Trader Joe's Upper East Side Store To Open Next Week

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The wait is almost over: Trader Joe's will open its long-awaited supermarket under the Queensboro Bridge on Thursday, Dec. 2, the company announced Wednesday.

The 8 a.m. opening will be the culmination of a process that began in 2015, when the Food Emporium that formerly occupied the so-called "Bridgemarket" space closed after 20 years in business.

The 20,000-square-foot store will occupy a space once dubbed the city's "most beautiful" supermarket venue. Built in 1908 along with the bridge itself, the landmarked space features vaulted, tiled ceilings designed by Rafael Guastavino — famed for building the old City Hall subway station.

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Patch broke the news in February 2020 that Trader Joe's had applied to open up shop in the space. The news caused a stir in the neighborhood, as the market commands a devoted following for its low prices and quirky products, and neighbors have kept a keen eye in the ensuing 21 months for any sign of when the market might open.

Neighborhood landmarks to be highlighted

The Upper East Side shop will be Trader Joe's 12th location in the city and ninth in Manhattan — but its first near the Upper East Side, whose residents have had to trek across Central Park or south into Midtown for a taste of Trader Joe's.

Next Thursday's opening will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by store captain Brian Lamothe, a 12-year veteran of Trader Joe's who previously led their Union Square store. From there, "the Upper East Side Trader Joe’s Crew will be on hand to welcome customers to their new neighborhood store," the company said in a news release.

The new store features murals paying tribute to area landmarks like the United Nations headquarters and Roosevelt Island. About 99 percent of the store's workers are from the New York City area — including 100 percent of new hires, the company said.

The Upper East Side Trader Joe's store will be open daily from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. at 405 East 59th St.

A six-year wait

After Food Emporium closed in 2015, the craft store Michael's put together an early proposal to move into the space, but plans fell through after getting a cool reception from the landmarks commission.

Hoping to find a worthy occupant, City Councilmember Ben Kallos told Patch last year that he began working with the Empire State Development Corporation, the state-run entity that owns Bridgemarket, to search for possible tenants. Early candidates included Whole Foods, Fairway, or a public food hall inspired by Chelsea Market.

Adding to the urgency was the fact that the Upper East Side had lost multiple supermarkets in recent years, including two Gristedes locations, a D'Agostino's and the Food Emporium itself. Eventually, the front-runners were narrowed down to Trader Joe's or the public market, which would have been operated by EDC with a community partner, Kallos said.

After presenting the two options to neighborhood groups including the East River 50s Alliance and Sutton Area Community, Kallos said that residents' preference was clear.

"What I will say is, people love Trader Joe's," Kallos said.

Trader Joe's will be committing to the space through June 2026, with an option to renew until 2036, according to a copy of the lease which was shared with Patch.

The market under the Queensboro Bridge first opened in 1908 along with the bridge itself. That market closed in 1930 and finally reopened in 2000 as a Food Emporium, following years of renovations.

Have an Upper East Side news tip? Email reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.

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Previous coverage from Patch:

• UES Trader Joe's Set For 2021 Opening After Yearslong Move-In
• New Trader Joe's On UES Gets Green Light From City
• Trader Joe's Applies For New UES Store