Whole Foods Bringing 10K-SF Bodega-Like Shop to Williamsburg

Brooklyn’s bougie base is about to get a bit bougier. 

Whole Foods, the Amazon-owned grocery store chain, is bringing a bodega-like market to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, after signing a 12-year, 10,707-square-foot lease for the ground-floor retail space at 774 Grand Street, according to Crain’s New York Business, which first reported on the lease. 

Dean Marchi, the CEO of building owner Grand Street Development, told Crain’s that Whole Foods is looking to open the store in the fall. Grand Street owns the property with Kamson Corporation. Marchi, Kamson and Whole Foods did not immediately respond to Commercial Observer’s requests for comment. 

Asking rent for the space was not available, but data from the Real Estate Board of New York put the average asking rent for retail space in Williamsburg between $200 and $245 per square foot in December 2024. 

Nick Masson of real estate advisory firm TSCG represented the landlord in the deal, while TSCG also brokered it for the tenant, according to Crain’s. Masson, Grand Street and Whole Foods did not respond to requests for comment.

This isn’t Whole Foods first foray into a smaller store concept. While the brand is known for its giant multifloor grocery outposts, it has also experimented with smaller shops in some areas. Whole Foods opened its first quick-stop store on the Upper East Side in 2024. 

On Wednesday, Whole Foods announced the opening of two more smaller shops. One will be in the East Village’s Stuyvesant Town development and open on May 14, while the other will be located in Hell’s Kitchen and open on June 4.

“Both locations are designed to bring the freshest, high-quality ingredients to customers with a convenience that fits their fast-paced urban lifestyles,” Whole Foods said in its announcement.

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at [email protected].