UPDATE: Wegmans’ brand new New York store is on lockdown as firefighters race to the store while employees and customers are stranded on the street: The popular chain opened less than a WEEK ago

Customers visiting the brand new Wegmans Manhattan store on Astor Place were evacuated.

Just a few days ago, the 87,500 square meter space was occupied by a whopping 600 newly hired employees.

But eager shoppers were asked to stand on the side of the road as the store was evacuated late Friday afternoon.

The supermarket giant’s arrival was Wegman’s first foray into Manhattan and the latest of its more than 100 stores along the East Coast.

Customers who visited the new Wegman’s store were asked to evacuate on Friday

But on Friday afternoon around 4:40 p.m., staff could be seen standing outside the entrance to ensure no one re-entered the site.

Emergency vehicles circled the side of the road, sirens blaring, as customers waited outside.

The Manhattan store was created as part of a broader expansion of the Wegmans brand. In March, the company announced plans to open its first store in Connecticut.

Wegmans Food Markets is famous for its fresh baked goods, buffalo wings and extensive cheese selection.

The company has 109 stores along the East Coast – the majority of which are in New York State. Others are in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Virginia and North Carolina.

The Astor Place store will be the second in New York City, following the opening of a location in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in October 2019. It is located in the building that once housed Wanamaker’s department store.

The Manhattan store is part of a broader expansion of the Wegmans brand. In March, the company announced plans to open its first store in Connecticut.

The Astor Place store’s hours of operation are seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.