What’s In-Store at Trader Joe’s Wonder Emporium

Trader Joe’s has opened the doors on what might be its most historic location yet—a 20,000-square-foot store at 405 E. 59th Street—beneath the Queensboro Bridge on New York’s Upper East Side.

The Monrovia, Calif.-based retailer got the green light to open the store, in the storied space formerly occupied by The Food Emporium, in February 2020. On Dec. 2, 2021, the retailer welcomed throngs of eager shoppers to the reimagined space.

Located at East 59th Street and First Avenue, the historic location is known for its dramatic tile-vaulted ceiling designed by Rafael Guastavino Moreno, a Spanish building engineer and builder who created the “Tile Arch System” in the U.S. in 1885. He is also known for his architectural contributions to Grand Central Terminal, Ellis Island and the Bronx Zoo.

The Bridgemarket Food Emporium, which closed during A&P’s bankruptcy, was famous for a reset into a curated specialty store that highlighted the possibilities of its parent’s fresh initiative. Now it is reborn once again and filled with Trader Joe’s favorites from Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to Mandarin Orange Chicken.

But Trader Joe’s New York expansion doesn’t end at the Queensboro Bridge. On Dec. 10, the retailer will open a new location in Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg neighborhood at 200 Kent Avenue. The approximately 20,000-square-foot Trader Joe’s will join neighboring grocers including Foodtown of Williamsburg and Whole Foods Markets—both just minutes away.

Related:All Aboard Trader Joe's SoHo Ship

Click here for a peek at Trader Joe’s other unique and historic locations.

Trader Joe’s is also continuing its Southern expansion. The retailer, which opened a new store in Coral Gables, Fla., on Oct. 29, has announced it will soon open a new location in midtown Miami at 3191 N.E. 1st Avenue.