Thursday was the soft opening for grocery store Aldi. The location on Ambassador Caffery in Lafayette marks the first of its kind in the state of Louisiana.
Aldi Vice President Heather Moore told KATC that plans have been in works for the location for quite some time.
"We have been excited about the gulf coast for some time. This entire area has been a huge focus for us for the last 3-4-5 years in gathering land," she said. "But it just happened that this site came to fruition and very, very quickly. The folks here in Lafayette customers are excited to have us here, so here we are."
Moore said when searching for a store location the company's goal was to make sure the store is easily accessible. One Lafayette native said she's excited now that she doesn't have to be caught in traffic to go grocery shopping.
"The concern of Ambassador and Kaliste it is a major nightmare to get around at this intersection. So being right here at the gym, like if I need to leave and go grocery shopping, I can just walk over here and turn around and go right back home on the other end of Kaliste Saloom. "
Although this is the first location in Lafayette, Moore said it's not the last for the city or state.
"Ambassador Caffery is just our first step in Lafayette. We have plans for Louisiana Avenue. That will be later this summer," she said. "We have New Iberia which is out a little bit but it will open in the next couple of months and who knows where we go from there."
Aldi opened to the public on Thursday, February 10, 2022.
Abby Breidenbach was LIVE on Thursday morning with a look at what shoppers could expect when heading to the store.
