Country Club Plaza - Grand Opening

It was a bright an sunny day in Kansas City (Mo.) for the grand opening, which officially started when the first person got in line at 11 p.m. the night before. Mandy reports that several other persons arrived at 2 a.m., and by the time she arrived at 7:45 a.m. there were 35 persons in line.

The Country Club Plaza had scheduled an art fair for the same day, so there were lots of people walking around as the line continued to grow for the Apple store opening. As usual, there were lots of workers cleaning the windows--and cleaning them again! One worker climbed a ladder and polished the stainless steel around the back-lit Apple logo above the door. One person estimated there were 800 people in line when the doors opened at 10 a.m.

The store fits into the "small" category, and appears about 25-feet wide by 100 feet deep.

The photo below shows the first segment of the waiting line. You can see the Apple store to the far right, under the peaked roof.

In the photo below, the very first section of the waiting line, with the Apple store to the left.

In the photo below, stanchions are put up, windows are washed, and mall security uses a Segway--there's a dealership around the corner from the Apple store!

The rising sun falls on the entrance to the store before it opened.

The line for the grand opening mingles with the art fair booths.

The waiting line finally moves into the store, leaving a huge crowd outside.