Much to the dismay of New Yorkers, the store<\/a> on Manhattan\u2019s Upper West Side will shut down beginning May 17, a sign outside the 72nd Street and Broadway location said.<\/p>\n The store spans<\/a> multiple levels, including two main floors plus an entrance level, and is known for extremely long lines <\/a>that can wind through several sections, which some customers hope<\/a> the renovation will improve.<\/p>\n \u201cWe promise not to be gone too long & will reopen as soon as we can,\u201d read the sign posted outside the store, shared by West Side Rag.<\/a> \u201cThis is not a goodbye but a see you later!\u201d<\/p>\n A Trader Joe\u2019s spokesperson told the outlet the closure is expected to last \u201cseveral months,\u201d though no exact reopening date has been set. <\/p>\n \u201cWe will be updating a lot, including refrigeration and vertical transportation,\u201d the spokesperson said, adding that the changes are intended to \u201cimprove the in-store experience for our customers and crew.\u201d<\/p>\n Some staff will remain with the company and reassigned to nearby stores during the closure.<\/p>\n New Yorkers had strong reactions to news on social media. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is a catastrophe. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time,\u201d one person mourned<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI hope this fixes the line situation lol,\u201d another wrote<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThe one in Columbus Ave is going to be soo packed,\u201d a third person complained<\/a>. <\/p>\n Located two blocks from Central Park and equipped with two elevators and four escalators, the 72nd Street operates on a much larger scale than a typical Trader Joe\u2019s, featuring roughly three times as many checkout lanes and staff members to handle the consistently high volume of shoppers, the company said<\/a> in 2021. <\/p>\n \u201cThis may sound daunting, but to our Manhattan customers and Crew, it\u2019s just another neighborhood store,\u201d Trader Joe\u2019s said at the time. <\/p>\n There are seven or eight Trader Joe\u2019s locations in Manhattan, with the closest to the closing 72nd Street store being the one at 670 Columbus Ave, near the corner of West 93rd Street.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777859779_755_Untitled-design-(3).png\")
The Trader Joe\u2019s on Manhattan\u2019s Upper West Side, which the company says is its busiest in the world, will temporarily close for renovations starting May 17 (Google Maps)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777859780_755_GettyImages-2262452836.jpg\")
A Trader Joe\u2019s spokesperson said the closure is expected to last \u2018several months,\u2019 though no exact reopening date has been set (Getty Images)<\/p>\n