The Myrtle Beach area’s first Trader Joe’s grocery store has drawn excitement since it’s opening in September — and with it came a spike in traffic.
The new Trader Joe’s at 115 Sayebrook Parkway held its grand opening on Sept. 30, drawing a long line of customers eager to get their hands on the store’s signature items. But the store entrance isn’t the only place people are waiting. On surrounding roads such as the intersection of Highway 544 and U.S. 17 vehicle traffic has been heavier than usual — but customers say it’s getting better.
Janet Mendez lives in the area and has shopped at Trader Joe’s stores before, but Sunday afternoon was her first foray into the Myrtle Beach location. Walking out of the store with bags of Trader Joe’s goods, Mendez told The Sun News she hadn’t had trouble with traffic, and was even able to get a parking spot close to the entrance .
Similarly, Ray Ruiz and Bianca Colin were surprised to find that, though the parking lot was busy, the flow of spots being vacated allowed them to park without much wait. Before heading to the store for the first time on Sunday, Ruiz said he thought traffic would be difficult, but found that cars kept moving…