Whole Foods Co-Founder Launching Restaurant, Wellness Chain

The co-founder of Whole Foods Market has plans to launch a series of vegetarian restaurants and wellness centers after retiring from the grocery chain next month.

As Bloomberg reported Monday (Aug. 8), John Mackey is listed as a partner in Healthy American LLC, which is aiming to launch a national network of restaurants and wellness centers that offer spa and fitness services.

The report refers to an outdated job post that calls Healthy America “an evidence-based lifestyle company, leading the convergence of culinary, healthcare, and wellness. For the first time ever, we are bringing together all three under one roof, to meaningfully transform the health and wellbeing of individuals.”

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The company is led by Whole Foods veterans like CEO Betsy Foster, who left the grocer in 2020. Walter Robb, who was Whole Foods’ co-CEO at the time of his departure in 2017, is another partner in Healthy America, per the report.

The chain’s first location, bearing the brand Love Life!, is expected to open in southern California, a source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The brand’s website teases a 2023 launch, saying the company is “leading the convergence of food, medicine and wellness for a one-stop transformative health experience.”

These developments come at a time when restaurants are increasingly embracing plant-based menu items in a bid to attract younger consumers.

See also: Chipotle Invests in Kitchen Automation, Plant-Based Food

For example, there’s Chipotle, which last month invested in Meati, a Colorado-based company that makes “nutrient-dense whole-food products made from mushroom roots” that are grown indoors away from pollutants, pesticides, antibiotics or growth hormones.

“We are excited to support new ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate through plant-based alternative protein options that mirror Chipotle’s Food With Integrity standards,” Chief Technology Officer Curt Garner said at the time. “Meati is producing responsibly grown plant-based protein that tastes delicious.”