The New South End Whole Foods Will Have a Spa and Smoothie Bar

Yes, please.

All photos by Heather McCready for Whole Foods.

The spa. All photos by Heather McCready for Whole Foods.

The city of Boston is getting a brand new spa, complete with manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, hot shaves for the fellas, a shoe shine station, and good-for-you products. This luxe spa also has a 110-space parking lot (!!!), a coffee bar, a smoothie and juice bar, and 50,000 sq. ft. filled with some of the most nutritious and healthy foods in the world. Did we mention that it just happens to be inside a Whole Foods?

South End and Southie residents are rejoicing now that the brand new Whole Foods is set to open Friday in the spot where the former Herald building once stood. And even though Boston has Whole Foods locations in the Symphony neighborhood—a charming, round store—and in Charles River Plaza in Beacon Hill, reps are calling this massive location “Boston’s flagship” Whole Foods Market.

Mayor Marty Walsh will be on-hand for the official “bread breaking ceremony” Friday, which is Whole Foods’ version of a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and has been held at the opening of every Whole Foods store in the world.

In addition to the usual suspects of highly-vetted food products, body care products, and local vendors, this Whole Foods also features Milk + Honey, an Austin-based spa (Austin is also home to Whole Foods’ global headquarters) that focuses on healing, wellness, and relaxation through natural and organic products.

“This is our first spa in our region,” says Heather McCready, public relations manager for Whole Foods’ North Atlantic Region. “When the idea came up, we met with a number of spas and our core values aligned really well with Milk + Honey.”

Another perk to the new store is that this location will sell wine and beer, and will be the first location in Massachusetts to sell spirits. “This is the first store in Mass. that will be selling spirits, and there’s only one other in New England [in Maine],” McCready says. “There’s an extensive craft beer selection and more than 1500 SKUs of wine, including a whole wall of wines that have been rated 90-plus.”

Although this location will be much larger than the others in Boston, it’s 10,000 fewer square feet than the colossal Dedham store, yet will feature amenities like an organic protein powder station where you can fill up a cup or a whole bag of protein powders without wasteful packaging. “We provide a plastic bag because you can’t bring in your own containers because of health codes,” McCready says, adding that you can take enough for one smoothie or a whole month of smoothies.

The body care section also got an upgrade, and McCready says that the South End store will offer the most expansive makeup selection in the region. “We believe that what you put on your body is as important as what you put in your body,” she says. “We want to help our customers take care of themselves. Our premium body care products are never tested on animals, and we have an entire list of banned ingredients available on the website.”

348 Harrison Ave., 617-904-1000, wholefoodsmarket.com

The organic protein station.

The organic protein station.

Just a small taste of the vast makeup section.

Just a small taste of the vast makeup section.