Whole Foods Market opened its doors in Manatee County for the first time Thursday, Nov. 5, drawing crowds to a 42,000-square-foot store in the Lakewood Ranch area.

Shoppers lined up before 8 a.m. at The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour, 7295 State Road 64 E., Your Observer reported. Within minutes of opening, the aisles were packed.

Panther Ridge resident Libby MacVicar was among the first customers in line. MacVicar's 3-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Vicar, was in tow carrying the complimentary tote bag handed out to the store's first 300 customers. Those early arrivals also received a Secret Saver coupon with savings up to $100, according to Bradenton Magazine.

The store is the brand's 40th location in Florida. It carries more than 450 items sourced from within the state, including raw and unfiltered orange blossom honey, Your Observer reported. Chocolates from Norman Love Confections in Fort Myers and beer from Tampa Bay Brewing Co. are among the local products, according to the Business Observer.

Dustin Kennedy, the chain's forager for local and emerging brands, helped source the Florida product lineup, according to a Whole Foods Market statement published by Bradenton Magazine.

What's inside

The store features full-service meat and seafood counters, a cheese counter staffed by trained cheesemongers, and a bakery. The prepared foods section includes hot food and salad bars, pizza, gourmet sandwiches and fresh-rolled sushi.

An extensive beverage section stocks more than 650 wines and 250 craft beers. Local breweries on the shelves include St. Petersburg's Green Bench Brewing Co. and Tampa-based Coppertail Brewing Co., according to the Business Observer.

To mark the opening, Whole Foods Market said it will provide food and monetary donations to Good Neighbors, a food pantry that collects surplus food from local Whole Foods Market stores.

The store is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The Amazon-owned grocer is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

What's next

The Heritage Harbour plaza near Interstate 75 and State Road 64 E. is still growing. The Bradenton Herald reported that additional tenants planned for the shopping center include Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, Sephora, Lucky Goat Coffee Co. and Qdoba Mexican Eats.