Costco offers sneak peek inside its new store at One Daytona ahead of Thursday's opening

DAYTONA BEACH ― Costco Wholesale will open its newest location Thursday morning at the One Daytona "lifestyle and entertainment center" across from Daytona International Speedway.

At nearly 162,000 square feet, the new Daytona Beach Costco is the chain's largest store in Central Florida.

But size isn't what sets Costco apart from other grocery chains, said Tamika Barbel, one of the new store's assistant general managers.

"We have a large amount of items available to you (but) we only have a select number of items for each category," said Barbel. "We do that on purpose."

While some big-box stores may offer a dozen different brands of ketchup for customers to choose from, Costco prefers to carry just two or three.

More: Daytona Costco to offer trove of unusual treasures on opening day Thursday. Here's a look.

"Our buyers select the best quality item and we try to give you the best price for that item," she said. "We have worked really hard to make sure the stuff that we carry is quality."

Where is it located?

The Daytona Beach Costco is located directly west of the CMX Daytona 12 Luxury Theatres, on the north end of the vast parking lot that separates it from Bass Pro Shoppes. It is part of the One Daytona entertainment/retail complex that was developed and continues to be owned by NASCAR.

What is One Daytona?

NASCAR spent more than $100 million to create One Daytona as a complement to the Speedway, which itself underwent a $400 million makeover in 2016.

The goal was to turn both facilities into a year-round draw for both locals and visitors as a destination for entertainment, shopping, dining and special events.

One Daytona offers a collection of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues, as well as two hotels and hundreds of luxury apartment units. The new Costco store is expected to significantly increase customer foot traffic for the complex that could benefit its other commercial tenants.

What time will Costco open?

A banner on the exterior of the Daytona Beach Costco states that it will open its doors to members at 8 a.m. on Thursday, but it's possible it could open a few minutes earlier than that.

That's because the opening day festivities will begin at 7:30 a.m. sharp with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with members of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce. As soon as the ribbon is cut, following brief remarks from Costco officials and local dignitaries, the doors will officially open.

How many are expected on opening day?

The Costco store that opened in Clermont last November drew 10,000 people to set a record for biggest opening day turnout for the chain in Florida.

Costco officials expect the opening day turnout here could be even bigger, based on the number of pre-opening membership sales which as of Tuesday topped 5,100, ahead of what the Clermont store sold before it opened.

Tara Coltman, regional marketing manager for Costco's Southeast region, which covers seven states including Florida, said some members camped overnight to be among the first in line when the Clermont store opened. She said that could happen here because of some of the special limited-quantity items that will be available for purchase on opening day.

They include one-ounce gold bars and electric golf carts.

What else will happen on opening day?

The Daytona Beach Costco will give away samples of 20 to 25 different, mostly food-related items. Free samples are a draw that the chain offers on a daily basis at all of its locations.

What else does the new store offer?

The Daytona Beach Costco is a full-service store that includes consumer electronics, including flat-screen televisions and displays devoted to Apple and AT&T products, a jewelry section, a row of appliances including refrigerators, washing machines and dryers, outdoor grills, motorized scooters, paddleboards, books, apparel, games and toys.

It also offers aisles of various groceries, including specialty foods, as well as large produce, meat and dairy departments with a heavy emphasis on organic products.

It also features an in-house bakery as well as a Costco pharmacy and hearing-aid and vision-care centers. The latter is staffed with licensed opticians as well as an on-site optometrist who can conduct eye exams.

It also has a liquor store as well as a tire store.

And then there's the food court, known for its $1.50 quarter-pound all-beef hot dog-and-soft drink combo meal, as well as fresh-baked pizzas that can be ordered as whole pies or by the slice, and other food and dessert offerings.

In addition to offering name brand products, Costco also offers its own private-label versions sold under its Kirkland Signature brand.

Another draw for Costco stores is the "treasure hunt" aspect where it carries a constantly changing selection of limited quantity goods, often at super low prices, in addition to goods it carries on a year-round basis.

The Daytona Beach Costco will also carry some products that are unique to the Florida market.

Costco is already selling gasoline

A members-only Costco gas station with 24 fuel pumps opened on Feb. 1 on the south end of the parking lot for the new Costco store.

On Wednesday morning, the Daytona Beach Costco gas station was tied with Sam's Club and Buc-ee's as having the cheapest gas in town, with all three selling regular gasoline for $2.99 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

Why does the Daytona Costco have a unique look?

Costco members who have shopped at the chain's other locations may be surprised to see a checkerboard pattern on the exterior of the Daytona Beach store. That's because the chain decided to deviate from its standard design to include a nod to the city's rich motorsports history as well as the store's location across the street from the home of the Daytona 500.

How many people does it employ?

The Daytona Beach Costco set out to hire 300 to 350 workers. As of Tuesday, it has hired 288, including 16 that began training that day. The store hopes to continue adding workers, including those to fill seasonal positions, said Barbel.

How much are memberships?

Gold Star memberships to Costco, which include two membership cards, cost $60 a year. Executive memberships, which offer more perks and also include two membership cards, cost $120 a year. Memberships can either be purchased in person at the Daytona Beach Costco, where there is a tented membership sales area on the south side of the store, or online at costco.com.

Will Costco customers be charged an amenity fee?

Restaurants and shops at One Daytona charge customers a 1% "enhanced amenity fee" that is collected by NASCAR to offset the more than $100 million it spent to develop the 70-plus acre lifestyle-and-entertainment center.

That won't be the case for the new Costco store because the Issaquah, Washington-based retail chain agreed to maintain its own buildings at One Daytona and handle its own repairs, should they be needed in the future.

What are its regular hours of operation?

The regular store hours for the Daytona Beach Costco will be 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

What people are saying

"One Daytona is looking forward to the upcoming Costco Wholesale grand opening this Thursday. We are excited to welcome one of the world's top retailers to Volusia County." − Roxanne Ribakoff, president of One Daytona

"The community wants it. We think it's going to be positive, bringing more awareness to what we think is a really nice boutique center." − Patti Summerlin, co-owner (with her husband Donald) of the Donnie's Donuts shop at One Daytona.

"I'm very excited that Costco is opening on Thursday. I am ready to shop. I believe there will be a record-breaking opening (day turnout). What a great addition to our community! Many residents in Daytona Beach plan on attending the grand opening." − Stacy Cantu, Daytona Beach city commissioner

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Here's what you'll find when Costco opens at One Daytona on Thursday