Mendocino Farms debuts in-store Whole Foods site

Mendocino Farms opened its first location in a Whole Foods Market in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, anchoring a 140-seat shared dining room within the store that includes a bar with craft beer and wine and the grocer’s prepared foods.

Whole Foods has been adding local restaurant operators to its food lineup in stores across the country, including Los Angeles chef Roy Choi’s Kogi and Chego restaurants in Southern California, and the CheU Noodle Bar in Philadelphia.

The grocer’s relationship with Mendocino Farms included a minority investment in 2015 that will help the fast-casual sandwich concept grow.

Mario Del Pero, Mendocino Farms’ co-founder, says the company will study how the in-market location works before moving into more Whole Food stores.

“But we do have a lot of interest from our friend restaurants that are in different regions to see if this is a viable opportunity for unique partnership and growth,” Del Pero says.

Here’s a look at the new Mendocino Farms within a Whole Foods in Tustin.

The 140-seat dining area shares space with Whole Foods’ Hangar Bar, named for the blimp hangars of Tustin, which has a beer-and-wine-friendly menu including jackfruit “crab” cakes; cauliflower nachos; maple-glazed pork belly; and “forest ‘shroom” toast with almond ricotta, sautéed baby kale, roasted garlic and Fresno chile.

Mendocino Farms has outside signage as a restaurant within the store. The menu includes the chain’s signature sandwiches and salads, including the Pork Belly Banh Mi, the Not So Fried Chicken and an Avocado & Quinoa Superfood Ensalada.

The location is the 14^th for the Los Angeles-based sandwich chain. Though the dining room is shared, the layout of the space allows for some separation to create different dining experiences.

Though a chain, Mendocino Farms restaurants each have a unique design to fit the local community. All restaurants, however, feature the blue cow mascot somewhere in the design.

To celebrate the opening, Mendocino Farms partnered with Tustin chef Yvon Goetz of The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar to create a sandwich featuring that restaurant’s famed zinfandel-braised short ribs. Available only through Dec. 4, proceeds from the sandwich will be donated to the Tustin Public Schools Foundation.

Though Mendocino Farms has long focused on using local and seasonal ingredients, co-founder Mario Del Pero says one challenge of working with Whole Foods has been meeting the grocery chain’s strict procurement requirements. “It’s been a fascinating, challenging process,” he says. “We’ve learned a lot.”