A healthy crowd turned out yesterday morning for the opening of the first Whole Foods Market store in Hawai'i, at Kahala Mall.

About 150 people lined up for the 7 a.m. opening to shop or see what the nation's largest natural and organic foods retailer has to offer.

"Wow!" said Shayne Stambler, a photographer from Diamond Head who almost exclusively buys groceries at natural food stores but had never before been to a Whole Foods. "The presentation is fabulous. The seafood and meat: unbelievable."

The new store is one of four the upscale retailer based in Texas plans to open in Hawai'i over the next two years, an entry that is bringing new competition to the more than 40 small, independent natural and organic food retailers in the state.

Whole Foods, however, with its big stores located largely in major malls or retail complexes, also is expected to raise consumer awareness about natural and organic foods, something that also will benefit smaller retailers in the industry.

Colleen Conlan, a freelance graphic artist who lives in Mo'i-li'ili, is a regular customer of Down To Earth Natural Foods and Lifestyle as well as Kokua Market near her home. She said she will likely do more shopping at Whole Foods because the store has a broader selection of items such as gluten-free baked goods and nitrate-free meats.

"I have to eat gluten-free stuff," she said as she placed items, including gluten-free carrot cake and scones, on the checkout conveyer. "You can't find that at all anywhere (on O'ahu). I have to make my own."

Scot Kawakami, a 38-year-old mechanic from Waipi'o, stopped by to see what was in the Whole Foods store yesterday after helping fiancee Julie Lee, 35, drop off her two children at school nearby.

Kawakami and Lee, who don't normally shop at natural food stores, were impressed that they could buy fresh fish and have it cooked for free in the store — pan-fried, baked, steamed or grilled with a variety of seasonings.

"It's convenient, especially if you're running late or if you're lazy," Kawakami said.

Lee, a postal carrier, said she was also surprised that prices of many items in the store aren't exorbitant. "We didn't think we could afford to buy anything," she said. "But it's not that bad."

Lee and Kawakami picked up about a pound of smoked pulled pork seasoned with garlic pepper for dinner, and later filled their basket with more items.

Ine Miller, a student from Hawai'i Kai, said she primarily shops at traditional grocery stores with an occasional stop at a health food store, but will probably visit Whole Foods once a week.

"Just to be able to get everything at one time is helpful," she said.

Carter Allen, owner of Celestial Natural Foods in Hale'iwa, said he hopes Whole Foods will help accelerate the natural and organic foods movement that has been slow to build among consumers since the early 1970s, when he opened his store.

"They hopefully are going to turn more people on to natural foods and organic foods," he said. "The proof will be in the pudding in a year or two."

For other local natural food retailers closer to the Kahala Whole Foods store, especially 'Umeke Market Natural Foods & Deli across the street from Kahala Mall, there will be more head-to-head competition with the giant.

But Whole Foods also will compete to an extent with traditional supermarkets selling fish, meats, produce, beer, wine and extensive offerings of hot and cold prepared foods.

Whole Foods said its Kahala store features the largest seafood preparation kitchen in the 270-store chain. The store is also the only one in the chain that sells poke. The variety was typical of local grocery stores, and included spicy ahi, ahi with limu and tako poke. The price: $13.99 a pound. More unusual items included smoked bay scallops with Asian spice at $17.99 a pound.

Prepared hot and cold foods ready for eating are a major element in the store. There is a breakfast bar stocked with pans of scrambled eggs, scrambled egg whites, spinach tofu, sausages, fried chicken, rice and oatmeal.

Pizzas are baked and sold whole or by the slice. Sushi is also prepared fresh daily.

An area next to the bakery with seating sells brewed coffee, smoothies, gelato and chocolates.

A couple of bars feature salads and salad ingredients, from raw vegetables and fruits to prepared waldorf salads with tuna or salmon.

A plate lunch station yesterday was selling three plates — curry rice, shoyu chicken and kalua pig — available with two side selections of steamed rice, curry rice, macaroni salad, potato salad or steamed vegetables for $8.99 to $10.99.

Other hot prepared foods are made to order at a stir-fry station, including bowls of beef broccoli, mushroom chicken and hot soba noodles.

There even was something in the deli case created by Whole Foods as a healthier alternative to Spam — thick slices of "Hawaiian Style Ham" made from pork butt, ham, cornstarch, beet juice, sugar, water and salt, for $11.99 a pound.

"It's a little hammy," said Andie Lee, a Honolulu housewife. "It's not like Spam, but it's very delicious, like turkey meat loaf."

"It tastes like chicken," countered Lee's husband, Rob, a Hawaiian Airlines pilot. "Pretty good."

The Kahala Whole Foods also has a body-care products section that's the size of a small specialty store. The whole store, which covers 28,000 square feet previously occupied mostly by Star Market, will be the second smallest for the chain in Hawai'i.

A 26,366-square-foot store is slated to open in Kahului, Maui, next year.

The biggest store is planned for Kailua, at 40,000 square feet. That's projected to open in 2010.

A store at Ward Centers initially was slated to open this year, and be 67,000 square feet on two levels, but recently was scaled back and delayed. It will be 35,000 square feet on one level and open in the first quarter of 2010.