Trader Joe's Opening New Store In North County

VISTA, CA — Trader Joe's is opening a new store in San Diego's North County.

Trader Joe's Vista will open its doors Friday in North County Square, a shopping mall in Vista. The 10,595-square-foot location will be the first Trader Joe's in the city.

"We feel the community and location are a great fit, and we have an awesome crew who are working hard to get the store ready to welcome our customers," store manager Dave Larkin told Patch. "We are grateful to be part of the Vista community."

The company announced it hired 75 new employees from surrounding areas and transferred in others from neighboring stores to run the Vista location. The Vista store will also donate 100% of its products that aren't sold to nonprofit, community-based organizations through the grocery store chain's Neighborhood Shares Program.

In May, the chain announced plans to open 24 new stores across the country, including eight in Southern California. A store opened in August in Santee, and another store opened in October in Poway.

Trader Joe's spokesperson Nakia Rohde told Patch that no other openings are planned in the San Diego area at this time.

The company launched in 1967 in the Los Angeles area and has since expanded to more than 570 stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C.

The Vista location will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:55 a.m. Friday. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 1861 University Drive.