Whole Foods in Jamaica Plain Seeks to Add Indoor and Outdoor Seating

A trip to wouldn't have to be just for carry out, if the grocer's plans to add indoor and outdoor seating for food service are approved.

The grocer aims to put 22 indoor seats and 16 outdoor seats at its 415 Centre St. location, said JP Neighborhood Council member Michael Reiskind at a Tuesday night meeting of the volunteer advisory board.

A is set for April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Cheverus Building, which is next to the old Blessed Sacrament Church and home to programs of the Hyde Square Task Force.

Whole Foods will be seeking a "common victualer" license, which allows service of food. The grocer is not seeking to serve beer and wine, Reiskind said.

"The indoor/outdoor seating will give customers a comfortable space to enjoy the fresh and delicious items from our prepared foods and bakery departments, as well as from the coffee bar," said Heather McCready in an email.

The license will require approval by city bureaucracy, something the grocer was careful to avoid in the months leading up to its October opening. That lack of "leverage" was cited by some JP Neighborhood Council members as a reason it failed to broker a formal "" with the chain store.

The bureaucratic process begins with the April 3 Neighborhood Council meeting. Recommendations for the Neighborhood Council are usually, but not always, followed by city boards such as the Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals.

[Editor's note: This post has been updated with a statement from Whole Foods.]