Which real grocery chain does the town try to attract in 'The City Part of Town'?

The story behind the answer

In “The City Part of Town,” South Park tries to attract Whole Foods Market. The episode is the third installment of season 19 and the 260th episode overall, first airing on Comedy Central on September 30, 2015.

The town launches its campaign after South Park is mocked on television, hoping that a Whole Foods store will improve its image. Mayor McDaniels and Randy Marsh help create SoDoSoPa, a deliberately trendy district built around Kenny McCormick’s dilapidated home. The neighborhood is marketed to hipsters through upscale restaurants, apartments, and live-action commercials.

The episode’s central subject is gentrification: the town claims its redevelopment helps poor residents while using their surroundings as an aesthetic selling point. A Whole Foods representative eventually visits and observes the town’s chaotic attempt to impress him. The store is approved, but the ending reveals that it opens in the rival CtPa Town district, leaving SoDoSoPa abandoned. The grocery chain is Whole Foods Market, not a fictional South Park business.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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