Grocer takes prime spot for 1st S.A. store

The former west elm store in the Quarry Villiage will be the new home of Trader Joe's. The former west elm store in the Quarry Villiage will be the new home of Trader Joe's. Photo: Express-News File Photo Photo: Express-News File Photo Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Grocer takes prime spot for 1st S.A. store 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

After months of rumors, grocery chain Trader Joe's confirmed that it will open its first store in San Antonio at the former spot of the west elm furniture store at the Quarry Village, inspiring at least one fan of the store to do a happy dance.

The company signed a lease this month for the 11,000-square-foot location and has plans to open the store this year, said Alison Mochizuki, a spokeswoman for the California-based grocer.

The new location is part of an aggressive expansion plan the company has for Texas. It's the fifth location for Trader Joe's in the state that's been announced in the past few months. The other locations are in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano and The Woodlands, according to Trader Joe's website.

“San Antonio is a wonderful community, filled with lots of foodies. We consider ourselves the neighborhood grocery store and feel San Antonio is a perfect fit,” Mochizuki said.

The grocery chain has amassed a cult following across the nation, especially in cities where its stores are absent. There are Facebook groups dedicated to the grocer, including a page called San Antonio Needs a Trader Joe's, which has nearly 550 members.

By midafternoon Tuesday, after a San Antonio Express-News report appeared online, members already were posting their excitement, exclaiming, “Yippee!” and “Hallelujah!”

Sheena Edwards tweeted that she did the happy dance. She said that before moving to San Antonio, Trader Joe's was her go-to grocery store while living in Phoenix. Now, she gets Trader Joe's products when her in-laws visit and bring her bottles of the company's signature Charles Shaw wine, also known as Two-Buck Chuck.

The store's location puts it close to two competitors: the H-E-B at Lincoln Heights and Whole Foods Market, which is an anchor tenant at the Alamo Quarry Market across the street. Despite the nearby stores, the company picked one of the prime real estate spots to open, said Kim Gatley, a vice president at commercial real estate firm NAI REOC San Antonio.

“There's room for them in the market, and I think they'll be successful there,” she said. “That space gives them a premier stage to launch their first store in the area. There are a lot of people waiting for a San Antonio store, so this announcement will make a lot of people happy.”

After months of rumors, Trader Joe's confirmed in August that it would open a San Antonio store, but it wouldn't say when or where, although the Quarry Village was most widely speculated.

Rumors about the location and timing of the opening heated up in January when the company posted a job listing for store managers in San Antonio.

No comment was offered about the number of employees the grocer is looking to hire for its San Antonio location. But Mochizuki said the store's small footprint fits with the company's other locations, which range from about 10,000 to 15,000 square feet.

Trader Joe's started in 1958 and has grown to more than 360 stores in 32 states. The chain is known for its specialty foods, private labels, competitive prices and quirky atmosphere, which includes employees who wear brightly colored Hawaiian shirts.

Trader Joe's fan Edwards is a Stone Oak resident but said she will be willing to make the drive once the store opens.

“It wouldn't have mattered where it went,” she said. “I've been waiting too long. I will get there. I will make the drive.”