I shopped at Trader Joe's new grab-and-go store in NYC. It's convenient if you're in a rush, but I see why critics aren't impressed.

• Trader Joe's quietly opened a new store in New York City in March.

• Called Trader Joe's Pronto, it's a grab-and-go shop with sandwiches and salads as well as groceries.

• It's less busy than classic stores, but I agree with the social-media critics: it's underwhelming.

Trader Joe's recently opened a new type of store in New York City.

In March, a Trader Joe's grab-and-go shop quietly opened its doors in a Manhattan location near one of its traditional stores that the chain's beloved wine outlet occupied until it closed in 2022 — much to the disappointment of some New Yorkers, The New York Times reported.

Called Trader Joe's Pronto, the new shop is a "one-of-a-kind extension" of its bigger store, a representative told Business Insider.

Pronto, the representative added, stocks "more of the products" that locals — in the Union Square and East Village neighborhoods — buy regularly. While the rep said Trader Joe's doesn't currently have plans to open other Pronto locations in New York, or anywhere else, I decided to visit to see whether the company is making the right call.

Some Trader Joe's fans who've already visited Trader Joe's Pronto shared lackluster reviews on social media. Read on to find out why I agree.

Trader Joe's Pronto is located in Union Square, a few doors down from a regular-sized store.

The new grab-and-go shop is on East 14th Street, a few blocks from Union Square and less than a minute's walk from a regular Trader Joe's grocery store.

It has the chain's signature bold red logo above the entrance but with the addition of "Pronto" beneath. In Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, "pronto" means "ready" or "quick." The name also pays homage to the first convenience stores the late entrepreneur Joe Coulombe opened before founding Trader Joe's in 1967.

The opening hours of Trader Joe's Pronto are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., slightly less than the normal Trader Joe's nearby, which opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m.

Inside, I was surprised to find that the store only offered shopping baskets, not carts.

Unlike regular-sized Trader Joe's, customers only have the option to place items in a shopping basket as they shop around.

The chain's signature red carts were nowhere to be seen.

The shop floor was eerily quiet compared to my usual Trader Joe's experience.

I regularly shop at Trader Joe's.

I usually go after work or on the weekend when the grocery store is bustling with other customers, and there's often a line to check out that wraps around the aisles.

That experience couldn't be further from what I saw at Trader Joe's Pronto. The space was nearly empty when I went around lunchtime on a weekday.

For most of the time I spent in the store, there were more employees on the shop floor than customers.

The shop is one level, and most items are refrigerated.

Unlike my closest Trader Joe's, which is farther east on 14th Street, the Trader Joe's Pronto is one level.

Food and drinks are mostly stacked in large refrigerators lining the walls. A few dried snacks and whole fruit, like bananas and oranges, are stocked on shelves in the center of the shop floor.

There are a lot of salads, sandwiches, and soups.

Trader Joe's Pronto offers a lot of food that is geared toward customers popping in for lunch on a work break.

The most-stocked items include salads, soups, and sandwiches, as well as dips, wraps, and pre-cooked meats that can be heated later, like grilled chicken strips.

The prices were comparable to what the same items cost in regular Trader Joe's stores, which is typically cheaper than delis and non-chain grocery stores in NYC. For example, most salads were less than $6.

Sliced fruit, grapes, and strawberries filled in a different section of the refrigerator.

A fruit section was set up to the right of the ready-to-go meals.

There were more packages of each fruit than what is usually available in the regular-sized Trader Joe's I shop at.

There's also a bottled drinks section.

The drinks section featured a range of still and sparkling bottled water, kombucha, other sparkling beverages, juices, and juice shots.

Steps away are a few stacks of pantry snacks like cookies and chips.

The snack section included a variety of Trader Joe's fan favorites, like the Chocolatey-Coated Chocolate Chip Cookie Doughnuts, Speculoos Cookies, and Butter Waffle Cookies.

On the more savory side, there are Pita Chips, Corn Chip Dippers, and my personal favorite, the Chili & Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips, which I never leave a Trader Joe's without.

The snack section also included muffins and bars.

Nearby were dips, charcuterie packs, and a few fresh produce options like mini cucumbers and celery bites.

Trader Joe's is still my favorite grocery shop, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit its Pronto offshoot anytime soon.

In NYC, Trader Joe's is by far my go-to store for groceries, as the chain sells everyday meal ingredients and snack products that are cheaper on average than local supermarkets and delis.

After taking a look around, I headed over to the cashiers, where there was no line in sight — a rare phenomenon at a Trader Joe's in NYC.

I bought a salad, grapes, and a pack of Chili and Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips.

I also picked up some dates. I wanted to buy peanut butter, too, to make one of my favorite chocolate-covered stuffed date recipes, but I discovered Pronto doesn't stock peanut butter. Ultimately, I ended up having to walk over to the full-sized Trader Joe's next door to grab it, which to me perfectly sums up the experience.

The grab-and-go store is a solid option if shoppers are on the hunt for a quick snack or lunch while in the vicinity.

Otherwise, you might as well go to a normal Trader Joe's. It's got everything Trader Joe's Pronto has — and more.

Read the original article on Business Insider