Whole Foods plans store in Chicago’s Englewood

A tony, high-end grocery store chain will open an 18,000-square-foot location in one of Chicago’s most impoverished neighborhoods.

Whole Foods Market is set to announce Wednesday that it plans to open in the Englewood neighborhood on the city’s South Side.

The chain is known mostly for healthy, organic fare. Its location in a poor, often crime-plagued neighborhood is aimed at reducing so-called “food deserts,” where grocery stores are scarce.

Alderwoman JoAnn Thompson tells The Chicago Sun-Times that Whole Foods would be the first new grocery store in her ward in at least three decades.

The chain’s co-CEO is Walter Robb. He says the location is part of the company’s belief that “fresh, healthy food choices, along with information and education about food, should be accessible for all communities.”