Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Bloomberg Opens New UES Whole Foods, Announces 57 Schools Will Get Salad Bars
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 23, 2012
Modified Aug 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 10
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 23, 2012
Modified Aug 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Mayor Bloomberg helped open a brand new—and eagerly anticipated—Whole Foods on East 57th Street between Second and Third Avenues. Even though there was a glut of delicious-looking bread products tempting city officials (buff Health Commissioner Thomas Farley will just burn it off during his runs), the big news was that Whole Foods would be donating 57 salad bars to NYC public schools across the city. Bloomberg said, "Giving every student access to healthy fruit and vegetables is the next step in countering the obesity epidemic and getting kids started on a healthy habit for life. Kids love salad bars in schools—I keep hearing that they are often the first choice for lunch—and this donation from Whole Foods will help bring this delicious and healthy option to more kids."
The salad bars, which are valued at more than $300,000, come from the Austin-based food retailer's Whole Kids Foundation. Notably, the new East 57th Street store is located in a building that will house High School for Art and Design and P.S. 59. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said, "We provide students with healthy and delicious school meals that are low in fat, sodium and calories and thanks to Whole Foods we can add to our inventory of salad bars. Currently, we have more than 1,000 salad bars in our schools and the new donation will ensure that more students will have more options. We have been at the forefront of providing healthy meals. Since 2004, we have replaced whole milk with low-fat milk, white bread with whole wheat and this year we are introducing organic yogurt."
And Bloomberg touted, "Thanks to our pioneering initiatives, New York City has recently defied the national trend and seen an unprecedented decline in childhood obesity."
The Whole Foods is located at 226 East 57th Street—tonight, there's a beer tasting!
Tagged
bread breaking
childhood obesity
east 57th street
mayor bloomberg
midtown east
salad bar
upper east side
Whole Foods
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Why NYC restaurants are playing coy about sustainability
Though it has multiple benefits, the practice remains popular for one basic reason: it saves money.
By
Samantha Dady
Published Oct 26, 2026
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .