Amanda Russo lives in Moab and makes regular shopping trips to Grand Junction. So, when she needed to bring her car to Grand Junction to be serviced on Nov. 21, the trip doubled as a shopping excursion for her and Andrea Sierra, who accompanied her.

They made their way to Mesa Mall, 2424 U.S. Highway 6&50, where they spotted something that led Russo to immediately turn to Snapchat and post: “Look! My childhood!”

Sparking the reaction was Toys“R”Us, which marked its return to Grand Junction by opening that Friday morning in the Mesa Mall commercial space that previously housed fabric and craft retailer Joann, which closed in May.

Yes, Grand Junction, you can be a Toys“R”Us kid again. You can raise Toys“R”Us kids.

“This is my childhood, Toys’R’Us,” Russo said.

Russo and Sierra were Christmas shopping for their kids, and each has three to shop for. They stood in front of a display of Monster High dolls, trying to determine who among their children needed what.

Sierra has three daughters, and the oldest is 20, but she said, “She’s still going to get one.”

The return of Toys“R”Us to Grand Junction was more surprising, because when Toys“R”Us announced in September it was going to open 30 stores in the United States, Grand Junction was not on the lists being published by media outlets.

A Sept. 16 article by PR Newswire said: “In the U.S., Toys’R’Us is expanding in a big way this holiday season with its partner Go! Retail Group, opening 10 new flagship stores and 20 seasonal holiday shops by year’s end.”

That was monumental news for the big-box toy-store giant, which closed its Grand Junction location at 585 24 1/2 Road in January 2006 and was decimated by bankruptcy and closed all of its U.S. stores in 2018. Toys“R”Us remained viable internationally, though, and has been rebuilding its U.S. presence in recent years.

An Oct. 21 article by USA Today listed eight of the flagship locations, which included Denver Premium Outlets in Thornton, CO, and all 20 of the seasonal locations. Grand Junction’s Mesa Mall was not on either list.

However, when remodeling work began in the former Joann location in the Dick’s Sporting Goods wing of Mesa Mall, Toys“R”Us did not hide it was them. Large windows that run the most of the store’s length were not covered, so anyone could look into the store. Later in the remodeling, the back wall clearly displayed Toys“R”Us. Then, shelves were stocked with toys, and it was obvious the store was close to opening.

CBL Properties Vice President of Corporate Communications Stacey Keating said the goal for Toys“R”Us was to open by Black Friday, and the store opened a week earlier.

Keating initially thought Toys“R”Us was going to be a popup location for the holiday-shopping season, but she corrected the information the next day and said it is going to be a permanent store.

Toys“R”Us is using just half of the commercial space at the moment, and it will close the store in February and do a complete remodel that is expected to take up to three months.