Progress being made on new Trader Joe’s in Middletown, NJ

Earlier in 2023, it was announced that grocery chain giant Trader Joe's would be opening a new store in Middletown, NJ, making it a first for the large Monmouth County municipality.

Trader Joe's has been in high demand in this part of the state. Until the new location opens, one of the nearest locations for Middletown customers is in Shrewsbury, NJ.

Although you won't really find too many brand items, what you will see at Trader Joe's is a lot of high-quality, in-demand products. According to the company's website, you'll find "a store full of unique and interesting products, along with everyday basics, in the Trader Joe's label."

Trader Joe's prides itself on quality and will only sell the best of the best. It's one of the reasons why people love to shop for Trader Joe's products and one of the reasons why so many love the grocer (click here to learn more about them).

Not just a Jersey company, but a national one at that. Trader Joe's can be found in 42 other states coast to coast.

The company is also planning to open a handful of new stores in the near future. Three in particular have been announced on their website as of October 2023.

One location that's slated to open soon is in Bradenton, FL, with another in Queens, NY. But the third one is right here in New Jersey.

The new location will be in the same plaza as the old Middletown ShopRite, right next to Retro Fitness where the old Walgreens Pharmacy used to be.

And as of October 2023, quite a bit of progress has been made. The most notable change taking place is the removal of walls where the old Walgreens was located.

As you can tell, the construction crew is working quickly to get the old Walgreens transformed into the future Trader Joe's.

Not just on the front, but also along the side of the plaza.

This, however, might confuse some people. Is the building expanding? Why remove the side?

Although new construction can clearly be seen taking place behind the store, there's a perfectly logical reason why the side might be getting torn down as well.

Most likely, this simply has to do with the layout of a typical Trader Joe's store. It's very possible that as progress is made the side will either become windows or the new main entrance.

Townsquare Media reached out for further comment regarding the new Middletown location. What we can tell you at this time is that the new store is expected to open come 2024.

So for those who thought the grand opening would occur before the end of 2023, that doesn't appear likely. However, it's evident that progress is moving at a good clip, and that's great news for the citizens in and around Middletown.

One other thing we can share is that unlike Trader Joe's in Princeton, NJ, and Westfield, NJ, both of which sell liquor, the new Middletown location will not be selling alcohol.

We are expecting to hear more about the grand opening in the near future, however, and will let you know of any updates that come our way. We'll also let you know if we hear anything regarding hiring for the future location.

With that said, however, there is another major perk customers of the new Middletown Trader Joe's will be able to take advantage of.

Located in the front of the old Walgreens are a series of EV charging stations. Not just one spot, but a series of them.

Although the charging stations weren't installed by Trader Joe's, their customers would certainly be able to take advantage of them. Just plug in your EV and take your time shopping.

Again, 2024 is the anticipated opening for the new Trader Joe's in Middletown, with more updates to come.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.