Only a couple of hours after the doors were opened, parked cars ringed the building.
SWMBO said she probably wouldn't go near the store for a week or so because it would be mobbed. During the months since the store was announced there has been a running feud going on in the local paper. On one side people like me who said they couldn't wait for the store to open. On the other side the grumps who said it wouldn't be popular. Guess which side won the argument today?
The employees wear Trader Joe's t-shirts or Hawaiian shirts.
I merely walked through the store, taking pictures. I didn't even try to shop. Not today. But lots of people did.
A couple of doors down, a Five Guys hamburger shop appeared to be still under construction.
I asked a fellow bolting steel tables together when they would open.
"11 o'clock," he said. That was less than an hour away. He said at 8 o'clock this morning they didn't have any tables.
There's another shop - the House of Bread Bakery Cafe - in between Five Guys and TJ's but it looks like it's opening is a little ways away yet.
Meantime, adjacent to the Trader Joe's property more ground has been cleared and leveled in preparation for construction of another row of shops. Sort of looks like the economy is recovering.
If you like wine but aren't snobbish about it, Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Wine is a great value at $2.99 a bottle.
ReplyDeleteI've been drinking it since it was "Two Buck Chuck"!
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's is refurbishing an old Kroger store near us and the sign out front says "Opening Spring 2012". Based on your glowing recommendation as well as K's recollection of TJ's from when she lived in CA years ago, I can't wait. I agree with SWMBO about waiting a couple of weeks for the grand opening furor to settle down before I'd do any serious shopping there. It looks like a madhouse. :)
ReplyDeleteS
I guess us folks named Judy must think alike because I will wait until the mobs thin out before I try to shop in there. I think they needed a bigger parking lot. I like all the pictures though!
ReplyDeleteI was there and YES it was crowded! But every one there were smiling. And YES I should have waited, but I just couldn't. T J, ,welcome to town, L P
ReplyDeleteScott - You'll love TJ's. And yes ours was mobbed today.
ReplyDeleteJudy - I don't blame you . . but . .
Lis - good for you!
Glad you've got civilization now!
ReplyDeleteGuess we are fortunate, by those standards, since
we have one east, and one south.
Their 70% dark chocolate is the best, btw.
Tom - Funny story: I went up to the parking lot at the mall to get an overhead shot. Suddenly I needed a bathroom in a hurry. I went into a Cost Plus store, used the bathroom, then felt guilty because I was practically the only shopper in the place. So I picked out several items including a dark chocolate bar with sea salt for SWMBO. She loves dark chocolate but I'm a milk chocolate kinda guy.
ReplyDeleteThe TJ label wines, from 8-15 bucks are very good. The TJ pizza dough is great, their frozen veggies are the best, they have lots and lots of good stuff! Enjoy, we shop Costco-TJ and Bristol Farms when we need fresh fish. I buy my Bulliet Bourbon there, 10 dollasrs cheaper than the liqour store. Their Trader Juan brand Mexican beer is bottled by the big Mexican breweries. I've been a TJ guy since my Cambridge Ma days.
ReplyDeleteJager - We've been shopping at TJ's for years, maybe decades but since living here we've had to carry a cooler in the car for our trips to Phoenix or Scottsdale. Now, it's only a few miles up the road. Yay!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a Trader Joe's near us, but we do have Five Guys. Enjoy their burgers, but like the hot dogs more. Music is a bit loud though.
ReplyDeleteKeep enjoying TJ's, I am already missing the place, believe me or not... :-)
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