Where are the carts?

Trader Joe's mania jams The Woodlands: Scenes from an opening frenzy of grocerymadness

The line to get into the new Trader Joe's in The Woodlands stretched around thestore on opening day.
Trader Joe's fever was in the crowd.
Photo By Marlo Saucedo
Once you got to the front of the Trader Joe's line, greeters were there with atouch worthy of Hawaii.
Photo by Marlo Saucedo
There wasn't a lot of room to move around on the opening day of the new TraderJoe's in The Woodlands.
Photo by Marlo Saucedo
Getting to the front of the checkout was no easy task as Trader Joe's frenzyovertook The Woodlands.
Photo by Marlo Saucedo
Still, many customers left satisified — with wine.
Photo By Marlo Saucedo

There was plenty of parking, but the line for the opening of the new Woodlands Trader Joe’s clearly began forming long before my 7:20 a.m. arrival. It already wound around the side of the store at that point.

By 8 a.m., the line had doubled back on itself. Shopping carts ran out at entry one-third of the way through the queue. Shoppers were meet as they entered the store by employees handing out Hawaiian leis.

The 13,500-square-foot store was impeccable, with colorful artwork depicting recognizable local vignettes on the wall, and creative signage everywhere above and among the products. Free reusable bags were given to shoppers as they crowded in.

“Every time we go back, we bring back Trader Joe’s. We served the Two Buck Chuck at our wedding!”

Cambria and Scott Merry, having visited the nearby Starbucks, held a spot toward the front of the line. They moved to The Woodlands three years ago from Austin, but are originally from California: “Every time we go back, we bring back Trader Joe’s. We served the Two Buck Chuck at our wedding!”

They also like the cat cookies, as well as the store’s selection of organic goods, salads, vitamins and supplements.

Mark and Amara Bacon, farther back in line, had only been to Trader Joe’s once before Friday morning, but they saw "some unique things” in that California vacation visit. They came to try the roasted seaweed snack and the Two Buck Chuck.

Woodlands resident Deborah Santesson remembers the Trader Joe’s in Portland, Oregon fondly, saying, “The house brands were so unique; the variety — and the organic items will give me a wider selection than just having H-E-B. And, Trader Joe’s has better prices than Whole Foods!”

What brought her to opening day? “I’m excited. I want to look at all the products — and I want to go shopping! I’m not much of a cook, and they have a lot of pre-made, pre-packaged meals I can buy.”

Sarah Sadlowski posed with “thumbs up” next to the extensive wine selection. Sadlowski is orginally from New Jersey, having moved to The Woodlands 18 years ago.

“My sister’s been sending me care packages all this time from New Jersey, and whenever we go back we pack a suitcase full of Trader Joe’s to being back here," she said. "I kept emailing the company, saying, ‘You’ve got to come to The Woodlands!’ I’ve been waiting 18 years for this!”

Corinna Cervantez, overhearing, added, “I thought five years was a long time to wait!” She and her husband moved to Tomball five years ago from Southern California. They’ve missed having Trader Joe’s.

"We’ve been riding them to come,” Certvantezes said.

Now they’re here, and the Cervantezes — and many Woodlands-area residents — are all smiles.

Insider Info

Wondering what the Trader Joe's fuss is about? There are resources for that.

Two years’ worth of Trader Joe’s product information rated by a husband-wife team can be found on the “What’s Good at Trader Joe’s?” blog. Who knew grocery shopping could be so absorbing?

On another popular blog, My Trader Joe’s List, visitors rate all the store's products. If that’s too much, however, The Daily Meal cuts to the chase with the top five appetizers, and top five vegetarian and breakfast products at Trader Joe's. (There’s even a section called “Worst. Stuff. Ever.” — so you’ll know what NOT to get.)

unspecified series568664038

greenside taking shape

4 wellness concepts are first tenants at new Memorial City development

Courtesy of MetroNational

Greenside, a wellness-themed concept in a former warehouse near Memorial City, announced its first wave of tenants

Greenside, the wellness-focused development in a former warehouse complex located just north of Memorial City Mall at 1085 Gessner Rd, has announced its first tenants. They include a curated mix of modern wellness and standout dining.

Honest Mary’s, the fast-casual restaurant known for chef-crafted bowls made from scratch with thoughtfully sourced ingredients, is slated to open this fall. The Greenside location will be the second in Houston for the Austin-based restaurant, joining an outpost in the River Oaks Shopping Center that opened last year. The concept’s CEO, Nelson Monteith, started Honest Mary’s in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. Guests choose from signature bowls or build their own, starting with warm grains and seasonal roasted vegetables and finishing with house-made dressings and toppings.

“We wanted to open a second Houston location quickly to build on the momentum from River Oaks,” Monteith said in a statement. “Memorial has long been a key West Houston community for us, and Greenside stood out immediately because of the team behind it. With MetroNational, Radom Capital, and Michael Hsu Office of Architecture involved, it felt like a winning trifecta and made the decision easy.”

Greenside guests can also expect the health bar Leemoo. The brand’s vibrant menu of smoothies, açaí bowls, and fresh-pressed juices uses proprietary smoothie and açaí formulations, house-made ingredients, and carefully sourced produce. Crafted around balance, flavor, and performance, Leemoo seeks to deliver exceptional taste and everyday vitality, according to press materials. With one location in the Montrose Collective, the Greenside spot will be Leemoo’s second location in Houston.

The award-winning day spa Hiatus is also part of Greenside’s lineup. The concept blends nourishment with rejuvenation, offering guests expert-led, results-driven treatments and a calm, welcoming environment. The spa aims to redefine self-care as an essential part of an everyday routine.

“We’re very excited to bring Hiatus to Memorial and continue expanding into Texas communities,” said Kate Sazer, CEO of Hiatus. “Our goal is to make… self-care approachable and part of everyone’s routine, helping guests feel better, recharge, and prioritize wellness as a regular part of life.”

Solidcore, the acclaimed high-intensity, low-impact fitness brand known for its signature reformer-based workouts, is opening a location at Greenside. The studio already has locations in the Heights and Montrose, and is known for offering a premier, full-body training experience that redefines luxury fitness.

“Greenside reflects the kind of environment we look for when bringing Solidcore into a community,” said Josh Rainey, Solidcore’s senior director of real estate and growth. “It’s a place designed for connection and everyday routines, and that aligns closely with how our members experience our studios. We’re looking forward to becoming part of the Memorial area and creating a welcoming space where people can build strength, consistency and community close to home.”

Greenside is a collaboration between MetroNational, the real estate development firm that owns and operates Memorial City, and Radom Capital, the Houston-based developer behind M-K-T Heights and the Montrose Collective, among others. Designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, Greenside is designed to be a community destination with a welcoming, family-centric neighborhood experience in West Houston.

“Greenside is being thoughtfully designed as a place where people can gather and enjoy the best of what Houston has to offer every day of the week,” said Danna Diamond, vice president of leasing at MetroNational. “This initial mix represents the kind of brands we’re proud to bring to Memorial and west Houston: experience-driven, authentic, and rooted in quality.”

Additional leasing announcements will be shared in the coming months as Greenside continues to take shape.

Courtesy of MetroNational

Greenside, a wellness-themed development in a former warehouse near Memorial City, announced its first wave of tenants

openings memorial city news-you-can-eat