Winston-Salem, NC-- When Border's announced it was closing all its stores, several big boxes were left empty across the country and in the Triad.
Winston-Salem officials got busy trying to market that empty space to a buyer and months later paperwork was signed for a marriage with a grocery store giant.
Months later, a building that was once filled with books, music, and a coffee shop is now stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey with produce, wine, meat and other ingredients that make up a grocery store.
And it's not just any supermarket, it's...Trader Joe's! The store is opening on Friday at the Thruway Shopping Center in Winston-Salem off Stratford Road.
WFMY News 2 got an exclusive look inside a day before opening. Some customers thought the store was already with all the hustle and bustle of training and stocking.
Our Photojournalist witnessed customers coming in to shop, but had to be turned away.
With that, here's your peek inside hours before the mad rush of Trader Joe's fans crowd the store.
Related: Trader Joe's Bring Change to Retail Landscape in Triad
WFMY News 2