With a 5 dollar donation people were allowed to tour the new store.

Those proceeds are going to Palmetto Conservation which maintains the Palmetto Trail, a path for biking and walking running throughout the state.

However, the direct beneficiary of the tours proceeds will be for the Fort Jackson Passage providing access to the store from nearby neighborhoods.

"We feel very fortunate.We live right behind here,the whole neighborhood the whole area has been excited about this investment and this development," said Charlie Vassy who was there to tour the store. 

The bike path you know will encourage a healthy lifestyle and the donation of the money, it was no problem I was absolutely happy to do it," said another tour participant Devon Mosesel.

Store representatives say that they have hired 130 team members to work at the new Whole Foods.

During the tour people were able to see the new layout, learn about products,and sample some food.

We tailor our stores to fit very much to the community that we serve, so we really like to get a great feel for what the community wants from us. Then we tailor that with what we do best to deliver a store that's really unique to the market," said Jeff Campbell the store's General Manager. "One of the things we knew right away going into columbia was that this community is passionate about local products," said Campbell.

Columbia's new Whole Foods Market will carry more South Carolina locally grown and produced items than any other of it's stores in the South.

Employees are expecting almost 2,600 to tour the store before it's grand opening this Thursday.