DeWitt, N.Y. — The day Cookie Butter addicts throughout Central New York have been waiting for is almost here.

Trader Joe's arrives this week with its first Syracuse-area store. The specialty grocer will open at 8 a.m. Friday at the Raymour & Flanigan plaza on Erie Boulevard in DeWitt.

Employees have been busy this week putting the final touches on the new store, stocking shelves and training. Syracuse.com got a sneak peek of the new digs.

Trader Joe's stores carry about 3,000 unique items, plus basic groceries like milk, eggs, meat and produce, said Sue Servatius, "captain" of the DeWitt location. That's Trader Joe's speak for a store manager.

More than 80 percent of the stores' merchandise is private-labeled under the Trader Joe's brand.

And it's those Trader Joe's items that have earned the chain plenty of fans. The products all pass a tasting panel before going on the shelves, the company says.

Some of the most popular offerings include that Cookie Butter, Triple Ginger Snaps and Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole.

As you might expect, there are plenty of Syracuse touches at the new store. Parts of the space have an orange and blue paint scheme, in a nod to Syracuse University.

Some of the wall murals reflect the local market as well. There's a scene of downtown Syracuse and one painting of the Carrier Dome, complete with a Trader Joe's Hawaiian shirt-style roof.

The chain is well-known for those Hawaiian shirts, which are the norm for employees. The stores strive to create a laid-back atmosphere.

"We never take ourselves too seriously," Servatius said.

The DeWitt store will even have a steel drum band playing on opening day.

Trader Joe's locations also all include a tasting station with a rotating sampling of items. First up in DeWitt? Trader Joe's Mac 'n Cheese. The microwave product features a blend of four different cheeses.

"That's an iconic product for us," Servatius said. "It cooks up in seconds, but it's really good."

Word about a Trader Joe's in the Syracuse market emerged earlier this year.

The 12,000-square-foot store is in space formerly occupied by Raymour & Flanigan's Sleep Center. Raymour moved its sleep stuff into its remaining space at the plaza.

Syracuse is the last major Upstate market to get a Trader Joe's. The chain already has locations in Albany, Buffalo and Rochester.

The company wouldn't say how many people work at the DeWitt store, but it hired 95 percent of them locally, Servatius said.

Regular store hours will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

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