Grand opening of Daytona Beach Costco attracts large crowd of customers

Opening day: A throng of customers eagerly waited in line to witness the ribbon cutting ceremony, performed by Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry and the branch’s General Manager Donna Clinger, and held in One Daytona, located across the International Speedway Boulevard, on Thursday morning.

Tamika Barbel, one of the assistant general managers of the branch, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that they counted 498 customers at the store during the first hour of the grand opening. Some customers reportedly set up camp outside the store to beat the queue for membership registration so they could enter the store first.

What they’re saying: Speaking to reporters, Roxanne Ribakoff, president of One Daytona, said the store’s Daytona Beach branch was a boon, noting, “This is such a destination. It’s going to draw traffic from out of our market reach, and that’s also going to benefit our other retailers.”

Daytona Beach City Manager Deric Feacher believes that the area will “continue to see a boom” with the opening of the Costco store, adding, “The accommodations for our apartment living and hotels are right in this area, so this will help continue to drive different businesses to our area.”

About the branch: Touted as the biggest store in Central Florida at nearly 162,000 square feet (15,050 square meters), the branch features a unique storefront design of a checkered flag pattern as a nod to the iconic International Speedway Boulevard. The branch also has a members-only, 24-pump gas station, which opened on Feb. 1.

Although NASCAR owns the One Daytona land, Costco will reportedly own whatever the company decides to build on it.

Why it matters: With the opening of the Daytona Beach branch, residents of the city no longer have to drive a long distance to reach a Costco warehouse, as the closest branch from the city is located in Altamonte Springs, which is around 50 miles (80.4 kilometers) away.