STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – If you were hoping to make a Hobby Lobby haul before the holidays, you will still have to hike over the Outerbridge Crossing: The new Staten Island branch of the beloved craft store is near completion — but it won’t officially open its doors until Jan. 1.
“This location has a grand opening date of January 1, 2024, scheduled,” a press rep noted in an email, responding to an inquiry about when the store at 280 Marsh Ave. will be open for business. “It is anticipated that a dry run/soft opening will occur the last week of December.”
Located across from the Staten Island Mall, in the space which formerly housed Babies R Us, the store has been under construction for less than a year, after the mega-brand announced its intentions to open up shop in the borough last January.
According to the brand’s website, the location will be Hobby Lobby’s first New York City store. There are over 900 stores nationwide, but none currently located in the five boroughs. There are three locations on Long Island, but the stores closest to NYC can be found in Iselin and Holmdel, New Jersey.
The largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world, with over 43,000 employees operating in 47 states, the company was founded in 1970 by David and Barbara Green, who took out a $600 loan to begin making miniature picture frames out of their home. Two years later, the fledgling enterprise opened a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City. Hobby Lobby was born.
For the uninitiated, Hobby Lobby is more than just a crafter’s paradise. Offering picture-framing and jewelry-making supplies, plus fabrics, floral and a wedding department, the store also features cards and party ware, baskets, wearable art and holiday merchandise. The company’s branded, trendy and inexpensive home décor has a devoted following.
The retailer is recognized for offering employees salaries well above the national minimum — the current full-time hourly wage is $18.50. And the Hobby Lobby corporate culture is openly Christian-based: All stores are closed on Sunday, “allowing associates time for family and for worship.”
And although CEO David Green has drawn ire for imbuing his religious beliefs into the company, publicly stating that he operates his business “in a manner consistent with Biblical principles,” selling an abundance of faith-based inventory at every location — his views have only contributed to Hobby Lobby’s success.
“We believe it is by God’s grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured,” Green noted in a press release about the company’s core values. “He has been faithful in the past, we trust Him for our future.”