Whole Foods appears poised to expand Boulder-born Ideal Market brand to Denver

DENVER — Signage has gone up at a Whole Foods Market Inc. location under construction in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood in recent days that suggests the grocery store will share the name and branding of Boulder’s iconic Ideal Market.

The Austin, Texas-based upscale grocery store chain bought Ideal Market at 1275 Alpine Ave., which has served Boulder for nearly 80 years, in 2007 when it took over Wild Oats Markets Inc. 

Whole Foods kept the Ideal Market name and logo, which now grace signage at the 900 E. 11th Ave. store in Denver. Some building permits issued by the city also identify the project there as Ideal Market.

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Whole Foods did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The Whole Foods under construction in Capitol Hill is actually not a new location. The chain operated a store there until 2017, when a nearby Union Station Whole Foods was opened. Whole Foods decided to revive and renovate the shuttered store at the corner of 11th Avenue and Ogden Street last year. 

The Capitol Hill Whole Foods, according to plans submitted to the city, will feature a taproom with an adjacent outdoor patio, a new concept for Denver. 

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