they are in the process of getting LEED certified now.

I took a ton of notes on all the cool features I saw. Click Read More to read all about and find out how you could get in on a sneak peek tour this weekend... The store opens to the public on Wednesday morning.

Among the many things I saw or was told about during our tour:

*First of all, it's just bigger. Every section is bigger than the one on Wade Avenue. That store is about 28,000 square feet, and the new one is 40,000 square feet. That means the selection is broader in most sections. And there is more room for more logical layout. For instance, the milk is now in the same aisle with the cereal.

*One of the first things shoppers will notice is the giant metal silo outside the front door. This is designed to capture rain water and can hold more than 10,000 gallons. That water will then be used inside the store for certain things like the store's toilets and in the garden center to help cut down on the water the store uses.

*Just inside the front door there's a salsa and guacamole bar, where shoppers will be able to order fresh-made salsa and guac. (yeah, really!)

*Much of the wood used inside the store was reclaimed from a barn in Fayetteville. You will also notice some of the store's signs have been made from reused shipping pallets.

*Most of the store's coolers have doors, to cut down on energy waste.

*There are more instructional opportunities. Specifically designated employees will be on hand to answer customer questions about dietary needs or restrictions and cooking, for instance.

*In the bulk food section (which is HUGE) there's a change that a lot of you will want to know about. There are no more plastic bags. Instead the North Raleigh store will use mason jars that require a deposit. Or you can use a paper bag for your items.

*The wine and beer sections have grown substantially. There will be more than 600 wines available at the new store. Likewise, the cheese section boasts more than 400 varieties.

*Since there are so many workers in the area, Whole Foods has planned for big lunch crowds. There are separate bars for hot food, soups and salads, and of course the regular prepared foods coolers, pizza bar, sushi area, etc. In addition to gelato, this store will also serve scoopable, by-the-pound tirimasu and banana pudding.

*On the walls, Chapel Hill artist Phil Blank has been working hard, painting pictures of heirloom apple trees and muscadine grape vines. He also did the artwork on the tops of all the cafe tables.

*And shoppers who are big on refillable items will find dedicated areas now for refilling their dish soap and laundry detergent bottles, and a bulk area for dog food as well in an expanded pet section.

WHEW. That's what I noticed anyway. The store opens Wednesday morning and will be serving free breakfast in the parking lot starting at 7:30. Store hours will be 7 to 10 p.m. daily (that's an hour later than the Wade Avenue store).

And if you just can't wait, Whole Foods is offering some preview tours to the public on Sunday and Monday. In exchange for a $5 donation, which Whole Foods will match and give to the Finley YMCA and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, you can get the same sneak peek that I got today. You will not, however, be able to buy anything. To register for the tours, you must RSVP and book a time slot through this website: http://northraleigh.wholefoodsrsvp.com/index_full.php. It's two people per e-mail address and I hear the spots are filling up fast.

And again, if you want to see my pictures from my tour today, visit my Facebook photo album HERE.