Apple Palo Alto is an Apple Store located in Palo Alto, California, USA. It opened for business in 2001 as Apple's ninth retail store and is internally identified as R002.[1] However, the store moved up to become the eighth oldest still in operation with the closure of Apple Willow Bend in April 2019.[2]
Location[]
This Apple Store is presently situated at 340 University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. It is normally open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday to Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, its hours were temporarily changed to 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
History[]
Steve Jobs visits the Apple Store in Palo Alto for iPhone launch
The original storefront was designed by architect Art Gensler in direct collaboration with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.[3] It was first opened as Apple Store Palo Alto in a corner space at 451 University Avenue on October 16, 2004, becoming the first Apple retail store in Northern California.[4] Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was known to visit this store as it was near his home.[5] However, the old building structure was later deemed to be seismically unsafe.[6]
Relocation[]
On October 27, 2012, this store was moved to a larger custom-designed building in downtown Palo Alto. The new 16,600-square-foot location featured a sleek new glass facade that was described by Apple as "reboot" and a "prototype" of their "Apple Store 2.0" concept. The lot had previously been the site of a Liddicoat's Market grocery store that had been built from 1923 to 1924.[7] In May 2018, it was temporarily closed for an extensive US$6.6 million renovation.[8] The previous store location was taken over by Shoe Palace.[9]
Incidents[]
The store was boarded up in June 2020 during the George Floyd protests.
On March 14, 2020, Apple Palo Alto was closed during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] It was reopened on May 27, 2020, but with more limited service in observance of health precautions.[11]
On June 1, 2020, the store was pre-emptively boarded up during nationwide protests related to George Floyd. It was covered with messages about Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. The store was reopened by June 7.[12][13]
During Black Friday sales on November 25, 2022, a pair of masked thieves ransacked the Palo Alto store and threatened customers with physical violence. Apple employees guided customers away as the thieves made off in a red Mazda hatchback with about US$35,000 in merchandise.[14]
References[]
- ↑ Apple Storefronts: #9 Palo Alto R002 by Thomas Park, AppSpot. Archived 2019-03-30.
- ↑ Apple Storefronts: #8 Palo Alto R002 by Thomas Park, AppSpot. 2019-06-15. Archived 2019-06-17.
- ↑ Original Apple retail store architect Art Gensler dies at 85 by Mike Peterson, Apple Insider. 2021-05-11.
- ↑ Palo Alto Apple Store to open October 6, Macworld. 2001-09-26.
- ↑ Steve Jobs appears at Palo Alto Apple store for iPad launch by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider. 2010-04-05.
- ↑ Apple Store 2.0 opening Saturday in Palo Alto, by Sue Dremann, Palo Alto Weekly. 2012-10-25.
- ↑ Apple Store 2.0 opening in Palo Alto Saturday, by Sue Dremann, Mountain View Voice. 2012-10-25.
- ↑ Apple to renovate downtown Palo Alto store after 5 years by Allison Levitsky, Daily Post. 2018-05-10.
- ↑ Apple’s former retail stores: Where are they now? by Michael Steeber, oTo5Mac. 2018-04-04.
- ↑ Apple to close US retail stores and all others outside China until March 27th by Chris Welch, The Verge. 2020-03-14.
- ↑ Update: Over 100 US stores open this week by Michael Steeber, 9to5Mac. 2020-05-26.
- ↑ I hope they kept the mural. If anyone knows, my DMs are not boarded up by Michael Steeber, Twitter. 2020-06-06.
- ↑ Palo Alto Apple Store opening after 8 days by Ross Mayfield, Twitter. 2020-06-06.
- ↑ Incredible moment thieves casually ransack Apple store in tech mecca Palo Alto and staff HOLD BACK customers from trying to stop them by Alex Oliveira, Daily Mail. 2022-12-01.
External links[]
- Apple Palo Alto at Apple
- Apple Store Palo Alto (archived 2012-10-29, 2008-07-06, 2001-11-07)
- Architectural Review Board Staff Report: 340 University Avenue (PDF) at the City of Palo Alto (2010-01-07)
