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Whole Foods is the first store to open at The Mercato “lifestyle center” off U.S. 41, north of Vanderbilt Beach Road.

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On Friday morning at 7am, people began lining up outside Whole Foods at the Mercado for the Grand Opening. Once inside, the aisles were crowded with customers and shopping carts like this traffic jam in the produce department caused by a pineapple sampling case. Jennifer Whitney/ staff
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On Friday morning at 7am, people began lining up outside Whole Foods at the Mercado for the Grand Opening. Once inside, shoppers like John Beason, left, and Vera Mangone, center, enjoyed free French press coffee among other samples. Jennifer Whitney/ staff
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People were overwhelmed by the selection in the new Whole Foods at the Mercado during the Grand Opening. The gourmet dessert case is one of many specialties the store offers. Jennifer Whitney/ staff
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On Friday morning at 7am, people began lining up outside Whole Foods at the Mercado for the Grand Opening. Members from the construction team raised the "Now Open" sign just before the 9am opening as the crowd looked on. Jennifer Whitney/ staff
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On Friday morning at 7 a.m., people began lining up outside Whole Foods at the Mercado for the grand opening. A Whole Foods team member passed out pamphlets with discount deals and schedules for the weekend events in an attempt to keep the crowd happy until the doors opened at 9 a.m. Jennifer Whitney/ staff
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On Friday morning at 7 a.m., people began lining up outside Whole Foods at The Mercado for the grand opening. At 9 a.m., just before the doors were opened, Katie Stroul of Barron Collier Cos., Naples store team leader Damien Garcia and Juan Nunez, the Florida state director of Whole Foods, break a giant loaf of bread to celebrate the new store's opening. Stroul proudly proclaimed, "Now you and I and all of Naples, we've got our very own Whole Foods."
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On Friday morning at 7am, people began lining up outside Whole Foods at the Mercado for the Grand Opening. Members from the constrtuction team raised the "Now Open" sign just before the 9am opening as the crowd looked on. Jennifer Whitney/ staff
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