Clean Up Aisle 2!
Potential Date Aisle 7!

By Erika Szendrey, 03.01.07

BRIGHTON, Mass. - Going to the grocery store to pick up some eggs and milk? You might just come home with a date if you happen upon one of Whole Foods Market’s Singles Nights.

A number of Whole Foods Markets across the country are giving singles the opportunity to shop, mingle and exchange phone numbers if a connection is made. The company, based in Austin, Texas, specializes in selling organic foods and has nearly 200 stores internationally.

Darrah Horgan, marketing director for the Atlanta Whole Foods Market, said that a grocery store is an ideal place to meet a potential partner.

“I know the idea of checking people out in the grocery store is sort of cliché, but you can tell a lot about someone by what they put in their grocery cart," Horgan said. "You can tell if they’re an adventurous eater, a vegan or a vegetarian. People’s food choices reveal a lot about their personality.”

Lauren Klatsky, marketing director of the Whole Foods Market located in Brighton, said Whole Foods Market's specialty niche as an organic supermarket makes it a great place to meet other singles.

“Whole Foods is an especially good supermarket to meet other singles," Klatsky said. "We tend to attract a certain kind of person, health-oriented people who are interested in eating healthy foods.”

Horgan hosted a Singles Nights in her Atlanta store about a year ago. She said that observing customers encouraged her to host her first event in the store.

“We are located in mid-town Atlanta and at about 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. every day we see a lot of young professionals come in after hitting the gym. I’ve seen some checking each other out at the salad bar,” Horgan said.

Horgan also said that in past issues “Creative Loafing Magazine,” an artsy, alternative news source in Atlanta, ranked her mid-town grocery store as the No. 1 place to find a date in Atlanta for Saturday night.

Whole Foods Markets’ Singles Nights are usually held on weeknights and tend to attract between 75 and 200 singles, depending on the location. The event participants are differentiated from other shoppers by wearing name tags. Most events have DJs or live music. Chefs are on hand to give cooking demonstrations on topics like “How to Impress a Date.” Romantic-themed samples such as chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate fondue fountains, wine and cheese are found throughout the store. The Brighton location even had a henna tattoo artist on hand and ice-breaker scavenger hunt at its last event in January.

Both Horgan and Klatsky reported that their events have attracted a large age-range of singles, from 20 to 60. Neither is sure if any long-lasting love connections have been made as a result of their events though.

“There were two couples who lingered in the café after my first event,” Horgan said. “I’m going to be keeping my eyes out for potential couples at the next event.”