In order to fight the crowds and be first in line to grab a box of his favorite pistachio cookies, Ed Davis got in line at 10 p.m. the night before the first Trader Joe’s was to open in the Capital District. He was to stand there by himself for nearly six more hours.
“We like what we get here,” said Davis just before the doors to the grocery store were to open to customers for the first time on Friday, Aug. 3. “My wife is a vegetarian and she finds stuff here she can’t get anyplace else.”
About four times a year the couple would drive to Hadley, Mass. to stock up on all of their favorite products at the closest Trader Joe’s chain two-and-a-half hours away. They would bring coolers and freezer bags in order to store enough meals for the next trip and anytime they left the state would search out the nearest Trader Joe’s store. Now, they’ll be saving time and money buying even more of their preferred produce.
“There’s a big base in the area of people who travel for Trader Joe’s and it’s convenient to now have one in the area,” said the retired Watervliet resident.
Throughout the morning, the store’s crew members dressed in purple Hawaiian shirts and pumped up the crowd while giving out free coffee and food samples. Those in line were given flower leis to wear and some arrived sporting special homemade shirts.
Bringing Trader Joe’s to the area has been a five-year labor of love for Bruce Roter and his group, “We want Trader Joe’s in the Capital District.” To grab the company’s attention, the group used more creative means other than just starting a Facebook fan page.
The group’s nearly 2,000 members wrote the company haiku poems, created Youtube videos and sent them postcards. They also made donations to local charities like the Regional Food Bank and made Trader Joe’s the beneficiaries of those donations. In return, the food bank sent cards to Trader Joe’s letting them know donations had been made in their name.
“At first there just wasn’t a great amount of choice as far as shopping opportunities were concerned in the area,” said Roter. “People would email me and say they had just moved here from the west coast and the only thing they missed was not having a Trader Joe’s. I heard that time and time again.”
Although the company has said in the past they do not make location decisions based on persuasion, it’s clear the area’s foodies made a difference.
The new location on Wolf Road in Colonie is about 13,000 square feet and is now one of 360 stores in 31 states. Trader Joe’s touts itself as a “truly unique grocery store unlike any other” and a “store of stories” because of the more than 2,000 domestic, imported and specialty food items available, many under the Trader Joe’s brand, including Trader Darwin’s vitamins, Trader Jose’s salsas and Trader Giotto’s marinara sauces.
Because of his work to bring the chain to the area and his love of Trader Joe’s, the company asker Roter to help cut a long flowered lei to mark to official opening of the store along with local dignitaries and the store’s “captain,” or manager.
Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan said the opening was exciting for the community. With Fresh Market grocery now open in Latham and a Whole Foods set to open in Colonie Center in the coming months, the town is set to become a destination for food enthusiasts.
“We have a large population in town and a very large population that travels through town, so we have enough people for all of the stores to do extremely well,” she said.
Friends Barbra Hildreth and Sandra Chisholm were two of the first customers inside. They were next in line after Davis, having arrived at 3:45 a.m.
With carts ready they headed straight for the frozen section to pick out some of their favorite pre-made hors d’oeuvres. Once the doors swung open, aisles soon became crowded as customers raced to grab their favorite products like cookies and salad dressings.
“Still, I don’t think this is going to replace our regular grocery store,” said Hildreth. “I’m a Price Chopper fan and I’ll always go there, but there are things I can get here I can’t get anywhere else. This is a complimentary store.”
The interior of the store also carried over the same Hawaiian theme found on most of its products and décor, but was also livened up with aspects from the Capital District, like a giant chalk Capitol building.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said he looked up to Roter for his dedication. Roter wasn’t shopping, but talking to happy customers who thanked him for his efforts.
“I say to people out there if you want to make a change, get active, get involved and engage people in the community,” said McCoy. “Look what happens at the end of the day.”