I was one of the 24,000. Here's the deal:
There are a TON of transplanted northeasterners in the Richmond metro area. You're more likely to hear a New York accent than a Virginia accent around here.
Back in the day there was a small family-run grocery chain in the area called Ukrop's, which like Wegmans was famous for having really good prepared food and decently-priced groceries. When my brother, who still lives in New Jersey, first came to visit me after we moved here, I took him to Ukrop's. He looked around and said, "oh, it's like a little Wegmans." When I came to visit him he took me to the local Wegmans. Mind. Blown. However, I resigned myself to only being able to go when I visited my brother.
As the years passed, Wegmans began creeping south, opening its first store in Virginia in 2004. In 2009 the Ukrop family sold the stores to the same company who runs Giant supermarkets in the northeast, which renamed the chain Martin's. The stores immediately went downhill as far as the prepared food went, although groceries were still okay. Richmonders bemoaned the loss. That same year, Wegmans opened a store in Fredericksburg, roughly an hour away from Richmond. I heard of people making regular trips up there, but I limited myself to going there only when I was going up that way anyway.
Then in 2014 came the news that Wegmans was going to open not one, but TWO stores in the Richmond area, and all of us transplants lost our collective shit while natives were like "seriously, you're going this nuts over a GROCERY STORE?" Our answer was "it's not just a grocery store, it's Wegmans."
So yeah, I was there bright and early on Sunday, but it was so packed we really didn't see much. I went back on Tuesday and scouted the store for all the things I buy at Martin's. With the exception of cat food, which was the same price, Wegmans beat Martin's on everything I normally buy. Add in that I can get stuff I haven't had since I left New Jersey over twenty years ago, and I am STUPIDLY happy. The second store is opening in August. I don't think it'll be quite as crazy as this opening, though.
And I know four Virginia natives who knew nothing about Wegmans who went and became instant converts.
It's not just groceries. The prepared food is OUTSTANDING. The wine and beer sections are huge. The produce section is a thing of beauty. By all accounts it's a fantastic company to work for. It's all the best parts of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods but the prices are more reasonable PLUS you can buy your toilet paper and cat food there. On average, Mr. Mandalay and I have to go to three stores to get everything we need. Now that Wegmans is here, we only need to go to one.
Go on and hate, but I was as excited as a kid at Christmas standing in line at seven o'clock on Sunday. :D