Whole Foods opens and pours beers in University Place

You could feel the excitement at 3515 Bridgeport Way W. next to the University Place Library. A large crowd milled about in the Whole Foods Market Chambers Bay parking lot, drinking free coffee, high-fiving the Sonics Guy, watching the Curtis High School Pep Band cranked out the tunes. Wood-fired pizza, live-mollusk tanks and more cheese than University Place roundabouts were discussed outside the closed doors. That’s right, Whole Foods opens and pours beers in University Place!

Whole Foods Chambers Bay is now open in University Place. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner

Then the countdown began: 10, 9, 8 … when everyone yelled “One,” the doors opened and the crowd funneled through more than 50 employees forming a football-like receiving tunnel, clapping and cheering their first customers toward locally grown goods.

I headed to the bar.

Whole Foods Chambers Bay has a taproom called the Lumberyard. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner

That’s right, friends. Whole Foods Market Chambers Bay has 10 beers and ciders on tap in the store’s “Lumberyard” tavern —five from Pierce County: 7 Seas Brewing Knotty IPA, Harmon Brewing Co. Chambers Bay Summer Ale, Wingman Brewers Currant Saison, Engine House No. 9 Deux Cinq and Narrows Brewing Co. Diver Down IPA. Knotty IPA and Diver Down were brewed specifically for the Lumberyard — the Whole Foods Chambers Bay leadership actually helped brew the Knotty IPA at 7 Seas in Gig Harbor.

Mac and Jack’s African Amber, Reuben’s Brews Cream Ale, Backwoods Copperline Amber, Tieton Washington Apple Cider and Seattle Cider Three Pepper Cider fill the other taps. Pints cost $5; growlers may be filled for $15. A flight of four 3-ounce pours runs $6. No free tastes will be poured.

Not to worry; you won’t get cited for Pushing under the Influence. No PUIs will be issued as you and your shopping cart must remain in the bar area during consumption.

Across the store, the “Beer Always Ice Cold” coolers house 300 beers — cans, bottles, 22s and six packs — plus cider, with Harmon, 7 Seas, Narrows Brewing and Wingman Brewers receiving large signage, as well as standing displays. Washington state beers rule the roost, with popular Oregon, California, Belgian and East Coast beers also behind cold glass. Most every beer is labeled by style, location, volume, color, hop intensity, malt makeup and, in many cases, a review quip.

Back in the Lumberyard, my 7 Seas Knotty IPA was the first beer served at the new grocery store. Fun fact: the Knotty keg blew at 9:36 a.m., which means there were plenty of prefunk parties before today’s opening.

It’s a beautiful store, with an outdoors-ish motif and in-store bakery, butcher shop, local produce, coffee shop, Kombucha display, Palestinian cold-pressed olive oil, wood-fired pizza, a live-mollusk tank, cheese shop, kelp in several forms and prepared foods.