By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CHELSEA— The wait is almost over.
Trader Joe’s will open its new 16,000-square-foot Chelsea store at 675 Sixth Ave. Monday at 8 am. Masses of excited grocery shoppers are expected.
DNAinfo got a sneak peak at the store and saw it's already stocked with food, such as toasted whole-grain oats (a take on Cheerios), and 99-cent macaroni and cheese with Wisconsin cheddar.
There's also artwork on the walls that celebrates the neighborhood.
One painting shows "Joe's Hotel" in the likeness of the famed Chelsea Hotel, and a mural surrounding the meat section of the store highlights the Meatpacking District.
“It’s a historic building in a great area,” store manager Ylana Ebba told DNAinfo. “We wanted to add touches of local flavor to give it a more neighborhood feel.”
A clothing display on a mezzanine level also features vintage-style outfits that pays homage to store's site within the century-old Mattel Building part of the landmarked area known as “Ladies Mile,” a stretch from 18th to 24th streets around Sixth Avenue once known for women's shopping.
“I’m psyched for the store to open,” said local resident Lynda Gee, 49, who had gone to the Trader Joe’s in Union Square but complained of unbearably long lines. “My friend was talking about this like it’s the Messiah’s second coming.”
The only downside is that the store won’t have a wine store like many of its other outposts. But Sukanya Pharnthael, 32, of Astoria, who likes to stroll and shop in Chelsea, said she doesn’t mind.
“I love that they have healthy food and decent prices,” said Pharnthael. “I’m just hoping it won’t be crowded."
Trader Joe’s is also slated to open a branch on the Upper West Side. A spokeswoman for the company said the store is on track to open sometime this year.
