New IKEA Location In Grand Prairie Ready To Open Its Doors
GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW.COM) - The new IKEA store in Grand Prairie is just a week away from opening, and workers are preparing for big crowds. The doors officially open to customers on December 13, but members of the media were allowed inside early to see what shoppers can expect.
The design is complete and the shelves are already stocked.
After months of watching dirt move and construction wrap up, the IKEA parking lot will soon be full. The Grand Prairie store will be the second IKEA location in North Texas. The IKEA store in Frisco, located near the Stonebriar Centre, has been open since 2005.
The nearly 300,000 foot square space features a showroom with three model homes and thousands of products, as well as the retailer's 450-seat restaurant serving up signature Swedish cuisine. There is also a unique play area for children. According to store manager Matt Hunsicker, the Grand Prairie location's design is different because it is all on one level.
The new IKEA will give a boost to the job market ahead of the holidays. "I'm really proud to say we have over 450 people that we hired to help staff the store, so they've been going through training over the last couple of months, really excited about all those folks," Hunsicker said. "And now we are going to be able to meet all of those visitors and customers as well."
There are some incentives for customers who get to the new IKEA store early for the grand opening. The first 47 people in line will get a free couch, and the first 100 people in line will get a free chair.