232562 Mon Mar 27 18:43:19 -0800 2006 28 18 Manhattan 0 1234081 I was wondering why there was so little buzz about the place on the board, but now I think maybe I know why - you can't get into the place! I happened to be nearby, so today (Monday) at 4:30pm I figured I'd mosey on over and check it out. Well, guess again. I got there and found they were expecting me to stand on line to get IN to the place in the first place! I asked the guy, with an incredulous look on my face, if it's always like that and the most he could come up with was that it was the "latest [in the day] they'd had to do it so far" clearly implying to me that its been a common phenomenon since they opened. There wasn't any point in making snide remarks, but the look on my face didn't improve as I turned and left. Who the hell waits on line to get into a supermarket, glorified or not? If they're holding you up outside, how long does it take to get out of the place? (I think Fairway's pretty bad but it rarely takes more than 5 minutes to get to a cashier.) Did they veruy badly miscalculate, or will the latest crop of Manhattanites actually find it somehow enticing to have to wait on line to get in? I confess I'm totally lost over this one... Mon Mar 27 18:43:19 -0800 2006 0 MikeG 1 1234083 I can't harsh on you, MikeG, as a regular chowhound whose posts I often read. But you can't blame TJ because people want to shop at their store! Try it during the weekday, which is when I went last week. No line to get in, though it was the middle of the day so half the shelves were empty. The general consensus from people who have gone is that the service is very good and the workers are cheerful and patient. In other words, they are dealing with the chaos as best as they can. I like the stuff. I like the prices. I plan on going back this week. Obviously, I am not the only one who feels this way. If you don't like the line, don't go. No big whoop. Mon Mar 27 19:00:56 -0800 2006 1234081 0 Pupster 2 1234089 I probably gave the wrong impression by mentioning the word rant. I wasn't so much "complaining" in the sense that I want them to do something differently, I'm mostly just amazed that it could work as a business model. Of course, if people continue to stand for it, they'll do fine. They certainly won't miss the $20 I might have spent checking things out or the few customers they might lose in the short run if "the line" comes up in conversation... I assumed that like most places of this sort, late Monday before rush hour would be about the deadest time of the week and that if it's bad then, it must be a total nightmare the rest of time. Are the weekends counterintuitively less crowded? Has anyone gone yet when they weren't packed? When? Actually, crowded inside I can handle no problem (Fairway, after all, is my main food store LOL), it's the waiting to get in part that lost me... Mon Mar 27 19:31:36 -0800 2006 1234083 0 MikeG 3 1234129 Actually, MikeG, the weekends are indeed more popular as you can see from the article w/ photos in the NYC City section. Once inside, it is crowded but not as bad as Fairway IMO. I think that is the purpose of the line outside, to prevent the inside from being completely unbearable. The skinny from the workers is that weekday morning 9AM sharp is the best time to go. Mon Mar 27 22:13:42 -0800 2006 1234089 0 Pupster 4 1234167 I must have been coming out of the store around 4:15 yesterday (ie Monday), after having been inside for maybe 20-30 mins, and I didn't see a line going in or coming out. So it must have formed quickly around then. It was very crowded inside, but patrons and staff seemed patient and the checkout line moved quickly. Tue Mar 28 07:34:50 -0800 2006 1234129 0 JulesEV 5 1234223 Went Sunday at about 1.30, waited no more than 7 minutes to be let in graciously--the store inside was packed. It's relatively small, there are indeed fire codes, and, Lord, after all the salivating noise on this Board and beyond--whaddya expect? Give it time, and before long, someone will be posting nostalgically about the long lost days of crowds and buzz. We live far uptown, and are aged out of complicated salsas, so I don't know about our regularly shopping there--good prices on olive oil, preserves, pasta, other staples, though. Tue Mar 28 11:29:24 -0800 2006 1234167 0 bob oppedisano 6 1234309 Very poor planning on the part of those at TJ HQ. The store is tiny! TJ's seemingly conservative approach to entering the NYC market (U.S.'s densest population and among highest per capita income) with limited square footage and inventory replenishment problems may have the unintended effect of turning away new customers. But there seems enough forgiving people here who are okay with waiting upwards of an hour on lines to save a couple of dollars. My time simply isn't worth it, though I look forward to shopping there once they resolve these problems. Tue Mar 28 16:15:47 -0800 2006 1234223 0 aleppo 2 1234240 I agree. If you don't like the wait, go elesewhere. Tue Mar 28 12:04:55 -0800 2006 1234083 0 SureSureSure 1 1234086 Based on my own experience over the past two visits since TJs opened, they are using the line up outside as a way of crowd control inside the store. When I went the first week, there was no line outside (and it was prime time) but inside it was impossible to navigate the aisles with so many people milling around and the check out line around to the back of the store. Last week I went (a bit later than prime time) and I was shocked to see a line outside. What I didn't know was that once I got inside (about 5 min), the store was very easy to get around, no crowds and immediate checkout--no line. I much preferred my second visit. Also, I bought more the second time which TJs prefers. However, I think TJs will be turning off some folks by the line outside unless they can communicate the advantageous shopping experience once they get inside. From my two visits, I have tried about 2 dozen different items--some I like, some I don't (never tried TJs before). I will return for the ones I like but likely will be more picky in my future selections. It's hard not to want to try new things especially when they are so inexpensive. But that's ok. It could be alot worse--the items could have been pricey. Favorites so far--spinach dip, Good Friends cereal (can't beat the price vs local supermarkets). Disliked the chocolate orange pieces and frozen chicken fajita burrito. Mon Mar 27 19:17:00 -0800 2006 1234081 0 eve 2 1234117 Ah. Yeah, that makes a very big difference. When I was there, the "bouncer" was trying to explain the outside line by pointing and saying "see how long the line is in there?", so I figured it was just nuts period. Had I heard your explanation beforehand, I'm not sure I would have waited, but at least I wouldn't have walked away thinking they were out of their collective mind. ;) Mon Mar 27 21:15:00 -0800 2006 1234086 0 MikeG 1 1234090 Years ago when I worked at a brand new supermarket in Brooklyn, there were lines to get into the store for about 2 months. The sales are probably incredible to draw everybody in and once the novelty of the newness is gone, it will be just like any other store. Mon Mar 27 19:31:51 -0800 2006 1234081 0 MrsT 2 1234095 "once the novelty of the newness is gone, it will be just like any other store" Exactly. It's like when Whole Foods opened at the Time Warner Center. It was like people in this city had never seen a supermarket before! Mon Mar 27 19:39:37 -0800 2006 1234090 0 valerie 1 1234093 My real issue with Trader Joe's isn't so much the Disneyworld-length lines (which are pretty terrible), but the problems that they continue to have keeping food on their shelves. If I'm going to waste 20 minutes outside in the line, I want to be able to purchase something decent inside. We wrote about this problem last week and haven't seen it get better yet. I plan to be patient, but I've talked with more than a few people who are already completely turned off by the lines. I can't really blame them either. But I'm like Pupster in that I want to see them succeed here. Nosher Link: http://nycnosh.com Mon Mar 27 19:38:07 -0800 2006 1234081 0 Nosher 2 1234121 Never having been to one, I really don't know if I care whether they succeed or not but I was anxious to check it out after hearing about it for all these years. Being a little more rational about it several hours later, the guy at the door - who was probably some sort of manager - didn't seem to be very happy about it and was getting almost plaintive in his explanation, but he didn't articulate the situation well at all. (He made it sound like it was such a madhouse inside that they simply couldn't let anyone else in.) That was what made me wonder if they'd just screwed up their planning, either in terms of size of the store, or layout or something - and were being overwhelmed from the start... I'll go back eventually, but I think I'm gonna wait until the novelty has, hopefully, worn off. I guess I was figuring it wouldn't be all that novel, what with WFs sprouting up like mushrooms around the city, and Garden of Eden down the street, etc but I guess the Yuppies (or Bobos or whatever they're called these days) must have their fresh meat so I'll just wait until the initial feeding frenzy is over. :) Mon Mar 27 21:36:44 -0800 2006 1234093 0 MikeG 3 1234377 "I guess the Yuppies (or Bobos or whatever they're called these days) must have their fresh meat so I'll just wait until the initial feeding frenzy is over. :)" Or, more accurately, their frozen meat. Tue Mar 28 22:43:46 -0800 2006 1234121 0 parkslopechef 1 1234094 It's really hard not to think of that book _Bobos in Paradise_. Mon Mar 27 19:38:45 -0800 2006 1234081 0 jasmurph 2 1234116 Yep, that pretty much says it all and even though I guess I nominally fall into that category or just missed it by a few years, we are not amused. (sigh) But that's totally off-topic so I'll leave it at that... Mon Mar 27 21:14:41 -0800 2006 1234094 0 MikeG 1 1234115 I actually went there on Saturday around 2pm and there was a line outside, which i found amusing (esp. with all the people taking pictures and being incredulous while actually queueing up). Once inside (10mins wait) the store was not crowded so I had space to browse through the selection...the line for checkout did go almost around the whole perimeter but most people just used it to browse the cold section and it took another 10-15mins. Overall I think it was a perfectly good experience and I found it more pleasurabe than pushing my way through peole at Zabar's, Fairway, etc. Mon Mar 27 21:11:33 -0800 2006 1234081 0 Olia 1 1234122 I have been there about 3 times and have yet to see the outside line - I've been only on weekends. The indoor line (to pay) moves fairly quickly though. Mon Mar 27 21:40:20 -0800 2006 1234081 0 Marilyn 1 1234143 The opening of TJ's provided New Yorkers with what they love, a two'fer. First it's an event or happening that we flock to like moths to a summer light. We want to see the latest film, eat at the latest, trendy restaurant, shop at the newest, PR blasted store and are willing to stand in line like we did in grade school with all of the accompanying excitement. If the reality is less than thrilling, at least we were there when it mattered. Second it's representative of what was previously unattainable or only gotten at great difficultly, like what lies beyond the velvet rope. Maybe we had a chance to shop at a Trader Joes when we traveled and it seemed so unique at that time. We got things we never saw at home and now we can get them anytime, although on later reflection they don’t seem so special at all. So that’s the Trader Joes experience. Mon Mar 27 23:16:27 -0800 2006 1234081 0 BluPlateSpec 1 1234162 Personally I don't get it either. I went when there was no outside line 10 minute checkout line, bought a few signature items and a few basics and thought..... so what Fairway is my regular store, on a day before a blizzard I have waited only 5 minutes in the express line to check out... they don't have chili lime nuts but having tasted them.... so what??? I may return to TJs but won't rush, Whole Foods is a regular lunch destination in USq but I just don't get the hype.... maybe if frozen pizza was more my thing??? Tue Mar 28 03:06:17 -0800 2006 1234081 0 dyre 1 1234166 We're removed some off topic posts and would like to remind everyone that it's fine to discuss the expereince at this particular Trader Joe's, or how it stacks up against other available options, but for general discussions on what products to buy, or why people like Trader Joe's, please move to the General Topics board, where all chain stores are discussed. You'll get better input, since that board is read by hounds everywhere. Thanks. Tue Mar 28 06:44:07 -0800 2006 1234081 2 The Chowhound Team 1 1234207 "Who the hell waits on line to get into a supermarket, glorified or not?" The same people who go here. Image: http://www.panopticist.com/graphics/shake_shack.gif Tue Mar 28 11:03:09 -0800 2006 1234081 0 Bob Martinez 2 1234242 Yeah, I know. It was pretty much a rhetorical question. ;) Sometimes I think waiting on line at restaurants, etc. is to the current generation what sleeping on sidewalks outside concert venues was to the previous one. The excitement is in the doing of it, not the realization of the end result... Fine if that's you're thing, but annoying when you get hyperbolic about it as a justification for doing it. Since I posted my rant, I've been looking at more Trader Joe's blogs than I could have believed existed (those people need lives STAT!!) and have come to the conclusion that since I don't eat frozen convenience foods and have a limited range of snack food needs, I'm not likely to be bowled over by the place. But of course I'll still have to check it out when I can get in without waiting on line... Tue Mar 28 12:17:26 -0800 2006 1234207 0 MikeG 3 1234294 Here's one I know you will definitely use, MikeG: They sell 1 lb blocks of Plugra for $2.89 Can you understand why they are so popular? Tue Mar 28 14:51:37 -0800 2006 1234242 0 Pupster 3 1234441 tried the first day they opened - crazy - though i got in - but soon left- went this pat wed at 4 pm - not too crowded, easy enough shopping - however, on 2nd look - what is the deal? so much frozen stuff! or jars of things...why in NYC would I want frozen mexican, asian, etc food when i could order it in? i did buy some jars of stuff, just cuz i thought ok, why not. strawberry jam a salsa curry sauce (which i bet i never use!) artichoke spread for hubby who loves artichokes who knows if they'll be good - if for any reason they are outstanding, i guess i would go back ( i live nearby) - but if not, forget it. seems more geared to suburban life where ordering in isn't what it is in NYC, but what do I know? I'm native Manhattan. Fri Mar 31 01:31:40 -0800 2006 1234242 0 mazine 1 1234258 not sure how you can blame the store for waiting. Your rant is illogical and pointless. Tue Mar 28 12:55:25 -0800 2006 1234081 0 dkstar1 2 1234260 I think I misunderstood your comment and feel the need to retract or rather edit mine. As I understood your post, there was a line to get into the place...which would be the result of it being popular, etc. However, after looking into it more, I see that you meant that they were holding people back...on a line...before entering. I see your point. However, like any restaurant, concert or other business, there are maximum amounts of people that can be in one space at one time - by law. To assume that they were a) controlling the number of people in the store due to the poplarity of the store and b) to control the pace of the checkout line isn't hard to do. I think it makes sense and unfortunately is the result of its own popularity. Tue Mar 28 13:03:21 -0800 2006 1234258 0 dkstar1 1 1234279 Well just have to wait until TJs open up more branches around the city. Tue Mar 28 14:05:12 -0800 2006 1234081 0 csw