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Whole Foods Agrees To Buy Leases Of 6 Johnnie's Foodmaster Locations
A small family-owned Massachusetts grocery store chain has agreed to sell the leases to six of its 10 locations to Whole Foods Market Inc.
Chelsea-based Johnnie's Foodmaster says it will close all six locations before the closing date on Nov. 30. Whole Foods intends to remodel each location, with the goal of reopening all six stores before the end of its 2013 fiscal year.
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- 35 Pleasant St. in South Weymouth
- 808 Massachusetts Ave. in Arlington
- 51 Austin St. in Charlestown
- 1026 Beacon St. in Brookline
- 880 Main St. in Melrose
- 45 Beacon St. in Somerville
-Read Whole Foods' statement on the deal-
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The six leases include South Weymouth, Arlington, Charlestown, Brookline, Melrose, and the Beacon Street location in Somerville. The locations average 31,000 square feet.
Whole Foods Market, which is based in Austin, Texas, doesn't expect the transaction to significantly affect sales or earnings for fiscal year 2013.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but as part of the deal, Whole Foods has guaranteed interviews to all Johnnie's Foodmaster employees at the six acquired locations with the goal of hiring as many as possible.
Johnnie's President John DeJesus said the opportunity to sell to a company like Whole Foods made a tough decision much easier.
This program aired on October 26, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.