Costco, the wholesale shopping club, opened its first D.C. store today, and among the first through the doors was Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. Not only were they there to represent the Obama administration, they’re also members of the chain of warehouse stores. (They renewed their memberships last night, and the vice president was issued a new card this morning.)
The 154,000-square-foot store, located near the intersection of South Dakota and New York avenues NE, is the first tenant of a new retail complex in the Fort Lincoln neighborhood. Mayor Vince Gray’s office said in a news release that the shopping center, when completed, is expected to provide as many as 1,200 jobs. The store opening today is Kirkland, Wash.-based Costco’s 448th U.S. store.
The Bidens arrived about 9:24 a.m. and were greeted by Costco cofounder Jim Sinegal and chief executive Craig Jelinek. Sinegal is a major Democratic donor and served as a surrogate from the business community during President Obama’s and Vice President Biden’s re-election campaign.
Biden flashed his Costco membership card upon entering, according to a pool report, and began greeting employees and shoppers of the new store. But what exactly could a vice president need from a warehouse store like Costco?
Well, Biden’s got a big family with all those grandkids. Or maybe his pet German shepherd, Champ, goes through a lot of dog food. But what really sets Costco apart from other stores is its constant offering of free samples. Visit a Costco on any given day and you’ll be offered bites of frozen pizzas, Hot Pockets, hummus, cheese, soft drinks and other tasty treats.
Yeah, free samples is where it’s at.
UPDATE, 10:55 a.m.: As expected, the vice president availed himself of Costco’s plethora of free samples. Between conversations with shoppers about the White House’s tax negotiations with Congress and hugs with fellow Delawareans, Biden snacked on some of Costco’s food offerings. According to a White House pool report, it looked like Biden enjoyed them.
The Bidens left the store about 10:15. Among the items of their shopping cart were childrens’ books, fire logs (does it get drafty at the Naval Observatory), a 32-inch Panasonic TV and, perhaps most importantly, a big apple pie. Some of the items will be given to a Delaware charity founded by Jill Biden, but one item was a major priority for the vice president. “I’m looking for pies,” Joe Biden said when approaching Costco’s bakery section.
During Biden’s tour of the store, workers in Costco’s automotive section tried to convince the vice president to check out some tires. But it went in vain.
“Hey man I don’t need tires,” Biden said. “I don’t drive anymore.”
