By Sunayana Prabhu
EATONTOWN – Whole Foods Market is opening July 29 at the former Monmouth Mall, currently being redeveloped as Monmouth Square.
Kushner Cos. is the owner and redeveloper of the landmark mall at 180 Route 35 South. The nearly $500 million-plus project is transforming what was once Monmouth Mall into a modern, open-air destination for living, shopping, dining and leisure.
The new Whole Foods will open in the 40,000-square-foot space previously occupied by Barnes & Noble booksellers, which moved next to Macy’s. Boscov’s, Macy’s and the AMC movie theater are continuing to operate during the redevelopment.
According to a June 30 announcement posted on the Whole Foods Market website, the Eatontown location will offer all the store’s staples and services, dressed up in Jersey decor. The store will sell more than 1,000 local products from the Northeast in a “sunny and modern” space decorated with sea-inspired elements, the release said.
The store will operate a full-service seafood and meat counter, specialty cheese counter, a bakery and a hot food and salad bar.
Amazon Prime members who shop at Whole Foods will receive weekly discounts on select products and an additional 10% off hundreds of in-store sale items. Additionally, customers can pay in-store with the Whole Foods Market or Amazon apps. Grocery pickup will be available shortly after opening. Amazon purchased Whole Foods in 2017.
The store will open at 8 a.m. June 30, with regular store hours from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Opening morning, customers can enjoy samples from the Italian cafe Palazzone 1960 and coffee from Paper Plane Coffee Co. The first 300 customers in line will receive a limited-edition Eatontown tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon for savings of up to $100.
To celebrate the opening, Whole Foods will also provide a refrigerated van and food donation to NJ Rise, which makes regular surplus food pickups from local Whole Foods Market stores to help prevent food waste and serve the surrounding community.
Founded in 1980, the Austin-based Whole Foods Market is a natural and organic foods retailer and part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores. Whole Foods Market operates more than 550 stores across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
In addition to Whole Foods, a growing list of new retail tenants has leased spots at Monmouth Square, including Prince Street Pizza, Arhaus, Cava, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, STRONG Pilates, Offshore Coffee and others.
Since breaking ground in 2024, significant construction progress has been made at Monmouth Square. The original mall had a gross leasable area of 1.5 million square feet. The redevelopment plans included the demolition of 600,000 square feet, leaving 900,000 square feet of leasable retail. According to a press release from Kushner representatives, Monmouth Square’s retail and restaurant space is 75% leased.
The design establishes a blend of free-standing, easily accessible spaces for shopping, dining, medical offices, an expansive public green, pedestrian pathways and 1,000 luxury rental apartments. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028.
The article originally appeared in the July 9 – 15, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
