Jun. 8—As Costco prepared to open its doors for the first time in Mt. Juliet on Thursday morning, those who had come to be the first to shop in the big box store began to chant its name in anticipation.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever come to a ribbon cutting where chants break out,” Mt. Juliet Mayor James Maness said during the ceremony.

Hundreds of people showed up to shop at Costco after the grand opening, and the line of shoppers with carts wrapped around the front of the building.

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect as far as numbers,” Maness said. “It’s a Thursday morning, how many are going to be here at 8 a.m.? I was like ‘I hope there’s 150. It’ll look good and we’ll have a good little crowd coming in.’ Now you see the line wrapped around the door. They’ve been coming in for about 40 minutes now and show no signs of stopping.”

Maness said that the Costco project dates back to around two years ago, when the idea of bringing the store to Mt. Juliet was pitched to him while sitting at a Cracker Barrel in town.

“We are thrilled to welcome Costco to Mt. Juliet. Our citizens have eagerly awaited this moment for years, and now it’s here. Costco will not only boost our local economy but will also serve as a cornerstone for Golden Bear Gateway.”

Mt. Juliet resident Chris Harla has been driving out to Brentwood to shop at Costco since moving to Wilson County eight years ago.

“We’re from Michigan and we’ve belonged to Costco for many years, even before we moved here, so it’s really nice,” Harla said.

To meet the requirements to recruit Costco, Mt. Juliet put together an industrial development board.

“This is a big project,” Maness said. “Costco is really good at what they do, and we’re not going to be the ones to hold them up in any way. It came together and we’re here to finally see the opening of it. We’re excited.”

Maness described Costco as a regional draw for the area.

“We don’t just expect people from Mt. Juliet to show up here,” Maness said.

Mt. Juliet Director of Development Services Jennifer Hamblen expects the Mt. Juliet Costco location to have several benefits for the city.

“Costco’s grand opening marks a significant milestone for the City of Mt. Juliet,” Hamblen said. “This new addition not only boosts our local economy but serves as a catalyst for development along the Golden Bear corridor. We are thrilled to welcome Costco to our community and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our city’s growth and prosperity.”