Sprouts Farmers Market

Happy May to you! And happy May to West LA, because we have a new grocery store!

Today I (along with a few other local bloggers and media) got to tour the new Sprouts Farmers Market, located on Westwood Boulevard, just north of Sepulveda. Surprisingly, I've never shopped at a Sprouts, though they've popped up all over Southern California in recent years.

The tour today provided a sneak peak at the lovely store and a chance to ask some questions about how Sprouts stocks its shelves.

First, Sprouts is called "Sprouts Farmers Market" because they try to emulate a sense of shopping at a local farmers market, hence the wooden crates and fairly natural light.

Sprouts emphasizes that their specialty is produce, and they certainly do host a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Our lovely "tour guide", Lauren, offered tons of fun facts about the rest of the store too...

Tomorrow the store is hosting a huge grand opening and has crazy sales throughout the store.

Sprouts, like many grocery stores, has their own brand of some foods. We each received a goodie bag today, and these wafers were delicious!

Lauren called this label the "three Nos" - No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. 

Perhaps my favorite part of the store: a bulk spice section, so if you don't want a full jar of a spice you can just grab what you need.

Tons of coffee options, including free samples.

The bulk section truly impressed me--especially the bulk whole wheat flour! Have you ever heard of such a thing?

LOVE this idea--small blocks of cheese to try something new!

A refrigerated bread section for specialty breads and sprouted breads.

A culture I can definitely agree with!

A deli and soup section, complete with Boar's Head meats.

A HUGE Vitamins section--I'm already eager to head back and buy some daily multivitamins, because they have such a wide selection.

(I included this sign partially for an inside joke--my family and our family friends always tell this silly joke about a guy named Arty who murders three people and is paid a buck for it, and then the paper the next day says, "Arty Chokes Three for a Dollar").

Other highlights:

• A bakery, a meat counter with custom-cut meats, and alcohol (coming soon).
• Foods for every lifestyle, from gluten free to vegan to carnivores to splurges.
• A wide range of options for most foods so you can select the brand you like.
• NO loyalty card required--same price for everyone (hallelujah!).

And my honest opinion, based only on my first impression: I love it! I am thrilled to have another grocery store close to our home, and I really can't wait to go back and scour the shelves for all the foods I really love. I already noticed some of my favorite brands, which I can normally only find at specialty stores or Whole Foods:

Overall, I'd say Sprouts is a cross between Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. It has the wide selection and variety of Whole Foods but the awesome prices of Trader Joe's. I imagine I'll still frequent the actual farmers market for most of our produce, but I'm excited to make use of Sprouts' packaged goods that I normally can't find at Trader Joe's.

Our swag bags! So generous of Sprouts to offer some samples. :-) 

Scout had fun with that one...

To find a Sprouts Farmers Market near you, check out their locations. I had a wonderful experience today and look forward to sharing about future visits!

What's your favorite grocery store and why?