When Nesh Patel first moved to New York City three years ago, it was a ritual to buy groceries and a few bottles of wine at Trader Joe’s in Union Square.
The deal at the time allowed shoppers to combine six bottles and receive a discount off the total price. “That’s what made it so affordable,” he recalled.
But last week, he walked by the store and was surprised to see it closed.
Trader Joe’s New York state’s only wine store closed without notice last week, causing minor headwinds for some shoppers at the grocery chain as cultists.
“We have operated a small wine shop in the Union Square area for over 15 years. Thank you for your business and support over the years.” was.
The sign reads, “It’s time to explore another location that could maximize your potential as a one-of-a-kind license to sell wine in New York State.”
The company said it plans to “offer an even better wine shop experience” to New York customers, and staff at the location will be paid through August 28, giving them the opportunity to move to another location in New York City. is given, he added.
A spokesperson for Trader Joe’s declined to specify what the store’s next iteration will look like.
The Trader Joe’s store and adjacent wine shop in Union Square was one of the cheapest options for both food and alcohol in an urban mix of NYU dorms and luxury apartments.
The store opened in a big way in 2006, becoming the first of many California-based chains known for their quirky private label products and sweet deals to enter the New York City market. The wine shop soon became a staple of the thriving residential neighborhood. made more splashes More than a typical wine and liquor store.
In addition to customers who have created recipes and pairings from the store’s creative culinary options, so-called $2 chucks (a bottle of wine from the store’s Charles Shaw line, about $2 depending on where you live) and Lovers of other options. flocked there for that deal.
Trader Joe’s typically stocks California wine regions, as well as wines from New Zealand, Italy, France, and more. Many are from their own brands.
On many weekday nights, the lines for the two stores could be seen stretching toward Union Square Park or wrapping around the building on that busy corner of Manhattan.
Mr. Patel, 28, who works in private equity, said he now shops at well-stocked wine stores but still has a “nostalgia factor.”
New York’s alcohol sales regulations allow the chain to hold only one wine store license in the city, so they chose a building right next to a Trader Joe’s grocery store.
Still, many customers lamented the sudden inability to stock up on some of their favorite blends without warning.
Trader Joe’s is based in California where most grocery stores sell beer, wine and liqueurs. Regulations vary by state, with some supermarkets allowing the sale of wine and beer. But in New York, grocery stores can only sell beer, and chain stores such as Trader Joe’s can only sell beer. there is only one placeusually used separately for the sale of wine or liquor.
Similarly, Whole Foods in New York City has one wine store next to its Upper West Side location, separate from the grocery store.
A notice posted in a Union Square shop implied that Trader Joe’s would soon be opening a new wine location in the city, but it didn’t make the die-hard fans feel better this week. . 1 TikTok video It shows Closed Doors sadly set to the tune of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”
