Which American supermarket chain began in 1980 when its first store opened in Austin, Texas?

Whole Foods Market began in 1980 when its first store opened in Austin, Texas.

The business was founded by John Mackey, Renee Lawson Hardy, Craig Weller and Mark Skiles. The original store combined several natural-food operations and opened as SaferWay, a name that played on the established supermarket chain Safeway. It soon became Whole Foods Market.

Austin provided an important setting for the company’s early growth. The city’s natural-food community supplied both customers and entrepreneurial talent, while the store’s larger format helped bring organic and specialty groceries to a broader audience.

Whole Foods Market is often confused with Trader Joe’s or other natural-food retailers, but its founding store was specifically in Austin in 1980. Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in 2017, long after the chain had expanded far beyond its original Texas base.