Anthropological Observations at a Salad Bar

Salad bars have come a long way from places that sell iceberg lettuce and tomato slices under fluorescent lights and sneeze guards. The salad bar I visited was located within a Whole Foods, once of the most expensive grocery stores in the area. It is a popular place for lunchtime dining and many busy professionals who work in offices nearby as well as students, parents with small children, and simply people doing their grocery shopping looking to grab a quick meal, can be seen patronizing the restaurant area.

In many ways, the setting of Whole Foods and its salad bar says a great deal about America’s relationship to food and changing American society in general. First of all, the diversity encompassed within the offerings of the salad bar itself are impressive. I noticed that many diners did not actually go to eat salad at all but rather to sample the exclusive offerings of Indian, Chinese, and organic world cuisine. Very ordinary-looking businessmen were trying foods from around the world.

After sampling the different cuisines they all hunched over one man’s laptop, a familiar sight in many coffeehouses and restaurants during lunch.

The fact that what would have once been called ethnic foods were located in a very nonthreatening setting, in the middle of a grocery store, may have made it less intimidating than actually going to a restaurant specific to that cuisine although the fact that such foods are so popular and Whole Foods includes then in its salad bar highlights the acceptance of different foods from around the world I did notice that some diners combined more international foods with standard salad bar fare like raw veggies, dressing, and croutons, however.

One of the advantages of a salad bar is that it allows people to be adventurous and to try something they might not otherwise, because they can always substitute something more familiar on their plates just in case they do not like the new food. Another advantage of a salad bar is that mixed groups of people can go there even if people have different tastes and eating habits.

I saw a group of students, two of whom looked more like “hippies” (tattoos, lots of silver jewelry, funky clothing) and another of whom were dressed in a more ordinary fashion. I overheard them discussing how one of them was a vegan in a pleasant manner.

The fact that it is very easy for a mixed group of friends to get vegan food as well as traditional, omnivore-type food like pizza and cold cuts at a salad bar makes the Whole Foods salad bar a way for people with different eating habits to enjoy eating together without feeling resentful as if they need to sacrifice what they want to the eating habits of others.

The food at Whole Foods is of relatively high quality for a salad bar, which also enables people to engage in slightly finer dining than they might at a fast food restaurant but in a casual setting. I noticed that there were many mothers eating food with children. Again, the presence of the salad bar functioned as a compromise. The easily-wiped tables allowed them to engage in casual dining but still eat relatively grown-up food.

Children could eat some of the simpler food at the salad bar, such as chicken nuggets (which were still certified organic and vegan, so parents did not need to feel guilty that they were feeding their children junk food) while mothers and fathers could eat more adult food. It struck me that salad bars, as conceived of in Whole Foods, are uniquely suited for modern life. They allow for quick dining between activities. People can even take part of the meal to go to eat for later.

Salad bars allow everyone to choose exactly what they want to eat, in the proportions they desire. There is no fighting and no need to compromise. There is also no need to wait to be served, as people serve themselves. The food is relatively expensive at Whole Foods but the quality is good and because of the variety, people who can afford it do not mind. It allows them to do their shopping and eat at the same time, taking care of two errands at the same time.

Of course, the expense of Whole Foods and the fact that it is nicknamed Whole Paycheck also says a great deal about modern economic asymmetries in dining. Many people struggle to afford to dine at places like Whole Foods, even simply eating at Whole Foods’ salad bar is costly.

Although the salad bar is a casual venue, it is still extremely expensive to eat there for the average person on a regular basis and doing so is a mark of privilege of some kind, even if some of the diners do not eat at Whole Foods or shop at Whole Foods for the majority of their meals. Healthy, exotic dining is something of a privilege.

Despite the diversity of people eating at the salad bar, I noted that there was a great deal of evidence of consumerism of high-end goods in other facets of their lives. For example, some of the young people carried their belongings in Luluemon bags; many of the diners wore relatively fashionable and high-priced accessories, and even the children accompanied by their parents were very expensively dressed, with high-quality toys and sitting in elaborate strollers.

It is very easy for diners to take for granted the bounty that Whole Food offers, which is relatively recent in terms of its quality and diversity for a salad bar in the history of American food. Despite its expense, I noticed many children in particular being allowed to play with their food, half-eat the desserts they had demanded, and otherwise treat the experience with a great deal of casualness. I noticed that Whole Foods strives to provide customers, even at its salad bar, with experiential dining.

The places for people to sit were clean, ambient, and well-lit. Although the tables were easy to clean to allow staff to move customers fairly quickly to and fro during a busy lunch hour, they were not hard and uncomfortable like some fast food chairs. I even spied some people simply drinking a coffee and reading a book or looking at their phones, not eating very much at all, apparently taking a break.

This ambiance was designed to encourage people to come back to eat, even when they were not necessarily shopping. The pleasant music in the background, the spaciousness of the tables, and the fact that the tables were spaced fairly far apart and allowed for a great deal of privacy also created a better dining experience. In fact, because of the privacy of the setting, one of the greatest challenges was finding people to talk to.

There was virtually no interaction between different people; all of the groups kept to their own, unique spaces. The groups were diverse in age and apparent lifestyles which did not create an atmosphere where engagement or conversation was acceptable. The unspoken rule was acting as if the person at the table beside you was not there. Eventually, I approached the group of students, because they seemed to have the most time to spend eating and because I felt comfortable talking to people in my age group.

I asked them why they chose to eat at Whole Foods. One girl, the slightly hippy-like looking student said, “I’m a vegan so this is one place where I know I can always find something to eat. I also love the Indian food here.” Another student said, “I like the fact I can always get something different and try different things but my favorites are also always here.

I don’t have to spend too much time debating what I want to eat, I can just kind of get a little bit of everything.” When asked about the cost of the food, the first girl responded, “I don’t like to think about it! I spend too much money on food! But I tell myself that it’s all organic and good for me so that makes me feel better.” This is one of the paradoxes of Whole Foods—on one hand, its image is very healthy and it suggests that by eating there, people are doing something good for themselves.

People who eat at its salad bar can feel more virtuous than they might eating elsewhere. The food is tasty and appealing, unlike traditional health food, so everyday business people, parents, and students can enjoy eating what Whole Foods sells. On the other hand, the salad bar is clearly a luxury item. The variety and the exclusive foods that cater to special diets or come from all around the world come at a high cost.

Although Whole Foods positions itself as an ethical company, it is a kind of ethics that very few people can afford. However, the appealing nature of the ethics of Whole Foods is clearly compelling to many people, given the fact that the salad bar was so crowded. Even though Whole.