Reopening Westfield Trader Joe’s after roof collapse will take time

Trader Joe's has a long rebuild ahead in Westfield, where the store is "not suitable" for use after its weekend roof collapse.

The popular specialty grocery chain has confirmed what customers had been fearing since the winter storm did severe damage on Saturday.

In an official release on the company's website, Trader Joe's said "crew members" from the 155 Elm Street location will have the option to work at other locations.  There are 10 other Trader Joe's stores across New Jersey — however, only the Westfield and Princeton locations carry alcohol.   

There's no time frame for a reopening.  Aside from roof damage, there are visible cracks in the store's exterior walls.  Fire officials have said the existing building likely will need to be torn down.

"As soon as we have a realistic timeframe, we will share our plans," the company said.

The store was closed due to the weather at the time of the weekend roof collapse, and no one was inside at the time.