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Whole Foods takes licensing step for new Fairfax store at 355 S Ogden Dr

Whole Foods takes licensing step for new Fairfax store at 355 S Ogden Dr

Built World Los Angeles, CA local

Grocer plans to move next door into The Daphne tower by end of 2026

September 10th, 2026: Whole Foods ABC license goes active

Overview

Updated Sep 16

Whole Foods now has a state liquor license on file for 355 S. Ogden Dr., near its longtime Third and Fairfax store in Los Angeles. A California alcohol license went active September 10 at 355 South Ogden Drive, the address of The Daphne, a new luxury tower rising next to The Grove and the Original Farmers Market.

The grocer plans to move next door into the Bloom on Third shopping center by year's end, trading its current store for a larger space. The move is part of a bigger shift: Amazon, Whole Foods' parent, announced in January it would close its Amazon Fresh stores and committed to opening 100 new Whole Foods locations.

Why it matters

If the move lands, Fairfax shoppers get a bigger Whole Foods, and the old Third and Fairfax store opens up for a new national tenant.

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Key Indicators

100
New Whole Foods stores Amazon plans to open
Amazon's January 2026 grocery reset pledged 100 new Whole Foods locations after closing Amazon Fresh.
End of 2026
Target for relocation to 355 S Ogden Dr
Lease and permit filings point to a completed move by December 2026.
Type 21
ABC license active
Off-sale general license for beer, wine, and spirits, plus a Type 86 license for instructional tastings.

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Organizations Involved

Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market
Grocery chain
Relocating its Third and Fairfax store to 355 S Ogden Dr

The largest natural-foods grocer in the U.S., owned by Amazon since 2017.
Amazon
Amazon
Technology and retail company
Parent company redirecting grocery investment to Whole Foods

Owns Whole Foods and is reworking its brick-and-mortar grocery strategy around the chain.
Regency Centers Corporation
Regency Centers Corporation
Real estate investment trust
Real estate investment trust focused on grocery-anchored shopping centers

Owns and leases grocery-anchored shopping centers.

Timeline

January 2026 September 2026

4 events Latest: September 10th, 2026 · 2 months ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Whole Foods ABC license goes active

    Latest Regulatory

    California issues an active Type 21 off-sale general license for Whole Foods at 355 S Ogden Dr.

  2. The Daphne targets opening

    Construction

    The luxury apartment tower was slated to open with retail space set aside for Whole Foods.

  3. Whole Foods files ABC license applications

    Filing

    The grocer applies for alcohol licenses at the 355 S Ogden Dr address in The Daphne.

  4. Amazon resets its grocery strategy

    Strategy

    Amazon announces closures of Amazon Fresh stores and plans to open 100 new Whole Foods locations.

Scenarios

1

Whole Foods opens new Fairfax store by early 2027

Likely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: What Now Los Angeles, Hoodline

The liquor license is active and the build-out is underway. Whole Foods moves from Third and Fairfax into The Daphne, opening a larger, multi-level store by the end of 2026 or shortly after. The old box is backfilled by another national tenant as part of the Bloom on Third refresh.

2

Store opening slips into 2027 after build-out delays

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Hoodline (noted exact timing could shift)

Construction and permitting take longer than projected. The grocer stays at Third and Fairfax through the first half of 2027 while the new space finishes. The active license does not guarantee the store is ready to open.

3

Whole Foods keeps both Fairfax stores operating

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: No current analysts; a base case for comparison

Instead of fully relocating, Whole Foods opens The Daphne store and keeps the Third and Fairfax location running if the old lease cannot be exited quickly. Reporting points to a full move, but dual operations would be a notable outcome for the corner.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 2017

Amazon acquires Whole Foods (2017)

Amazon announced it would buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, its largest acquisition ever. The deal brought roughly 460 physical grocery stores under Amazon's control and put the e-commerce giant into brick-and-mortar groceries.

Then

Whole Foods cut prices on staples after the deal closed, and Amazon added lockers and returns desks to stores.

Now

Amazon spent years testing grocery formats through Whole Foods and its own Amazon Fresh chain, ultimately retreating from Fresh to double down on Whole Foods.

Why this matters now

That 2017 deal is why Amazon's January 2026 grocery reset now dictates where this Fairfax store lands.

2002

The Grove reshapes the Fairfax district (2002)

The Grove, a roughly 575,000-square-foot open-air mall, opened next to the Original Farmers Market on Fairfax. It drew millions of shoppers and became one of the most productive retail properties in the country.

Then

Foot traffic surged in the surrounding district, and the Farmers Market gained a major new anchor.

Now

The Grove cemented Fairfax as a retail destination and set off a wave of residential and commercial redevelopment that continues with The Daphne.

Why this matters now

The Daphne and the Bloom on Third project are the latest phase of the same redevelopment cycle The Grove started in 2002.

Sources

(4)
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control What Now Los Angeles Hoodline FirstVendor