There was a crowd outside Trader Joe's before it even opened Friday morning. The parking lot was crowded all day as locals headed to the much-awaited community grocery store. So what do people think?

Question: What's do you think of the new Trader Joe's?
Location:  Trader Joe's parking lot

Cheryl Rothenberg, Short Hills:  I love the new store. It doesn’t take the place of the other stores in the area like Whole Foods, Shop Rite, Kings, but it adds different flavors. I like the organic veggies,  the salsas, wraps and ethnic foods. I’m making a Greek Salad for dinner tonight and bought all the ingredients right here.

Holly Berge, Maplewood:  I’m so glad it’s here, but I wish it was in Maplewood, so we’d get the tax benefit. I love the store and its services, they have a great helpful culture, the people working here are so friendly.

Susan Beatty, Maplewood: This is the first time I’ve shopped at Trader Joe’s in years.  I went to another store and was turned off because the produce didn't look fresh. But everything here looked great.  I only took a quick look around, but I'm sure I’ll be back. I’m pleased with what I saw.

Clarissa Acuna, Maplewood:  Having Trader Joe’s here is so much better than travelling over to Florham Park. The Chorizo is the best I’ve had outside of California. I grew up in Mexico, so the TJ’s Chorizo is the real thing. It’s very hard to find on the east coast.