When employees brought out the ribbon to be cut and prepared to open the doors to the Elk Grove Hobby Lobby, one shopper wanted to make sure she kept her place in line.
"Yay! Me first, me first," Elk Grove resident Shelly Evans said.
She had been waiting for 45 minutes to see the arts and crafts store open at 9149 E. Stockton Blvd.
Evans said she usually travels to the Roseville Hobby Lobby, and was glad to have one closer to home so she can stock up on painting supplies.
Store Manager Mona Moore said the shop held its soft opening Thursday, and word has spread quickly.
"I'm surprised how many people have already known about it [being open]," Moore said, noting she's already seen a customer spend three hours in the store.
Hobby Lobby is family-owned and based on Christian principles, she said. Recently the store has been the subject of nationwide attention for fighting a federal mandate to provide birth control coverage as a part of its employees' medical insurance.
Moore said she hasn't heard any Elk Grove employees ask about the row.
"[We] trust The Lord and that everything's going to work out," she said.
Hobby Lobby is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It's closed on Sundays and closes at 5:30 p.m. on major holidays.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.