Peek inside the new Trader Joe's in Coralville

CORALVILLE — The new Trader Joe's store here may very well be the first thing that greets drivers coming off Interstate 80 into Iowa River Landing.

The store, 920 Ponseti Way, will open at 8 a.m. Friday. Store Captain Todd Gibson gave The Gazette an early peek inside Wednesday.

'The biggest thing that's unique to Trader Joe's is we are a neighborhood grocery story and focusing on the value. For us that means great quality products at quality prices,' Gibson said.

Shelves in the 13,000-square-foot store are almost fully stocked. On Wednesday, employees — known as 'mates' in Trader Joe's nautical-themed vernacular — filled up the shelves with produce, bread, wine, meats, pumpkin-flavored cereal, cookie butter, frozen prepared foods and Trader Joe's-branded snack foods, such as peanut butter-filled pretzels and triple ginger snaps.

Iowa-themed decor lines the walls, from University of Iowa jerseys to murals that highlight the state, the Iowa River and the Corridor.

The Coralville location is Trader Joe's second in Iowa. The first is in West Des Moines.

Coralville is 'the right place at the right time. We're really happy to be here and to be embraced by the community and to welcome the community on Friday,' Gibson said.

As employees prepared the store, a handful of curious customers drove through the Trader Joe's parking lot to see if the store was open.

Frank Kelly, 72, of Muscatine, was one of them. As a self-described 'foodie,' Kelly said he is excited about the produce, spices and condiments that would be unique to Trader Joe's.

'Hy-Vee does a very good job in Muscatine of selling a wide variety of great foods, but this may be at a totally different level,' said Kelly, a retiree who drives for an emergency medical transport company.

[naviga:h3 style="padding-left: 60px;"]About the Store

Address: 920 Ponseti Way, Coralville.

Opening day: 8 a.m., Friday, Oct. 6.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday

Phone number: (319) 351-7223

l Comments: (319) 398-8366; matthew.patane@thegazette.com