Santee

Santee Trader Joe's location officially opens

San Diego County, you now have one more place to get your steamed pork and ginger soup dumplings

NBC 7 San Diego Trader Joe's new location in Santee on the eve of its first day of business on July 31, 2024. (NBC 7 San Diego)

Santee residents — the day has finally come.

San Diego County's newest Trader Joe's location opens to the public on Thursday, located at 9680 Mission Gorge Rd. Santee, CA 92071, where the Best Buy used to be.

Trader Joe's grocery store chain has an almost cult-like following among young adult shoppers, likely due to its unique and easy offerings. Recently, a frozen version of a Korean dish called kimbap sold out across the country after going viral on TikTok, where some Korean creators were impressed with the dish's authenticity.

If you live nearby, cookie butter jars and "Everything But the Bagel" will now be that much easier to get your hands on.

But if you're heading to South Korea soon, leave the bagel seasoning at home. The product has been illegal there for two years, according to NBC News. Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety designates the poppy seeds as a narcotic.

A traveler posted a photo of a sign at Seoul's Incheon International Airport specifically warning travelers about the Trader Joe's seasoning.

The floors of Santee's new Trader Joe's location glistens. (NBC 7 San Diego)

Earlier this year, Mini Trader Joe's canvas tote bags became extremely popular online after video views about the bags skyrocketed. The limited edition totes retailed for $2.99 but resellers were marking up prices for hundreds of dollars, NBC News reported.

Its international offerings, though, have also come under scrutiny. In 2020, the grocery chain was accused of racism for products using the labels "Trader Jose's" or "Trader Ming's" to represent international cuisine. The company chose to relabel those items.

The Santee Trader Joe's location will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (NBC 7 San Diego)
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