TUCSON, AZ (May 26, 2026) — Trader Joe’s is preparing to open its newest Tucson location on Friday, May 29, bringing the specialty grocer to Midtown and marking the company’s first new Tucson store in more than 20 years.
The company’s store page identifies this location as Store No. 288.
The opening gives Tucson a fourth Trader Joe’s location, joining existing stores on North Campbell Avenue, East Grant Road, and in Oro Valley.
The Broadway store will occupy a former Dollar Tree space and represents the culmination of a project that first surfaced publicly through city permit filings and Rio Nuevo-backed redevelopment discussions. City of Tucson permit records show a commercial tenant-improvement application for the existing 12,666-square-foot building. with architectural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work for a turnkey store and certificate of occupancy.
The project was previously reported as Trader Joe’s “Coming Soon” in February, providing the clearest public confirmation at that time that the long-discussed Broadway and Plumer grocery project was moving forward.
For Tucson, the opening lands in a larger context locals know well. For decades, one of the most persistent quality-of-life complaints about Downtown and near-Downtown living has been the lack of a convenient full-service grocery store near the urban core. As Downtown, the Sunshine Mile, and surrounding Midtown neighborhoods have added residents, restaurants, adaptive-reuse projects, and mixed-use investment, the demand for everyday retail has become more evident.
That is what makes the Broadway and Plumer location significant. While not Downtown proper, the site sits in a central infill position near the University of Arizona, Sam Hughes, Rincon Heights, Arroyo Chico, Broadmoor-Broadway Village, and other established neighborhoods. It also places Trader Joe’s along a corridor that has seen increasing reinvestment and renewed retail activity.
The project also traces back to a Rio Nuevo-supported effort announced in 2023, when the Rio Nuevo Board approved an investment of up to $4.5 million to help attract an internationally known boutique grocery to the corner of Broadway and Plumer. Local developer Marcel Dabdoub presented plans at the time to acquire the block at the southwest corner and create a high-end grocery and retail project, with projected store revenue approaching $30 million annually. The Rio Nuevo package included a $1.5 million cash investment upon opening and a sales tax rebate capped at $3 million over 10 years.
The Midtown store has already generated strong local attention, particularly around one familiar Trader Joe’s topic: parking. On Tucson social media and Reddit forums, residents joked that the Broadway location “already feels like a Trader Joe’s parking lot,” referencing the chain’s national reputation for compact, high-demand parking areas. Others noted the location’s infill position and walkability compared with more auto-oriented grocery sites.
The addition of Trader Joe’s is expected to strengthen the Broadway corridor’s appeal and could increase interest from neighboring retailers, restaurant operators, and service businesses looking to serve Midtown, Downtown-adjacent neighborhoods, and university-area demand.
Trader Joe’s is continuing its expansion nationally in 2026, with Tucson among several new store openings or “coming soon” locations listed by the company this year.