MANCHESTER -- The newest store opened its doors in Manchester on Thursday.
"I have heard this is a wonderful store, and I've never been to one before," said Barbara Andriks of South Windsor. "Since it's so close to home I am going to make a habit of coming here now."
Andriks was a first time shopper on opening day but said she heard the store had a great reputation.
"Fantastic pricing, and really good food," said Andriks. "I am anxious to try it out."
Meanwhile, Dominic and Deborah Rutigliano of Vernon said they are regular shoppers, and used to trek across several town lines to shop.
"We kept going to the West Hartford Trader Joe's," said Dominic. "We kept asking them when are you going to come across the river?"
This Trader Joe's along Pleasant Valley Road in Manchester is now the eighth store open in Connecticut, but one of only a few in the northern half of the state.
"We have been going to West Hartford for years, and years," said Deborah. "We kept asking them to cover over to this side of the river, and it is not going to have to be a half an hour trip, or once a month trip, it can be whenever, and much more convenient."
"People have been going west of the river to the one in west Hartford, so now they don't have to go that far," said Manchester Mayor, Jay Moran. "Now they don't have to go that far, they don't have to deal with the Hartford traffic."
The Mayor said he is excited for this shop to bring in more business and foot traffic in Manchester.
"They spend a lot of time doing their research of where is a community where it is going to be successful, and they think Manchester is a successful business community," said Moran. "We are just excited."
From good food to good prices, it is no wonder why hundreds lined up bright and early to take part in the opening day festivities of prizes, snacks, and music.
"At Trader Joe's nobody is better than anybody else," said Jason Schwartz, Trader Joe's Store Captain. "From the top to the bottom, we are all doing everything, we are all pitching in, it's a great sense of teamwork and family."