Early Monday morning hundreds braved the blistering chill to attend the grand opening of Costco Wholesale at 2500 South Harlem Avenue close to the North Riverside mall in North Riverside, IL. The grand opening consisted of a ribbon cutting ceremony that welcomed eager patrons who were ready to get into the store and shop.

North Riverside mayor Ken Krochmal and Costco founder James Sinegal, along with the Costco Riverside location’s managers and staff, expressed their gratitude to those whose hard work and collaboration made the grand opening of the store possible. After the ceremony, Costco representatives helped patrons sign-up for memberships at computer stations near the entrance of the store.

The new store is now the seventeenth Costco in the state of Illinois. The 155,000 square-foot facility began construction in August and underwent a relatively rapid building process, wrapping up construction at the end of November just in time for the holiday season.

Outside the store is Costco Gasoline, the store’s fueling service for cars and larger commercial transport vehicles. Inside the store is a diverse set of offerings including electronic products, packaged grocery stock, fresh deli, bakery and produce as well as photo services, auto buying program, optometry and pharmacy sections.

The new Costco hopes to be a boon for job creation, as the store hired over two hundred employees. “We felt that North Riverside could benefit [with the store],” Costco manager Janet Behrick said. “We’re really excited to be here and to continue to take care of our employees and our community.”

Costco Wholesale in North Riverside is open Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit Costco’s official website at www.costco.com.