Trader Joe’s @ 12:50 P.M., Opening Day.

By on September 26, 2008 1:36 pm in Cobble Hill, Commercial Real Estate, Photos

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25 Responses to Trader Joe’s @ 12:50 P.M., Opening Day.

  1. LuvinJoe September 26, 2008 at 2:05 pm #

    Was on line at TDs this morning. Other than rain, all was great. Free re-use bags for all. And entered in drawing to win big TD giftcard. The place is huge and stocks same product as other TD stores (no wine). Prices are cheap for great stuff. I dont know how i broke $100 on my tab. Now we never have to go to Key Food again!

  2. nabeguy September 26, 2008 at 2:49 pm #

    Please tell me that you don’t have to wear an Hawain shirt in order to shop there.

  3. Beavis September 26, 2008 at 2:58 pm #

    In addition to Key Food, TJ’s will likely also siphon off Fairway customers (like me at least half the time).

    Competition is getting fierce now that big box has moved to Bklyn.

  4. Claude Scales September 26, 2008 at 2:58 pm #

    Nabeguy: they let me in wearing an L.L. Bean polo.

  5. nabeguy September 26, 2008 at 3:20 pm #

    I didn’t see earlier that the woman with the floral print shirt in the picture is also wearing a lei around her neck. Is she an employee? A really die-hard TJ fan? Maybe Joe’s wife?

  6. yo September 26, 2008 at 3:49 pm #

    so excited….hope it doesn’t get too crowded to use….down with key food!!!

    but seriously, here’s to hoping that the improved competition will force key food and gristedes to step up their game…

  7. Alex September 26, 2008 at 3:54 pm #

    How were the lines?

  8. AliG September 26, 2008 at 4:03 pm #

    nabeguy, it’s not a full body shot, otherwise you’d see the grass skirt.

  9. Claude Scales September 26, 2008 at 4:08 pm #

    Nabeguy: I think she may be Princess Pupule.

    Alex: The lines? I dunno; I never use that stuff.

    But, seriously, there were lots of checkouts working, so no long delays.

  10. E G September 26, 2008 at 4:51 pm #

    Roamed around surveying the place and their goods. I like the quick meal possibilities. Everything is really quite reasonably priced. I’ll be a regular. How could I not? I am 2 blocks away.

    I passed Sahadi’s and they were doing their typical brisk Friday business. Likely they’ll benefit rather than be hurt- it’s a destination for many, as well, they’ll get run-off business.

    btw, Key food HAS stepped up their game! At least on Atlantic. Nonethess, they will take a hit.

    I’m psyched to see this new deli/restaurant on State and Court. (partly because it just sprung up seemingly out of nowhere.) Not open yet, I’m hoping they’ll be more resident oriented than the other places on Court street. Then again, maybe they’ll take enough business from Evergreen to do damage and sink that wreck. Sorry, I just hate that place! Long story.

  11. yo September 26, 2008 at 5:00 pm #

    don’t get too excited about the “deli/restaurant.” It’s a boar’s head company store….set up under a fake name to peddle all boar’s head products….

  12. E G September 26, 2008 at 5:15 pm #

    I said I was psyched, didn’t I. Well, OK, a bit of an overstatement. But thanks for the info on the new place.

  13. LuvinJoe September 26, 2008 at 8:32 pm #

    boars head sux! yeah, ill admit the folks at Key food atlantic are much friendlier and they added the awning and flowers, so they beat montague key for sure. but its still like a D vs an F. TDs WILL take biz from Fairway. But, even if u are a TD regular, u still need to go to fairway for paper towels, tide and beer. so it just means u hit FW every 6 weeks instead of every 2. This will only bring more biz to other atlantic retail. Sahadis is relatively cheap so ppl will still go there and the product is different. Also, Sahadis is a victim of its own success during peak hours. u cant even get in there. TDs has 18 checkout lanes. i dont know if theyll all always be open, but im sure as soon as theres 3 people in a lane, they will open a new one. they invented customer service. u know if u buy something there and dont like it, u just bring back the packaging and they give u a credit.

  14. AEB September 27, 2008 at 11:04 am #

    Trader Joe’s is a curious operation: not a supermarket, even a high-end one, as they aren’t a go-to for staples; not a true “gourmet” shop, as many of the products are (weirdly) iffy. Maybe it’s that ol” health-food-store vibe they’ve got going.

    Still good to have it as a nabe shopping option.

  15. Dave September 27, 2008 at 12:26 pm #

    I don’t know how you can compare Trader Joe’s and Fairway. They’re two entirely different takes on groceries. Same again for Sahadi’s. They all have their place.

    I would imagine I’ll still have my weekly trip to Fairway, with more often surgical strikes on TJ if the lines aren’t insufferable.

  16. Beavis September 28, 2008 at 10:08 am #

    Went to TJ’s yesterday. It virtually the exact same stock as in the Union Square location, no more, no less. I’ve been to the Union Square location at least 30 times and I didn’t see any different products at the Bklyn location.

    The aisles are signifcantly wider at this location making for a less stressful battle with fellow shoppers, and they appear to have a greater number of check out clerks compared to Union Square.

    I’ll likely continue my every 10 day trek to Fairway and supplement once a month from TJs. Glad they’re in da hood.

  17. paul September 28, 2008 at 5:22 pm #

    amazing how many of us go to fairway weekly (or similar) and supplement with sahadis/td’s/etc. fairway is such an awesome store

  18. Beavis September 29, 2008 at 9:02 am #

    One of the things that makes TJs special is that approximately 80% of what they carry is their own brand–stuff that isn’t commoditized that you can pick up anywhere.

    In a previous post I listed some of my favorite TJs products. But I’d be curious to hear what other TJ afficianados find to be their favorite products.

  19. Billy Reno September 29, 2008 at 9:04 am #

    Key Food had a greeter at the door handing out flyers of their specials over the weekend! It’s a veritable retail rope-a-dope! HAHA!

  20. Jo September 29, 2008 at 9:50 am #

    I am surprised so many folks head down to Fairway, as well. It is a bit of a schlep, IMHO. Why not consider FreshDirect and supplement that with TJs/Sahadi’s? Not that FD is anything special, but they have most of what I need and the prices can be reasonable (although you can’t use coupons and they don’t have much on sale each week).

  21. mtierney September 29, 2008 at 11:48 am #

    I would imagine people who can shlep to Fairway do so as opposed to ordering from Fresh Direct because they still want to feel, pick and choose their groceries. As discussed the choices in our general area of the Heights/DUMBO has been horrible and I continue to be shocked that any Key Food or Grestides stays in business. I guess we have all been desperate until recently.

    By the way, does anyone know what happened to the guy outside the Clark Street station who had the fruit cart?

  22. Alex September 29, 2008 at 12:13 pm #

    I braved TJs twice this weekend–first Friday after work and then Saturday around 4 p.m. Both times it was surprisingly managable for opening weekend, which leaves me optimistic that it wont be overrun with crowds. The wide aisles are nice. I have no complaints, except for those of you not familier with TJs, don’t go looking for staples. I had to stop in at Key Foods on my way home for baking powder.

  23. BKBS September 29, 2008 at 12:54 pm #

    I avoid Fresh Direct for a couple of reasons: I’ve several times gotten overripe veg/fruit that needed to be used that day or the next or it would have gone bad; lots and lots of broken eggs; the noise pollution they contribute to the neighboorhood with endlessly idling, illegally parked trucks; environmental concerns about all the boxes.

    I can be at Fairway in ten/fifteen minutes in my car (yes, I know, also perhaps not so good for the environment, but I usually bring at one friend who’s also shopping); I can pick out my own stuff; the prices are great; I can bring my own bags; and it’s a totally pleasant shopping circumstances.

    And now that Whole Foods is a short subway ride away…woo-hoo!

  24. JGM September 29, 2008 at 1:18 pm #

    Went to TJ’s Sunday about 11…fairly crowded, but checkout was pretty quick. Given the abundance of prepared foods, I wonder if the lower end restaurants would feel any impact. Though you really can’t fit too many more people in Sahadis, I think they will benefit as more people will be in the area.

  25. Andrew Porter September 30, 2008 at 12:31 am #

    I was there Monday about 4pm, and the place was jammed. The first day without rain since they opened. Talked to a couple of people on the long line for the cashiers (which moved quite quickly; I got a cashier after maybe a 5-minute wait) and they were mostly from the nabe, or worked nearby. I schlepped back to the North Heights with bananas (42¢ a pound!) and lactose-free TJ milk (at $4.49 a half gallon, cheaper than Montague Key or Perelandra) and other good stuff.

    On the way home, noticed lots of people working inside Gristede’s, busy making it a food store again.