Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Trader Joe's has pushed back the opening of its first Utah store to Nov. 30.
The store had originally been slated for a Nov. 16 opening, but construction delays got in the way.
"We are confident the extra time will help us prepare a store that will give our customers a complete Trader Joe's experience," company spokesperson Alison Mochizuki said.
The 12,700-square-foot store will be located at 634 E. 400 South — the former Old Navy location in The Family Center. It will be open Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
The June announcement of the store was met with excitement by many who are used to frequenting one of the company's 381 locations in 34 states. A fan page had previously been started on Facebook to say "Trader Joe's should go the distance...Salt Lake City, Utah."
#poll
The store will look familiar to those who have been inside a Trader Joe's before, but will be unique to Utah. Mochizuki said the crew members, or employees, of each store paint murals on the walls that reflect each city's unique culture.
"This is a neighborhood grocery store, and we like to incorporate each neighborhood into our stores," Mochizuki said. "The murals will highlight some of the local landmarks."
She did not say which landmarks would find a home on the murals.
The stores carry both domestic and imported foods, 80 percent of which are sold under the company's Trader Joe's label, and deciding which items will be sold in which store is "truly a democratic process," according to Mochizuki. Customers vote with their wallets.
"We introduce about 12 new items a week, and if something isn't selling, we remove it from the store," Mochizuki said. "So it is really the customers deciding what will be sold, based on where they spend their money."
The Salt Lake City location will not sell wine — including the $2 wine nicknamed "Two-Buck Chuck" — because of Utah's liquor laws.
---
