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Back Bay poised to get big new Trader Joe's, this time with liquor
By adamg on Wed, 05/03/2023 - 1:25pm
Update: Approved, with a 9 p.m. closing time.
The Boston Licensing Board could vote tomorrow whether to grant a liquor-store license to Trader Joe's so it can open a larger new store in the Denny Crane building, 500 Boylston St., just four blocks from its current small store.
At a hearing today, Trader Joe's didn't say what would become of what is now the world's smallest Trader Joe's, open since 2001, should it win approval for a new market with alcohol shelves in what is now vacant space down the street.
The new "full size" location would have 16,512 square feet of space, more than enough room to stock alcoholic beverages, its attorney, Andrew Upton said, adding the current "mini Trader Joe's" is just too small to support a liquor section.
Upton added that the board wouldn't have to worry about any problems with the alcohol in part because Trader Joe's tends to staff its stores with at least 30% more employees than comparably sized regular markets. That's mainly to provide the sort of customer service he said the chain is known for, but all those extra employees would also mean extra eyes on liquor, to ensure it only leave with of-age customers who have paid for it.
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Comments
Marshall's
Gonna guess this will go where Marshall's was.
this is also the exterior of the office building seen in the TV show "Boston Legal"
Yep, like I said ...
The Denny Crane building, where Denny and Alan Shore would end their day musing over a cigar while the lyrical sounds of Boylston Street wafted up :-).
Also, A Good job by NABB
Originally the two buildings between Berkley and Clarendon were supposed to match.
The buildings side by side would have looked like two 1930's radios next to each other.
The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay and others got mad but couldn't kill the real estate deal per se but they got the developer to get a different architect (Fascist Phillip Johnson or at least of one his underlings) to reorient the east building to what it looks like now.
Trader Joe's is a great fit for that space. Boylston Street east of Clarendon has been a little suburban mall in terms of occupancy lately. This will help bring more foot traffic into the area of the Back Bay with the widest sidewalks.
To paraphrase Bender from Futurama:
"I'll make a new Trader Joe's, with liquor and sport book!"
CAN'T WAIT!!!!
I admit I do feel sentimental about losing the tiny store (and I hope the awesome staff there will be offered jobs at the new store). But will be glad to not have to trek to Brookline to get the essentials the little store doesn't have space for (and not just liquor).
They haven’t said it’s closing.
Maybe we can have both.
Hope it'll stay open past 9pm
10pm would be nice, or heaven forbid, 11
Alas, no
They asked for a 9 p.m. closing time.
Ya, 10PM would be great
Both Whole Foods Charles River Plaza and Roche Brothers Downtown Crossing used to be 10PM. Since pandemic they have moved to 9PM. Don't know if it is because of lack of customers or trouble getting help.
Star/Shaws are still open later.
Winter vs Summer hours, possibly?
A Whole Foods employee told me the 10:00PM closing time reflects “Summer Hours.” I remember when the change to a 9:00PM closing was unexpected and disappointing. Not many people read the “Store Hours” sign on the doors. Looking forward to the return of Summer Hours at WF!
I love Trader Joe’s for certain things and am glad to hear they have secured a larger space. I love the current tiny basement location on Boylston Street mostly due to the fabulous staff. That location gives me the feeling that I’m shopping in an independently owned neighborhood grocery store rather than a national chain.
Does any Trader Joe's close at a later time?
I seem to remember hearing that 9pm was corporate policy.
I wish the one at Assembly would open earlier than 9am so I could pick up lunch on my way into work.
How much is Two Buck Chuck
How much is Two Buck Chuck these days?
Four fifty or so…
N/T
Very much needed
The existing Back Bay store is *tiny*. I had hoped years ago that they would move into the ex-Tower Records space, but no such luck.
Gotta believe that would be the end
of the itty-bitty one.