South Weymouth's Johnnie's Foodmaster to Become a Whole Foods
Reports that Whole Foods was interested in the site, along with five others in the Boston area, were true, according to an announcement from Johnnie's Foodmaster.
It's official: Johnnie's Foodmaster on Pleasant Street will become a Whole Foods.
According to an announcement sent by Foodmaster Friday morning, the supermarket chain has agreed to transfer six of its 10 locations in the Boston area to the Texas-based upscale supermarket company.
In addition to the supermarket in South Weymouth, Johnnie's Foodmasters in Somerville, Charlestown, Brookline, Melrose and Arlington, will be transferred to Whole Foods.
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Are you excited about the change? Or are you sad to see Johnnie's go? Let us know by posting a comment below.
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According to the announcement, those supermarkets will likely close sometime before Nov. 30, when the transfer is scheduled to be officially completed.
The announcement says Whole Foods will remodel the buildings and hopes to reopen them at the end of its 2013 fiscal year. Because the company's fiscal year ends at the end of September, that would mean the markets would reopen in late summer or early fall of 2013.
According to a separate announcement from Whole Foods, the two supermarkets are not disclosing the terms of the agreement.
Whole Foods also said: "Whole Foods Market has guaranteed interviews to all Johnnie’s Foodmaster employees at the six acquired locations with the goal of hiring as many as possible."
Johnnie’s is a family-owned grocery store that John DeJesus Sr. started in East Cambridge in 1947. In June, Johnnie’s president, John A. DeJesus, was lauded at an Arlington Board of Selectmen’s meeting for withdrawing his liquor-store license in order to support another small-business owner’s new venture.
Reports that Whole Foods was interested in the Johnnie's Foodmaster sites surfaced in August.
Sam
10:41 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
Why? There is already a Whole Foods 2.5 miles away in Hingham, and it doesn't really fit the demographic of residents who currently live near Johnnie's. We need to organize protest groups to make Whole Foods opening an unwelcome one!!!
Cathy
9:59 am on Saturday, November 3, 2012
I agree with Sam, South Weymouth doesn't need a high priced supermarket! I shop at Johnny's every week, and while I'm there I also stop into CVS and Marshall's. I have been to the Whole Foods in Hingham and left without purchasing anything, it was just too expensive.
I think a lot of Johnny's older customers walk over from the nearby apartment complexes, I can't imagine that anyone on a fixed income will be happy with the addition of Whole Foods. Not to mention the employees of Johnny's who will lose their jobs as the renovations will take nearly a year to complete.
I would prefer that Market Basket replace Johnny's Foodmaster - but regardless - I will be looking for another supermarket and unfortunately in my case, this change will effect the other business's in the Pleasant Shops as welll.
Lauren McQuaid
4:03 pm on Saturday, November 3, 2012
I am thrilled about Whole Foods coming to South Weymouth. Its a great place to shop with wonderful produce and meats. I agree that overall it is pretty expensive, but if you check the circular weekly, you can find good deals. Johnnys is certainly more reasonably priced, but the quality just isnt there and lets face it, its a little grungy inside. I think Whole Foods will give the Pleasant Street Shops a much needed face lift and hopefully draw more folks into its neighboring shops as well. Stop and Shop and Truccis are still right down the road for those who arent jumping on the Whole Foods bandwagon. I welcome the convenience of having these options so close to home.
Mrs. Jones
6:49 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Not a fan of Whole Foods. Visited the WF in Hingham a few times and each time left without anything. A Trader Joe's or Market Basket would do well in that lower income location.
Erin
7:37 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
I find the addition of a Whole Foods in Weymouth to be a good sign that we are moving in the right direction. It is time we, as a nation, take our dwindling health seriously. This will make fresh organic produce, meat, etc., accessible to a larger population and encourage healthier, more conscious eating. And, frankly, South Weymouth is typically on a higher income scale than other areas in Weymouth, so I would fully expect the chain to be well received by the majority of local residents. As a resident in town for 5+ years, I am overjoyed that Weymouth is going up in class.
Kerrie Smith
10:59 am on Sunday, January 20, 2013
I'm so excited for whole foods to be coming to Weymouth! I live in Whitman and I am really dissapointed that the Johnnies here is owned by stop and shop which means whole foods won't be coming here, but Weymouth is better than going all the way to Hingham! And for those of you complaining about higher prices, higher prices also means better quality produce along with a better selection. Why would you ever complain about that?
Diane
1:04 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
We definitely should have a Market Basket in place of Johnnies Foodmaster, not a Whole Foods, in South Weymouth location. There is a Whole Foods only 2.5 miles down the road in Hingham. Market Basket would be the best store to be placed there and it would draw a large amount of people from everywhere. I live in Weymouth and drive to Brockton to go to Market Basket!