It was a big day on Lower Greenville with the Trader Joe’s opening this morning. By 7:30 a.m. a crowd was already assembled in anticipation of the grand opening at 8 a.m. No surprise there. As promised, we live-tweeted the opening (much to the annoyment of some of our followers… sorry for any twitter fatigue, y’all.). Here are some of our favorite moments:
Early birds get the Powerberries! They were out by the time I got inside.
Mayor Mike Rawlings made a special appearance for the ribbon cutting. “Dallas is hot, and I don’t mean just in August,” he quipped. “People are coming here from all over the United States. We’re growing, and we’re finally on the map now; we’ve got Trader Joe’s!”
Philip Kingston and Adam Medrano also dropped by to assist with the ribbon cutting. After all, as Kingston pointed out, they can’t miss a photo op.
… and then there was this lady.
And, of course, the mad rush to get in the door. I’m telling you, that Speculoos Cookie Butter makes it worth being trampled.
And then these guys, who were getting a little carried away with leiing people.
But they weren’t the only ones excited about the grand opening. There was a lot of activity along Lower Greenville, and everyone I talked with was all smiles about the new Trader Joe’s — and the fresh wave of business it will likely bring them.
Tim Luter, a barista at Mudsmith says he’s heard positive things about Trader Joe’s. “Actually we knew they were building here before it was announced, and that played a big part in why we chose this location,” he explained.
The hope, of course, is that it’ll breathe new life into the area, and from the looks of things, it already is.
Matt Pikar, the owner of Nora Restaurant and Bar, says he and his wife are excited about Trader Joe’s opening. They’ve been on Lower Greenville about a year and have been thinking about opening for lunch. Now, with the increase of day-time traffic, it seems like the perfect time, he says.
