Return To Eden

Sad to see them go, but with more and more large grocery chains getting in the business of healthier food and lifestyles, places like these will never be able to compete. So, if you like your little neighborhood shops then I would suggest you support them whenever you can. Otherwise, everything in the world will eventually turn into a big conglomerate blob of boringness. With that being said (and I really do believe it, which is why I try to support small business when I can), I have been to RTE and have had the same issues with pricing being different @ the register than on the shelves. Just like other reviews on this page have stated. And to me, regular occurrences of this without even trying to correct it is unacceptable for any place of business.

I had so wanted to like this place but was embarrassingly disappointed. When I first walked in, I saw that some of the produce was priced less than at Whole Foods. As I placed items in my cart, I saw the manager walk by and told her that I was happy to find the place and looked forward to returning. Literally 10 minutes later, I was checking out and noticed that ALL of the items I purchased were priced differently than the prices I saw on the pricetags/​cards on the shelves and produce bins. The cashier rang EVERY item at a higher price, which ended up being more expensive than Whole Foods. Confused, I told the cashier that the prices are lower at the actual produce bins and shelves. She said that their system had just automatically changed their prices and that she ‘goes by the computer.’ I was shocked. I ended up buying the items, but I was upset at how cold and unfriendly the woman was at check-​out and how the supposedly lower prices than Whole Foods were a hoax. I vowed never to return again and was puzzled how such a place could be popular among shoppers in the area. Five months later, I hear that it’s closing. Sad but I think they lost many customers due to the ridiculous price issues and the unfriendly staff.

Sad news for another local Atlanta business. Return to Eden is closing its doors some time this month.
Increased competition from larger chain stores offering more and more GF and health food items, bad winter weather, horrible traffic construction and congestion, plus rising costs are forcing their hand. Tentative close date is November 29^th, and from now until then, everything in the store is 20% off.
Some of my favorite items — Pure Knead bread, Against the Grain Gourmet Pizzas — can now be found at local Kroger stores and Whole Foods.
I’ll miss Return to Eden. Sorry to see it go.

Love this place! I’m a Farmer’s Market and Whole Foods girl by nature, so I am constantly looking for fresh, vegan, organic, and gluten-​free options. Return to Eden has a pretty good selection of all of these things, as well as a wonderful selection of both bath products and and nutritional supplements, as well. While the produce and bulk section is less extensive than that of its competitors, their prices on some of my staples, such as my Lean Fit, vegan and gluten-​free protein powder is a whopping TEN DOLLARS CHEAPER than it is at Whole Foods and the Nutrition Shoppe. The service here is also extremely friendly and welcoming. Check it out, Buckhead!
–Alexandra Drouhard

Pretty decent selection of natural/​organic foods … Typical huge selection of nutrition/​organic/​protein bars/​powders, supplements, canned fish lentils beans soups frozen salmon patties quinoa tempeh dried fruits nuts in bulk large coffee selection … This place is great for vegans and what I call «alternative eaters» as they carry a lot of specialty foods like soy made products, dairy free cheese & stuff. As for fresh produce they suck. Most of it is old, wrinkly & ready to be tossed. Also they keep a low stock of oils/​cosmetics and never really restock. Whole foods is around the corner, for a little more money go there for better produce. This place is just «ok,» better for healthy snacks then regular grocery shopping. A bit pricey.

Love this place! Recently discovered it and found that they have an amazing selection of organic, vegan, vegetarian and all-​natural ingredient food, makeup and health products. I could spend a fortune in here! They also have a lot of gluten-​free products and pre-​made juices and food from Arden’s Gardens and R. Thomas. They have a membership you can join for free and accrue points and get money off after you spend a certain amount. Lots of whole spices and herbs that you can portion out yourself and buy by the weight. Love that they are so close to me :)

In terms of health food stores, Return To Eden is «A-​OK». I find that they do have more stock than the other non-​Whole Foods health stores in town. They have a great selection of toiletries and soaps, as well as a huge selection of raw nuts and legumes — all by rare. There’s even a mini prepared foods section of items from ‘R.Thomas’ — they’re pricey, but yummy.
The entire store is a bit pricey. you could probably find several of the same items at Whole Foods for less. A good way to save at Return To Eden is to sign up for their rewards program/​email list (just ask the cashier), you get money off after accruing a certain number of points, and when you provide your email address, they send you updates on weekly sales. Also peruse ‘Natural Awakenings’ (a local, free, health/​wellness magazine), sometimes there are $ 5 RTE coupons.
The staff is usually pretty nice, they’re also generally knowledgeable about the supplements and the various essential oils. One qualm about the staff: It seems as if they have the cashiers pulling double duty — if there isn’t a line, the cashier is no where in sight, they do have a concierge bell at the register though!

basically a great store
Good service and supplement selection: offer some stuff while food does not offer, for instance unrefined pumpkin oil
They have club card for points and rewards.
Problems:
1.
Some of the fruits are not so fresh
2. Cannot be a one-​stop market.
Small selection.

I had never really heard of this place before and was actually just planning on stopping by Publix to grab some coconut water. But then I see the sign for organic food and I thought, why not check it out? So glad I did. I have a really negative view of most organic stores because they are so damn expensive, but Return to Eden was pretty reasonable. They have a great selection of every kind of food you might need — except for good organic meat — and I loved their selection of coconut water, teas, desserts, juices

Great selection, great service, good location, good prices, what else can you ask for in an organic store? I bookmarked this place three months ago, but didn’t run into the store until yesterday while looking for brown rice syrup to make cookies. I had already looked for it in two previous stores and hadn’t been successful in finding it. I found it here and so much more! I had the urge to even buy things I already had at home or didn’t really need. The selection they have of gluten-​free, raw, organic food is impressive (and believe me, I have been on the look out for them for a while). Everything is nicely distributed and the place is clean. The price seems about right for most of their products.
I’m definitively switching my shopping habits and will be coming to this store more frequently! they also have a reward program that sounds interesting, will let you know how that turns out!

LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
I go here every week! A sweet little mom and pop grocery store. Ventured outside of my normal chain chain grocery store to take a peek inside. It’s very small but has everything any vegan, vegetarian or health freak would want to eat. They don’t have a meat section, so no beef, chicken, pork, which makes my meat cravings easier to control. At this moment, trying to limit my meat intake.
The staff is amazing, they have a garden club and you received points for every $ 1 you spend. They send coupons and specials via email and they are much more broad so you can use them for almost anything in the store. One coupon I received before, it was 20% off of my entire purchase. Pretty sweet deal!
They also have discounts if you want to buy things by the case.
Showed up one day after work and they were sampling out vegaOne shakes, I bought a sample and they gave me a blender bottle free! I was shocked, a free blender bottle, I was in love with this place at that moment.
Come and shop here and support small shops in Atlanta! :D

ive always had a great experiance here. I need to eat gluten free and they ALWAYS have a new selection of gluten free food. They carry «Feel Good Foods» Dumplings which are gluten free and my FAVORITE things in the world. they always have something new thats gluten free. They cant have everything i know… but they sure do seem like they carry all gluten free products. Rudi’s gluten free tortillas are wonderfull too.
The prices are a little high and the Udi’s bread you can find at a lower price at Krogar. But you cant say they dont try… with all the wonderful new gluten free products. I make a trip down once a month and will continue
they rock!

I’m a bit of a. hmmm…how should I put this? Food snob, oh yes and adament about supporting small, wholesome companies. If its not vegetarian, cruelty-​free, organic, fair-​trade or local, then I’m most likely not purchasing it. So, Return to Eden has become my haven in the city! I love shopping here, so many of my favorite brands all in one place. Thoughtful products on the shelf and if they don’t have it, they’ll order it.
Order a case of anything & they’ll give you a terrific discount. MSRP’s are printed right on the price tags so you can see your savings, plus deals galore if you follow them on Facebook.
The staff is friendly! We often chat about things besides food. Art, music, life… they are personable and incredibly helpful at navigating the vast array of products. I love to come early & sip a freshly brewed cup of coffee while I shop. I’ll admit, I like to buy food fresh and in small batches, so I’m here a lot. The staff always alerts me to new things they think I might like. I have found some fabulous new products this way! This type of thoughtfulness is why I’ll be a R2E fan for life!
They recently did a small facelift inside and I love the new look. If its been awhile since you’ve been here, you should stop by again. And if you’ve never been, go and experience shopping perfected.

This place seems nice, but I highly doubt I will ever be returning. I stopped by to check out their selection of tea. As I was standing there looking, an employee came over to find something. Without saying a word, he practically pushed me out of the way 3 or 4 times and stepped on my foot. He was very rude and looked at me as if I was the one in the way even though I had been standing there long before he came over. I’m a big stickler for good customer service and will return to even the most over-​priced establishment if the service is stellar. Unfortunately, my experience here was so negative that I won’t be returning and will likely advise others of my experience as well.

Return To Eden… not for me. It’s another one of your health food grocery stores that to be quite honest, is just as expensive. I prefer Sevananda and will drive further just to go and get a wider variety of things.

If your looking for anything Healthy or Natural this is a must place to go.
Be careful you might walk out with more than you bargained for, like a few bags full of things.
The staff here is super friendly and can offer tons of information & answer any questions you may have. They have even been known to make special orders for you if your interested.
Breads, frozen dinners, side dishes, soups, lots of snacks and produce it’s all here and very well organized. If your looking for loose or bulk Items there are all kinds of goodies for sale pumpkin seeds, granola, dried fruit, beans, rice, grains etc. all sold by the pound .
Tea, Tea, Tea part of an Isle is dedicated to just tea !
A large selection of Natural Remedies in pill and liquid form along with vitamins and supplements.
Skin care products, they carry several brands along with just about everything Burt’s Bees makes.
The soap here OMG they smell amazing good luck choosing just one, I was there buying gifts and ended up standing in the middle of the Isle sniffing every kind they had & ended up buying a couple of bars for myself .

If your in the area it is worth a look see.

This place is a hidden gem! After searching far and wide in Atlanta for May Wah (look it up!) I discovered they have it!!!
Not only that but they have all the pre-​made sandwiches that I loved snacking on in NYC.
As a native New Yorker I must say that Return To Eden reminds me of the ultra veg-​friendly shops in NYC that I miss so much.

Very large, clean, and organized store. They have a huge selection of natural/​organic/​vegan/​gluten-​free/​awesome vitamins, medicines, frozen food, beverages, kombucha and locally prepared ready-​to-​eat foods (sandwiches, rolls, baked goods, flax crackers, and sweets). They also have many different brands and versions of the same thing, so you really have options. With a Return to Eden card, you occasionally get vouchers (I just got one for $ 10) depending on how much you spend there. The staff is friendly and there are always items on sale (esp. when close to expiration).
I usually run in here to grab a kombucha and a R. Thomas quinoa and veggie roll.

Return to Eden has a good balance of ingredients and pre-​made items. Any store with rennet (vegetarian) as well as kefir and yogurt cultures receives the benefit of any doubt. Their prices often are on-​par with Trader Joe’s and YDFM, although occasional items are obscenely more expensive (e.g. almonds, broccoli seeds).
Return to Eden’s bulk section seemed better than Sevananda’s to me. Items seemed fresher, although I am not the most objective judge. That the smaller bins were more full may have influenced my opinion. That there *was* oatmeal in the bin also may have influenced me. The honey selection is unfortunate.
I tend to twitch whenever faced with «natural» cures and other unsupported claims, but these areas felt minimized here.
The bad part? The «fresh» ginger was moldy. And not in an intentionally fermented sense. Don’t rely on the produce. Eggs? Um…

We stopped at Return to Eden today because they seem to be the only place that carries sprouting seeds (I refuse to go to WF if at all possible).
What a neat shop! A terrific selection of gluten free ingredients and products, including some local bakeries. Prices were mostly comparable except for a few things compared to Trader Joe’s and Your Dekalb Farmers Market. Those few things, however, were significant. For example, I sure as heck won’t be buying raw almonds there! And the produce, well, maybe its better when things are more in season ‘cuz it wasn’t very appealing right now.
But there is a large selection of bulk goods which is a huge plus, and the folks working there were very nice. It did not feel like a snooty health food store at all. And yes, they have several types of sprouting seeds.
I’ll definitely be coming back!