Trader Joe's sets opening date for Middletown store, and it's very soon

Trader Joe's is set to open its new store on Route 35 in Middletown on Thursday, the popular grocer's fourth location at the Jersey Shore.

The store will open at 8 a.m., after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

The 12,000-square-foot store, which has been decorated inside with artwork that highlights beach scenes and treats, is located at an end of the shopping center closest to Harmony Road. It had been vacant since Walgreens, which converted it from a Rite Aid pharmacy in 2019, closed in February 2022 .

Trader Joe's has three stores in Monmouth and Ocean counties, with locations in Shrewsbury, Freehold Township and Brick.

What's Going There in Middletown? McDonald's getting smashed after 53 years. Here's plans for the new one

Known for its produce, frozen food and meals, Trader Joe's is a cult hit with foodies, offering more than 3,000 items under its own private label. It introduces about a dozen new items every month.

Meanwhile, Middletown Plaza, which has other large tenants such as At Home , Petco and Retro Fitness, is in the midst of an $8.9 million makeover. Its owner, Brixmor Property Group, is renovating with a new façade, enhanced landscaping, new pylon signage and trash enclosures and extensive repaving, said Ryan Guheen, Brixmor's senior vice president of re/development. The project should be completed in early 2025.

"Brixmor’s core purpose is to create shopping centers that are integrated to consumers’ daily lives, and we are excited to partner with Trader Joe’s to bring their beloved brand to the Middletown Township," Guheen said in statement.

Besides Trader Joe's next week, the shopping center will have another new nameplate tenant in 2024: Shake Shack will open a burger joint in the former Moe's Southwest Grill .

What's Going There? Ocean State Job Lot has plans to fill this empty store in Holmdel

David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for 25 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Trader Joe's sets opening date for Middletown store, and it's very soon