Another day, another inference to @ryankanno. Today, I wore my VH07V shirt, designed and distributed by World Wide Ed.
Then it hit me! Thinking back, I was introduced to Ed by none other than Mr. Kanno. Don’t you get the feel that @ryankanno is the center of the universe, and we’re all bodies orbiting around him?
The Grand Opening of Whole Foods Market Kailua was madness, but at the start of Day 2, the store looked ready to handle the crowds. Here are a few photos of the local foods offered and some other stuff you might not have noticed.
Dancing with the Stars, Season 14, is giving you and me, the viewers, everything we want. Want more skin? Jaleel opens up shirt, Derek Hough takes off his shirt, and William Levy is well, William Levy. For the ladies, Peta’s dress was hardly there and Katherine Jenkins’ legs in that dress – wow.
And you know if the judges get what they want, it’ll benefit us. What do I mean? With the addition of the dance off for the bottom two, the judges can “save” the better dancers. This means that unless two heavyweights are in the bottom, we are going to get the ultimate Finals. That would be repeat champions Derek Hough (Seasons 7, 10, 11), Cheryl Burke (Seasons 2 & 3), and Mark Ballas (Seasons 6 & 8 ) going against each other for Mirrorball bragging rights. That would be an unforgettable mix of choreography, skill, and performance! Don’t forget about two-time champion Kym Johnson who has a chance with Urkel, and Donald Driver’s championship drive that could find him a spot in the Finals.
My favorites from Week 5. It used to be favorite (singular), but with all the great performances, I now have weekly favorites (plural).
Derek and Maria definitely did kiss in their sexy salsa.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said Katherine Jenkins has the best legs. See for yourself.
Cheryl Burke knows how to strategize William’s image to a victory.
Whole Foods Market Kailua opened today seeing more than 600 shoppers in the first hour! I wonder if any opening day sales were set by this Grand Opening?
Passing by the store after work, it was still bustling with crowds. No, I didn’t go inside, but as I drove past the entrance, you could see the shoppers streaming in and out. And the parking situation? It was pure parkemonium! Hmmm, that’s a good word for UrbanDictionary.
Actually, I take it back. Thursday will be sheer parkemonium. Along with those checking out WFM Kailua, the always-busy Farmers Market happens on Thursdays. So the already bad parking situation will be acerbated by vendors occupying precious parking stalls.
Since this is the week of @ryankanno, I’ll associate/blame him for this Whole Foods madness as well. I’m sure at some point in time, he must have said something about the organic food offerings at Whole Foods being delish or AMAZING.
It all started with a tofu katsu.
While searching for recommendations at Sam’s Delicatessen, I came across @ryankanno’s recommended dish, the tofu katsu.
So we ordered it. Yeah, pretty good for a vegetarian dish.
Then Monday. I’m in a training class with other former Kanno coworkers. Hmmm.
Then Tuesday. While in class, a scruffy guy walks by. It’s none other than @parkrat who I was introduced to by Mr. Kanno.
That’s three days, and three inferences to Ryan. Is it some kind of sign? Wonder what the rest of the week will bring?
Awww, it was right there. The 98.5 Wake Up Crew coming down the court. Rory, playing the role of Chris Paul, was leading the break. Then there was the lob to Blake Griffin aka Gregg Hammer for the throwdown.
Robert “Crazimero” singing Elton John’s greatest hits – I ride the dongs!
My iphone had Voice Memos fired up, and I had it all recorded. But… I took my iPhone to the Apple Genius Bar to get checked out. They asked if I wanted to reset my phone and I said yes – losing this morning’s I Ride the Dongs. Boo! 🙁
But if you want to hear it historically, here’s an older version.
Even before its grand opening, the Whole Foods Market Kailua location is getting love on Hipster.com, specifically for it huge interior wooden sign.
This picture was taken on the recent Preview Party, but you can see the sign for yourself starting today.
The biography of Steve Jobs is popular, even in Hong Kong.
I wonder how you translate, “Boom!”
Before the Grand Opening of Whole Foods Market in Kailua, the store hosted a preview party to catch a peek at Oahu’s second location. This preview party is a limited engagement before the store publicly opens its doors on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. Here’s Robin of the Leadership team welcoming our preview tour.
First off, this store is big! It’s noticeably bigger than the Kahala location.
The reason for this? WFM Kahala had to squeeze into the space vacated by Star Market. The Kailua location was a new space, designed with everything Whole Foods wanted. Like what?
There’s a bar, and yes, alcohol is served. There’s going to be Happy Hour specials where you can get a beer and a slice of pizza for a few bucks. Whole pizzas are available for takeout, and every Wednesday (I think) there’s discounted prices. Sorry, I don’t have all the details, but I couldn’t follow everything while taking pictures, recording videos, updating Twitter, and listening to all the Team Leaders.
What else… How about the Kailua location is the only WFM in the nation to serve shave ice. Yup, the local cold treat is on their menu, supplied by flavors from OnoPops. Twelve Hawaii-based coffee vendors supplies Whole Foods with their beans, and something about Portuguese sausage smoked in-house. I’m no poultry expert but for some reason, chicken is flown in to sell since it’s supposedly fresher? I don’t quite understand how that’s fresher than local poultry, but I’m sure it’s explainable. The bakery bakes its own goods daily, partnering with Bale for the dough for some baked goods. I’m liking the red display case for the baked goods. Might be the only place in the store that you’ll see this striking red contrasting color.
If you’re looking for unpasteurized eggs or raw milk, sorry, you won’t find these products here. They aren’t legal in Hawaii.
The fresh produce section tries to stock and sell only organic fruits and vegetables but even with this core value, Whole Foods has to offer more traditionally grown produce. They simply can’t stock non-organic fruits and vegetables that customers are looking for. Doesn’t make for good business you know?
Like I initially mentioned, this location is huge. Step aside Kahala, I see the new hangout for on-island celebrities. The open ceilings add to the vastness and the unfinished look for the ceilings work. Walking in from the Kailua Road entrance leads you right to the bar, the deli, bakery, coffee stand, and juice bar (which I don’t think other WFMs have). The outdoor seating area has these very cool tables. I’m not sure what material they’re constructed from, but that turquoise transparency is something you have to see (and feel). Could it be something from 3Form?
The store interior is adorned with a palette of colors and shapes. If you can, take a moment to look around. Yeah, it’ll be hard once the store is open for business and shoppers are bustling about, but look at the colors, the curves, and the overall decorative touches – such detail. And you can’t miss that huge wooden sign over the meat section.
While you’re shopping, eating, or hanging out, Whole Foods will keep you connected. There’s free Wifi service that extends way out to the parking lot. Just accept the Terms of Use, and the Internet is yours.
Speaking of parking lot, electric vehicle owners get a prime spot to charge up while shopping. One of the nearest parking stalls is meant for EV cars.
Again, the Grand Opening date is Wednesday, April 18, 2012. You can keep up with WFM Kailua on Facebook and on Twitter.
The one question I forgot to ask? When is Top Chef coming to town to film a season in Hawaii?
I’m sure I missed a lot, but here are some pictures to help tell the story.
