Trader Joe’s Opens Miller Place Store; Third Suffolk County Location Draws Officials

Trader Joe’s opened its new Miller Place store at 300 Route 25A and began serving customers on Thursday, Feb. 12, marking the chain’s third location in Suffolk County and its eighth on Long Island. “The long anticipated Trader Joe’s in Miller Place officially opened its doors on Thursday, marking the grocery chain’s third location in Suffolk County and eighth on Long Island,” Greater Long Island reported, and the retailer will “operate daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., a Trader Joe’s spokesperson said.”

Greater Long Island described a ribbon-cutting at 8:55 a.m., held just before the store’s 9 a.m. opening, and noted that “Store Captain Jimmy Mohrman and his crew welcomed customers to the new neighborhood grocery store.” Long Island Business News reported Brookhaven Town officials joined local business leaders and store staff at a ceremony the following Monday, so reports differ on whether town officials attended the opening-day ribbon-cutting or convened for a separate civic ceremony later in the week.

The Miller Place location has hired more than 50 new crew members, with additional staff transferred from nearby Trader Joe’s stores, and will feature the chain’s signature private-label pantry staples, organic produce, snacks, and frozen meals. Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner called the arrival “a welcome addition to the community” and added, “The residents throughout the second council district are happy that they are there,” and “They are also happy that they hired local people.”

Residents expressed relief and excitement about shorter drives to a nearby Trader Joe’s. One resident posted, “It was soooo nice! Trader Joe’s Miller Place opening day!!! I am SO EXCITED! This location will save me so much time. It’s only 9 minutes from home vs. 40 minutes to the previous closest location. I love the layout. It feels more like the CA Trader Joe’s stores.” Other reactions ranged from “It’s about time” to reminders that the store is still “a hike for us from the South Shore.” Patch noted shoppers had been peering in windows while staff prepared for opening.

Local retail development around Route 25A continues to change: the new Trader Joe’s sits across from North Country Plaza and next door to Walgreens, in a Miller Place shopping corridor that includes McDonald’s and food retailers such as Giunta’s Meat Farms, Uncle Giuseppe’s, Cow Palace, and Stop & Shop. Greater Long Island reported Brookhaven Town Board approved the development plan in December and that land was cleared in 2025; the plan includes a new True Value hardware store under construction that will replace a location about a mile east and an interior access road connecting the new businesses with Walgreens and McDonald’s.

Reporting differs on the store’s square footage. Greater Long Island and Long Island Business News list a 9,200-square-foot building, while Patch reports a 13,500-square-foot store. That discrepancy affects comparisons with other Trader Joe’s formats and remains unresolved in public accounts.

The Miller Place opening comes as Trader Joe’s builds a regional distribution hub in Islandia, a 922,084-square-foot, three-building project on a 66-acre site at Motor Parkway and Bedford Avenue purchased for $118.6 million, a development Newsday said will support further Long Island expansion. Newsday also noted Trader Joe’s led the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index for groceries from 31,293 customer surveys, and pricing adviser Jon Hauptman said the chain offers “a unique assortment of interesting flavors and interesting variety” and “unexpected value prices” while not positioning itself as a discounter like Lidl or Aldi.

Shoppers heading to the new Miller Place store can find it at 300 Route 25A; store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Greater Long Island published a photo credited to Brian Harmon, and Long Island Business News provided a courtesy image credited to Breslin Realty.