Overheard Whole foods kitchen cook saying...

[ElizabethM]

I could'nt help but over stop dead in my tracks when I heard the cook, perhaps even the full time main cook ( I hesitate to call her a chef !)
saying to another prep person
"I dont want to make that more than once in a week, its still good, what the hell"

I dont know about you but , I often feel that I have been fed POOR QUALITY food from their deli/kitchen.
I often feel that Whole Foods doesnt really give a shit about our feedback, our needs or our suggestions ...but...this really caught my attention and inspired me to stir up some shit.

Anyone want to join me in a COMMENTS TO THE MANAGER FESTIVAL.
Lets create a stink to get their attention.
This particular employee, who I see regularly does not appear healthy, vibrant, alive with good energy. I wonder if she values health, wellness, awareness, and food quality. I seriously doubt she eats the food there or cares much about the quality or standards which she personally might not relate to. I have a fantasy projection that she perhaps even scoffs at us, the customers, for paying such prices for the food she prepares but does not value. She was taking potatoes straight from the bag and putting them right into the slicer, without washing them ( were they prewashed in the 20lb burlap bag ?)
I really dont want to be judgmental, but I have a strong need to pay
(more) attention to what I put in my body...pesticides, vibrations, energies, freshness, heigen, cleanliness etc. I think we deserve to be heard, and respected for what we support with our dollars.
Oh and of course, let us remember to remember to support LOCALLY OWNED BUISNESES !!!

have a nice day people

[ElizabethM]

oopsie forgot the sprell check.
i wouldnt want to become renowned in all the land, like someone else we know for being the bad speller of the village.

nighty night

[Geni Houston]

Wow - you probably just that gal fired. Nice in this 10% unemployment climate. Why do you shop there if the food in the deli is "poor quality"?

You need to complain, sure, but how about a note to the manager instead of a tri-county deframation?

[sapphire]

Temple Keeper

The only thing you need to do is to keep your own temple clean, and this has nothing to do with defaming another on a public forum.
Think about it!

I could'nt help but over stop dead in my tracks when I heard the cook, perhaps even the full time main cook ( I hesitate to call her a chef !)
saying to another prep person
"I dont want to make that more than once in a week, its still good, what the hell"

I dont know about you but , I often feel that I have been fed POOR QUALITY food from their deli/kitchen.
I often feel that Whole Foods doesnt really give a shit about our feedback, our needs or our suggestions ...but...this really caught my attention and inspired me to stir up some shit.

Anyone want to join me in a COMMENTS TO THE MANAGER FESTIVAL.
Lets create a stink to get their attention.
This particular employee, who I see regularly does not appear healthy, vibrant, alive with good energy. I wonder if she values health, wellness, awareness, and food quality. I seriously doubt she eats the food there or cares much about the quality or standards which she personally might not relate to. I have a fantasy projection that she perhaps even scoffs at us, the customers, for paying such prices for the food she prepares but does not value. She was taking potatoes straight from the bag and putting them right into the slicer, without washing them ( were they prewashed in the 20lb burlap bag ?)
I really dont want to be judgmental, but I have a strong need to pay
(more) attention to what I put in my body...pesticides, vibrations, energies, freshness, heigen, cleanliness etc. I think we deserve to be heard, and respected for what we support with our dollars.
Oh and of course, let us remember to remember to support LOCALLY OWNED BUISNESES !!!

have a nice day people

[Peace Voyager]

I got real sick from a bad tuna sandwich from WF Seb. It took me a looong time before my body would even let me go near the deli counter.

I have had more than one bad experience with the deli, staff. Often they are just neutral; I rarely see real friendliness.

Some checkers are very nice; others ok; not often do I have a hard time with them.

You are right, paying high prices leaves us feeling like we also want really good service, as well as, quality ingredients.

I do move my business when I'm not getting good service or products; usually only after I've voiced why I'm not satisfied, and given them a chance to correct it.

I like to shop local; quality service and products for a fair price needs to be the standard, no matter the HQ location.

With the job market so tight; it's important for all employees to be extra friendly. Unpleasant workers who interact with customers, do not have a right to keep a job if they routinely deliver unsatisfactory service.

Management will not always know how it's going if dissatisfaction is not relayed.

Keeping food longer than is safe may be a consequence of the economy squeeze; we all need to increase our awareness of. It's likely not limited to Whole Foods.

I do have concerns about possible leaks in WF lateral sewer lines, from the smell, and cracks in areas of the floor, these may be indication of some leaks.

One more note to management/owners here; if your store has litter outside of it; many people may think it's an indication of the quality inside.

Note to customers: we could probably all do better at not littering and being more friendly ourselves. Make it easy for them to want to give good service.

I have a small challenge for all customer service folks, can you find another greeting besides, "how are you today"? I may not be fine; may not want to lie, or tell you the truth. Let "how" we are be for us to share with friends/family/shrinks etc.

Peace ya'll!

I could'nt help but over stop dead in my tracks when I heard the cook, perhaps even the full time main cook ( I hesitate to call her a chef !)
saying to another prep person
"I dont want to make that more than once in a week, its still good, what the hell"

I dont know about you but , I often feel that I have been fed POOR QUALITY food from their deli/kitchen.
I often feel that Whole Foods doesnt really give a shit about our feedback, our needs or our suggestions ...but...this really caught my attention and inspired me to stir up some shit.

Anyone want to join me in a COMMENTS TO THE MANAGER FESTIVAL.
Lets create a stink to get their attention.
This particular employee, who I see regularly does not appear healthy, vibrant, alive with good energy. I wonder if she values health, wellness, awareness, and food quality. I seriously doubt she eats the food there or cares much about the quality or standards which she personally might not relate to. I have a fantasy projection that she perhaps even scoffs at us, the customers, for paying such prices for the food she prepares but does not value. She was taking potatoes straight from the bag and putting them right into the slicer, without washing them ( were they prewashed in the 20lb burlap bag ?)
I really dont want to be judgmental, but I have a strong need to pay
(more) attention to what I put in my body...pesticides, vibrations, energies, freshness, heigen, cleanliness etc. I think we deserve to be heard, and respected for what we support with our dollars.
Oh and of course, let us remember to remember to support LOCALLY OWNED BUISNESES !!!

have a nice day people

[troutski]

I could'nt help but over stop dead in my tracks when I heard the cook, perhaps even the full time main cook ( I hesitate to call her a chef !)
saying to another prep person
"I dont want to make that more than once in a week, its still good, what the hell"

I dont know about you but , I often feel that I have been fed POOR QUALITY food from their deli/kitchen.
I often feel that Whole Foods doesnt really give a shit about our feedback, our needs or our suggestions ...but...this really caught my attention and inspired me to stir up some shit.

Anyone want to join me in a COMMENTS TO THE MANAGER FESTIVAL.
Lets create a stink to get their attention.

I really dont want to be judgmental, but I have a strong need to pay
(more) attention to what I put in my body...pesticides, vibrations, energies, freshness, heigen, cleanliness etc. I think we deserve to be heard, and respected for what we support with our dollars.
Oh and of course, let us remember to remember to support LOCALLY OWNED BUISNESES !!!

have a nice day people

How about YOU take Responsibility for what YOU heard, and talk to the manager. Creating a lynch mob on hear say is not my idea of being responsible.

Don't ask others to do your bidding.....

[boomerfashion]

I don't make a habit of responding to posts that are so mean spirited and self serving; however this posting disturbed me. I am not going to defend Whole Foods; it's not the issue. You should clearly not shop there as I would bet that you are loaded for bear just walking in the door. I do think, however, if you have an ax to grind, why not take it to management at the store, rather than trying to gather support for your opinion on a public forum?These are hard times for everyone. Call me crazy but a little compassion goes a long way.Furthermore, I would hope you would have something more productive to do with your time than to trash some person who may have had disturbing news, a bad day, or something else that is invisible to you, who appear to me to be a spoiled, self indulgent Whole Foods shopper? How lucky are you that you can even afford to make the choice to shop there.

[kit-kit]

Prices of the entire Whole Foods store are obscenely high.

Fircrest Market has a good deli and excellent customer service credo reflected by the locally-owned management. Take your good-natured purchasing power there!

Andy's Market has extensive deli, prices are high reflecting the cost of labor and packaging.

G&G Market has a good deli-land and prices are reasonable.

Personally, i simply will not shop at what used to be Fiesta Market (again due to the obscenely high prices, i.e. over $8 for a salad).

[ElizabethM]

Thank you for all the reflection, both the criticism and the appreciation.
I apologize for coming off as a mean spirited, and would love to clarify a few things. I was not as clear,or careful as I should have been nor as accurate or detailed. I have been a food professional for over 25 years. I am a perceptive human being with a sassy spirit,often one who will stand up,risk public critism,judgment,and scrutiny, for the greater good. This incident at WF was the one that broke the camels back for me personally.
WHAT I MEANT TO SAY BUT DIDNT WAS
I had just had a conversation with someone about having discovered that WF heats some of their soups up in plastic bags! Now, some of you may not care, while others were up in arms about it and having a heated discussion about how unhealthy that can be given what we know about plastics etc.The conversation included other comments and grievances about their practices, and how it was not meeting their/our needs for clean, conscious, healthy food despite its convenience and natural/health food guise.
Because this person may or may not write a letter or talk to someone at WF, I had my attention on making a statement about my own experience, and encouraging others to do so as well, as a conscious act of change making and empowerment.
WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS
If YOU find something worthy of comment, do it.
If YOU have a beef, write a letter.
If YOU find something amiss at WF, talk to the management.
If YOUR food is not up to par, take it back.
Let them know that we are paying attention, and that we care.
I really did not mean to spur people to join my beef, but rather take a stand, make a comment, write that letter, talk to the manager.( again, I realize my post was laced with piss and vinegar,and I quite honestly do have judgments about some of those kitchen staffers)
Its easy perhaps in this day and age, to feel powerless and defeated, frustrated and hopeless. Some things may never change, others absolutely will if we are willing to take the time, go out of our way, take some risks and make our statements.
WELL BEHAVED WOMEN RARELY MAKE HISTORY !!
1)"what the hell" approach in food service is reason to be concerned.
this was not hearsay, I was standing right there at the hot bar.
the exact quote was "I don’t feel like makin it more than once a week, its still good, what the hell"..while loading unwashed potatoes in the slicer.
2)This was not a single incident, I have witnessed marginal food handling, and watched with concern many times before. I’ve had poor service, poor food and poor attitudes many times before. I have come to expect that from some, not all, at WF. I have spoken with management at various occasions.(I was told at one point...frankly I might add " WF is not a health food store, they have no intention of catering to anyone’s, or the communities, natural foods needs, they are intent on the widest market possible and the greatest profit possible.( this manager was an acquaintance, who spoke quite honestly to me,he has since moved one)
4)Not washing the vegetables because they don’t feel like it. Is reason for concern.
5)The full time cooks and management in the kitchen send that message through the staff, that the "what the hell, I don’t feel like it" approach is standard operating protocol. The staff sees and hears that and act accordingly to those standards set by the leaders. This is reason for concern.
I do hear that the WF kitchen policies are not really the point of peoples responses, They are well taken, thank you.
I will say that complacency will not get us where we want to go in the greater scheme of things. Plenty people bitch and moan and never write a letter. Plenty people just go along with things because they feel powerless to change it.
Plenty people sit at their computers and jump on others who stand up, make comments and take a stand for change, from the anonymous comfort of their keyboards.
Someone reported getting sick on Tuna from WF.
Another responded that the just don’t eat there anymore because they often feel that the kitchen staff appear to "not give a shit"...seem to be unhappy in their job, are not kind and gracious in serving them, and ta da..not very welcoming of, or interested in feedback or suggestions!!
I know that if some people dont ever get feedback, direction or reason to step up...they wont. Im not out to get this person fired but I can tell you that she, and others need to pay attention to when quality, standards, or protocol starts to slide. Its DANGEROUS business that can get people very sick. They need to know that they are being witnessed by a community of people who care about things and wont roll over and accept marginal standards and dangerous practices by some who perhaps have gotten bit laxed,lazy,or simply are untrained and/or unqualified.. Perhaps some are not well placed according to their skill level, values, qualifications or attitudes.

I recently took a risk to speak to the owner of a restaurant in town, about my, and others, experience eating there. He was VERY GRATEFUL that I took the time to give him my feedback and suggestions. He was experiencing frustration and challenges and not sure why biz was so down. I understand food service and the challenges, and gave him great suggestions and ideas. There is great opportunity if people are paying attention and interested in the feedback the universe is providing. I easily could have said nothing and never gone back, like several of my friends. I want them to succeed.

Thank you for allowing me to witess my own judgment, and as well for the chance to explain a bit more clearly what had prompted me to stir the pot...and encourage others to do so as well. I appreciate those of you who are well behaved and those of you who are not.

[troutski]

Thank you for all the reflection, both the criticism and the appreciation.
I apologize for coming off as a mean spirited, and would love to clarify a few things.
Thank you for allowing me to witess my own judgment, and as well for the chance to explain a bit more clearly what had prompted me to stir the pot...and encourage others to do so as well. I appreciate those of you who are well behaved and those of you who are not.

Thanks for the clarification, I apologize if I was one of the not well behaved in my response.

As an aside, I wouldn't eat anything from that deli even if I could afford it. The few times I have been in there and observed, it's made my skin crawl.
I've been in the food industry since the 70's, and I am still amazed at what goes on in "grocery" delis...

Troutski

[Oriental Rose]

If you've tried other delis in Sebastopol, you might go back again to W.F. as you can choose something that is not so rich with cheese and sauces. I usually just get a chicken thigh and salad. You know the best food is the food you make at home yourself.

[farmgirl]

Personally, I rarely (like once a year or less) shop at Whole Foods for all of the reasons people have posted in these threads. If I *have* to go to a grocery store, I would rather spend my food dollars at Oliver's Market, which to my knowledge is still locally owned, and the staff there always treats me well. Or better yet, Community Market, which is employee owned and *is* a health food store. I thank you Temple Keeper for bringing up something that needs attention. Poor sanitation and safety when it comes to food can kill people, and should always be taken seriously. As far as I am concerned, everyone who has a job in this "10% unemployment" time should step up and act like they value that job. There are plenty of deserving people with good customer service skills and proper sanitation and safety training out here looking for a job. Why should any of us have to tolerate feeling like we are inconveniencing an employee by patronizing their business?

That said, the Farmers Market at the Vets bldg in Santa Rosa is year round and the farmers and growers are always grateful for business. If you are really serious about putting healthy good energy into your body you should be shopping there, not at Whole Foods.

Blessed Be.

Thank you for all the reflection, both the criticism and the appreciation.
I apologize for coming off as a mean spirited, and would love to clarify a few things. I was not as clear,or careful as I should have been nor as accurate or detailed. I have been a food professional for over 25 years. I am a perceptive human being with a sassy spirit,often one who will stand up,risk public critism,judgment,and scrutiny, for the greater good. This incident at WF was the one that broke the camels back for me personally.
WHAT I MEANT TO SAY BUT DIDNT WAS
I had just had a conversation with someone about having discovered that WF heats some of their soups up in plastic bags! Now, some of you may not care, while others were up in arms about it and having a heated discussion about how unhealthy that can be given what we know about plastics etc.The conversation included other comments and grievances about their practices, and how it was not meeting their/our needs for clean, conscious, healthy food despite its convenience and natural/health food guise.
Because this person may or may not write a letter or talk to someone at WF, I had my attention on making a statement about my own experience, and encouraging others to do so as well, as a conscious act of change making and empowerment.
WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS
If YOU find something worthy of comment, do it.
If YOU have a beef, write a letter.
If YOU find something amiss at WF, talk to the management.
If YOUR food is not up to par, take it back.
Let them know that we are paying attention, and that we care.
I really did not mean to spur people to join my beef, but rather take a stand, make a comment, write that letter, talk to the manager.( again, I realize my post was laced with piss and vinegar,and I quite honestly do have judgments about some of those kitchen staffers)
Its easy perhaps in this day and age, to feel powerless and defeated, frustrated and hopeless. Some things may never change, others absolutely will if we are willing to take the time, go out of our way, take some risks and make our statements.
WELL BEHAVED WOMEN RARELY MAKE HISTORY !!
1)"what the hell" approach in food service is reason to be concerned.
this was not hearsay, I was standing right there at the hot bar.
the exact quote was "I don’t feel like makin it more than once a week, its still good, what the hell"..while loading unwashed potatoes in the slicer.
2)This was not a single incident, I have witnessed marginal food handling, and watched with concern many times before. I’ve had poor service, poor food and poor attitudes many times before. I have come to expect that from some, not all, at WF. I have spoken with management at various occasions.(I was told at one point...frankly I might add " WF is not a health food store, they have no intention of catering to anyone’s, or the communities, natural foods needs, they are intent on the widest market possible and the greatest profit possible.( this manager was an acquaintance, who spoke quite honestly to me,he has since moved one)
4)Not washing the vegetables because they don’t feel like it. Is reason for concern.
5)The full time cooks and management in the kitchen send that message through the staff, that the "what the hell, I don’t feel like it" approach is standard operating protocol. The staff sees and hears that and act accordingly to those standards set by the leaders. This is reason for concern.
I do hear that the WF kitchen policies are not really the point of peoples responses, They are well taken, thank you.
I will say that complacency will not get us where we want to go in the greater scheme of things. Plenty people bitch and moan and never write a letter. Plenty people just go along with things because they feel powerless to change it.
Plenty people sit at their computers and jump on others who stand up, make comments and take a stand for change, from the anonymous comfort of their keyboards.
Someone reported getting sick on Tuna from WF.
Another responded that the just don’t eat there anymore because they often feel that the kitchen staff appear to "not give a shit"...seem to be unhappy in their job, are not kind and gracious in serving them, and ta da..not very welcoming of, or interested in feedback or suggestions!!
I know that if some people dont ever get feedback, direction or reason to step up...they wont. Im not out to get this person fired but I can tell you that she, and others need to pay attention to when quality, standards, or protocol starts to slide. Its DANGEROUS business that can get people very sick. They need to know that they are being witnessed by a community of people who care about things and wont roll over and accept marginal standards and dangerous practices by some who perhaps have gotten bit laxed,lazy,or simply are untrained and/or unqualified.. Perhaps some are not well placed according to their skill level, values, qualifications or attitudes.

I recently took a risk to speak to the owner of a restaurant in town, about my, and others, experience eating there. He was VERY GRATEFUL that I took the time to give him my feedback and suggestions. He was experiencing frustration and challenges and not sure why biz was so down. I understand food service and the challenges, and gave him great suggestions and ideas. There is great opportunity if people are paying attention and interested in the feedback the universe is providing. I easily could have said nothing and never gone back, like several of my friends. I want them to succeed.

Thank you for allowing me to witess my own judgment, and as well for the chance to explain a bit more clearly what had prompted me to stir the pot...and encourage others to do so as well. I appreciate those of you who are well behaved and those of you who are not.

[kit-kit]

One of the things I still admire about Julia Child was her unabashed love of good, thoughtfully well-made food and her unapologetic way of sweeping aside admonitions such as ...thou shalt not eat butter or cream... by substituting her enjoyment of the essence of same and sharing a philosophy of taking all things in moderation.

Even though she was a tall woman, she lived nearly to her ninety-second birthday, an astonishing accomplishment.

["Mad" Miles]

...Or better yet, Community Market, which is employee owned and *is* a health food store....

Farm Girl,

I agree with pretty much everything you wrote, but for the record, Community Market is not worker owned. It is worker managed.

After perusing their website, it isn't clear if it is "owned" by anyone. See the links on their site (imbedded above) for what they have to say, and not say, about it. I assume they have some kind of non-profit corporate legal status, but that is not clear from their site.

It is my place for the best OJ (Columbia Gorge, yeah!) to be had in SonomaCo and to check in with my peeps there, at Gaia's Garden and the Last Record Store.

Zut!

"Mad" Miles

[kpage9]

Tallness is a life-shortener?
kp

Even though she was a tall woman, she lived nearly to her ninety-second birthday, an astonishing accomplishment.

[Dandelion]

Thank you, thank you!

What has not been mentioned yet is how Canola oil is in almost All prepared foods at Whole paycheck.

Canola Oil - Health Hazard

Almost feels like a conspiracy.....

I just recovered from the worst case of food poisoning Ever, not sure from where, but someplace that was definitely not paying enough attention.

So by all means, keep misbehavin

Personally, I rarely (like once a year or less) shop at Whole Foods for all of the reasons people have posted in these threads. If I *have* to go to a grocery store, I would rather spend my food dollars at Oliver's Market, which to my knowledge is still locally owned, and the staff there always treats me well. Or better yet, Community Market, which is employee owned and *is* a health food store. I thank you Temple Keeper for bringing up something that needs attention. Poor sanitation and safety when it comes to food can kill people, and should always be taken seriously. As far as I am concerned, everyone who has a job in this "10% unemployment" time should step up and act like they value that job. There are plenty of deserving people with good customer service skills and proper sanitation and safety training out here looking for a job. Why should any of us have to tolerate feeling like we are inconveniencing an employee by patronizing their business?

That said, the Farmers Market at the Vets bldg in Santa Rosa is year round and the farmers and growers are always grateful for business. If you are really serious about putting healthy good energy into your body you should be shopping there, not at Whole Foods.

Blessed Be.

[kit-kit]

". . . However, animal and human data suggest that larger body size independently reduces longevity. . . "

Generally though I detest hearsay, this is what I've heard...so I embarked on locating some facts. Here is only one citation:

Height, body size, and longevity: is smaller better for the humanbody?

In dogs, the larger the canine breed (i.e. Great Dane) the shorter the life span.

Tallness is a life-shortener?
kp

[Zeno Swijtink]

". . . However, animal and human data suggest that larger body size independently reduces longevity. . . "

Generally though I detest hearsay, this is what I've heard...so I embarked on locating some facts. Here is only one citation:

Height, body size, and longevity: is smaller better for the humanbody?

In dogs, the larger the canine breed (i.e. Great Dane) the shorter the life span.

The Townsend Letter of February-March, 2008 also has a good discussion of this:
https://www.synexdiet.com/resources/...ry-March08.pdf

[kpage9]

Oy. "Tall" and "tan" bite the dust; next thing you know it'll be bad for us to be "young" and "lovely".

(note to Clancy: the quotation marks are quite deliberate here; note to mystified others: this is from the refrain of an old song.)

". . . However, animal and human data suggest that larger body size independently reduces longevity. . . "

Generally though I detest hearsay, this is what I've heard...so I embarked on locating some facts. Here is only one citation:

Height, body size, and longevity: is smaller better for the humanbody?

In dogs, the larger the canine breed (i.e. Great Dane) the shorter the life span.