Trader Joe's opens at University Town Center

While other grocery store chains might have loyal customers, Trader Joe’s has fans. 

The new UTC store opened Oct. 26 at 8111 Cooper Creek Blvd., and residents went straight to shopping. Cheri Buchanan and Rich Antonuccio were among the first customers to fill up a cart.

“We’re from the D.C. area, and we used to shop at Trader Joe’s,” Buchanan said. "It's convenient and right by our house. We’re super excited that it’s here.”

Buchanan and Antonuccio were stocking up on meat, but they also like the salads, frozen foods and “basically everything” Trader Joe’s has to offer. 

The 12,000-square-foot store is at The Shoppes at University Town Center, a Benderson Development-owned shopping center across the street from The Mall at University Town Center. Other tenants in The Shoppes include T.J. Maxx, Total Wine & More and JOANN Fabric and Crafts.

The area around The Shoppes is also a center point for grocery stores: Within 1 mile from the new Trader Joe's there's a Fresh Market, a Whole Foods and a Publix.

The site was a former Party City.

The store’s operating hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 

Trader Joe’s began in 1967 in the Los Angeles area and has since expanded to more than 540 stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C.