Whole Foods Wheaton moving into former Dominick's space

Whole Foods Market is moving its Wheaton store to the former Dominick's in the Danada East Shopping Center with an eye toward providing more choices for customers in a larger space.

The new location, which is expected to open in late 2016 or early 2017, will provide Whole Foods with 16,000 additional square feet to store more products and offer new services, such as a juice and coffee bar, a pizza stand, more prepared foods and outdoor seating for dining.

The store currently covers 39,000 square feet at 151 Rice Lake Square, where it has operated since 1997. The new 55,000-square-foot location at 91 Danada Square East is less than half a mile away and closer to the intersection of Naperville and Butterfield roads.

"When the opportunity arose to move to a larger location, we couldn't resist," Midwest Regional President Michael Bashaw said in a statement. "After so many years in the smaller location, we felt it was the perfect time to expand and offer our shoppers a brighter, warmer store with more space to gather and meet."

Whole Foods took over seven Chicago area Dominick's stores when they closed in late 2013, including a store in Willowbrook that also was located "around the corner" from an existing Whole Foods. Allison Phelps, spokeswoman for Whole Foods, said the spaces have become unrecognizable to former Dominick's shoppers.

"We don't do cookie-cutter stores," she said. "Each store gets a customized experience. When we acquire a building, we take everything down, to the dirt."

Phelps said the relocation will create new jobs, although it is too early to estimate how many. Plans for closing the old location and opening the new one aren't solidified yet, but Phelps said Whole Foods will "make it as seamless as possible" for customers.

"The idea of them staying in town is wonderful," said Mayor Michael Gresk, adding that he is confident the current Whole Foods location will quickly be filled by another retail use shortly after its closing. "Truly, I think it's just an indication of what a desirable commercial economic environment we have here in Wheaton."