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Friday, June 15, 2012

Photos: Trader Joe’s comes to Texas with splashy opening in Fort Worth


Neither rain nor parking hampered the crowd's enthusiasm.

Media interview the first folks in line outside Trader Joe's in Fort Worth.

Malcolm Mayhew

Media interview the first folks in line outside Trader Joe's in Fort Worth.

— After years of pining and yearning, Trader Joe's came to Texas on Friday morning, with a lei-wrapped opening in Fort Worth, one of the first two to open in Texas, along with Houston.

Official opening time was 8 a.m. but the line had already begun to form at 5:30 a.m.

Ricki Klos, a former resident of the Bay Area in California, got the first spot in line with her less-than-enthused daughter Tilly. "I've been waiting for this day," Klos said.

By opening time, she was joined by a crowd of more than 200 people, whose enthusiasm was not dampened by a slow, steady wave of rain.

A sizable percentage seemed to be California natives who could be heard sharing anecdotes of other Trader Joe's they'd visited, and divulging their favorite Trader Joe's products to a dozen-or-so local media outlets.

Parking seems likely to be a challenge at this tightly-wrapped shopping center, and at 7 a.m., a representative from the property next door came over to warn attendees that their parking lot was verboten, yelling, "You can't park here."

By 8 a.m., Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price arrived to preside over a ribbon-cutting and give a speech thanking Trader Joe's for making Fort Worth their first Texas location.

And then, at long last, the doors opened with an appreciative roar from the crowd, who cheered excitedly as they crossed the entry. Employees in Hawaiian shirts welcomed them by bestowing leis around their necks.

And then it was shop shop shop -- dried cherries, Greek yogurt, candied ginger, frozen mac 'n' cheese, almond butter with flax, and more.


Thanks to Malcolm Mayhew for photos!



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Kirby, anonymous:

Did anyone do an interview with the 19-year-old woman from The Colony who bursts into tears when California companies come to North Texas?

11 months, 1 week ago
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:

Kirby, i believe you have Trader Joe's confused with the In-N-Out crowd. Trader Joe's fans, while enthusiastic, have better manners and are rational

11 months, 1 week ago
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Sarah Blaskovich, staff:

I don't mind re-visiting our dear friend Danielle, Kirby. Here's the woman who was so moved by In-N-Out's Burger, she wept:

Danielle
11 months, 1 week ago
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Kirby, anonymous:

TG: Danielle looks perfectly rational, and was good-mannered enough to wear pants. Sarah: Thanks for helping me prove my point to TJ ... I mean TG.

11 months, 1 week ago
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:

well the WORST are the fans of CostCo. those people are nuts

11 months, 1 week ago
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OEsophagus, anonymous:

Excellent photos — I feel like I am there. It's nice to see that sign in a neighborhood less than 100 miles away. And look, there's Big Tex saying, "Howdy ya do it, Joe?" which is a totally new cornball expression to me. Using "ya" instead of "y'all" takes the redneck out of it. Thank god for California.

11 months, 1 week ago
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Kirby, anonymous:

Nuts, perhaps. But with happy tushies from all that tensile strength.

11 months, 1 week ago
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:

First impressions from R Philpot, plus a news report from Bill Hanna on DFW.com:

http://www.dfw.com/2012/06/15/638351/...

11 months, 1 week ago
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:

crowds got worser, according to the report by Lauren Drewes Daniels:

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityo...

Carol made a list:

http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/06...

11 months, 1 week ago
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