In the past year, news has trickled out about Love.Life, the relatively new company from Whole Foods Market co-founder and former CEO John Mackey. But it wasn't until July 26 that the company made its official debut, announcing its "virtual health optimization programs" and subscriptions, as well as plans for a flagship storefront in El Segundo, California, in 2024.
The startup, legally known as Healthy America LLC, was launched in 2020 by Mackey, former Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb and Betsy Foster, a former Whole Foods senior vice president.
This week, the multifaceted, Austin-based business said it has launched medically supervised virtual programs that include a customized, actionable plan that addresses health risks and opportunities. The subscription health programs start at $175 per month, or $1,890 a year, and go up to $499 a month, or $5,389 a year. It also has "mastering" programs for people trying to lose weight or manage diabetes. It said the programs are available in all 50 states and overseen by board-certified telehealth physicians who "practice 'lifestyle medicine' as the foundation of care and are guided by the philosophies of integrative and functional medicine."
According to the company, lifestyle medicine incorporates nutrition, movement, sleep, stress and social connections "to provide a holistic view of health."
The goal, according to Love.Life, is to become "a one-stop immersive health experience by combining nourishing food, evolved medical care, and cutting-edge wellness therapies."
It also said it will have physical locations, starting with a 45,000-square-foot flagship store that will open next year in El Segundo, near Los Angeles, in addition to the Love.Life restaurant that already opened in Culver City, California, and its Love Life Cafe that opened earlier this year in Miami. While the company's first stores are out of state, its office is listed at 601 N. Lamar Blvd. in Austin, which is just across the street from the downtown Whole Foods and next to BookPeople and REI.
"With grocery, we made natural and organic products mainstream, and Love.Life is going to play a similar role in the health and wellness industry. We're ready to support and empower millions in optimizing their health potential, proving that genes are not destiny," stated Mackey, who is described as CEO of Love.Life.
In April 2022, Love.Life filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indicating it had raised nearly $31 million in equity funding. And this March, Love.Life said it bought Plant Based TeleHealth Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
Mackey retired as CEO of Austin-based Whole Foods in September 2022 and was replaced by Jason Buechel. Robb had left the company at the end of 2016, the year before it was acquired by Amazon.com Inc.
