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The world’s busiest Trader Joe’s is in NYC

Lots of everything but bagel seasoning.

The world's busiest Trader Joe's stores are three stories tall, have three times the number of employees as the average store, and accommodate endless lines that sometimes stretch all the way down to the street.

And if you guessed that this packed-to-the-rafter store was somewhere in New York, you'd be right.

Despite only serving the city that never sleeps since 2006, that was the year the Southern California establishment's first branch opened to much fanfare at 142 East 14th Street, just off Union Square. did. A quirky, tiki-themed alternative to traditional grocery shopping. It was a huge hit among New Yorkers.


Trader Joe's first opened in Manhattan in 2006. The Southern California-based chain has since become a favorite among New Yorkers. Bloomberg via Getty Images

And while you may be convinced that your neighborhood branch is the busiest on a Sunday afternoon, nowhere in the Big Apple can beat the scene at 72nd and Broadway on the Upper West Side. report.

The store, located at 2073 Broadway, is often booked and has four escalators (including one for carts to facilitate movement between floors), two elevators, and an average number of cashiers compared to TJ's. That's three times the number of stores.

Being a member of the neighborhood's favorite crew means being an expert in crowd control and navigation to keep things from descending into chaos. Think Zabar's. It's right up the street but has more space and a harder line to cut.

Also, since you'll be spending most of your time underground, don't immediately compare rates or rely on cell phone reception for last-minute requests from home. Customers have reported finding themselves in a basement without a bar. Regularly.

In a ranking of Manhattan Trader Joe's stores compiled by Washington Square News, Cacio e Pepe Puff Palace, located next to Glaze Papaya, ranked near the bottom.


A person wears a protective mask and carries shopping bags outside a Trader Joe's in New York City during the coronavirus pandemic
Trader Joe's shoppers carry their bags from Manhattan's 72nd and Broadway stores, said to be the busiest in the world. Getty Images

Critics called it “bizarre” and said it was “spread out like a labyrinth” and the flow “feels wrong.”

“This outing helped us understand the value of urban planning. After shopping here, you'll want to relax a bit in nearby Central Park,” said critic Joey Han. Sabrina Chaudhary writes in 2021.

Trader Joe's was founded in the late 1960s in Pasadena, California, a short drive from downtown Los Angeles.

The company was acquired by Aldi founder Theo Albrecht in 1979 and is still owned by his descendants. Currently, there are over 600 stores nationwide.

The average Trader Joe's is between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet. The 72nd and Broadway branch is completely average, at least in one sense, with just 12,500 square feet of space.

The smallest location is on Boylston Street in Boston and is a claustrophobic 5,200 square feet.

Trader Joe's is known for adapting to unusual locations, from a defunct movie theater in Houston to a former bank branch in Brooklyn's bustling Cobble Hill neighborhood.

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