Stores That Are Open On Good Friday

Picture this: it’s Good Friday. You’ve just realized you forgot to buy the chocolate bunnies, the marshmallow Peeps, and a legit ham for Sunday’s feast. Your fridge is emptier than a tourist’s promise to return. Panic sets in—your brain screams, “Is anything open today?”

Relax, my friend. Put down the defibrillator. Good Friday isn’t a total retail wasteland, even if it feels like the world is playing a giant game of hide-and-seek with store hours. The truth is a messy patchwork of “yes,” “no,” and “maybe if you beg.”

The Big Box Heroes

First, the good news: Home Depot and Lowe’s are usually open. Need a last-minute shovel to bury your shame after eating that entire chocolate bunny yourself? They’ve got you. Costco, however, is a different beast—like that one friend who always bails on plans. They’re closed on Good Friday. Sorry, bulk-buy warriors. You’ll have to hoard your toilet paper on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Walmart stays open, because the retail gods know that humanity will never stop needing milk, diapers, or weirdly flavored potato chips at 2 p.m. on a holiday. Target is also a reliable beacon of hope, though they might reduce the employees to a skeleton crew. Expect to find one poor cashier who is very tired and a single self-checkout machine that hates you.

The Grocery Gambit

Here’s where it gets wild. Publix? Closed. Trader Joe’s? Also closed. You’ll be left standing outside their doors, clutching a sad, wilted head of lettuce, questioning your life choices. But Whole Foods is open, because apparently, paying $8 for a gluten-free cracker is a spiritual experience that cannot be postponed.

A shocking fact: Albertsons and Safeway are generally open, but their hours can shrink faster than your patience in a long line. Call ahead, or risk showing up to a locked door and a sign that reads, “We closed at 2:00 PM. Happy Crucifixion!” (Note: they won’t actually write that, but you know they’re thinking it.)

The Fast-Food Miracle

Are you hungover from Easter egg dye fumes? The drive-thru will save you. McDonald’s is open, because the Golden Arches fear no liturgical calendar. Chick-fil-A? Ha! You funny little bunny. They are closed on Sundays forever, and they treat Good Friday like a double-banana Sunday. No chicken for you. Subway and Pizza Hut are usually open, though the pizza might taste like penance.

Here’s a fun surprise: Dunkin’ is open, but only for coffee and donuts. You can’t get a sandwich there, so skip the “sausage, egg, and cheese” dream. Just like the apostles, you must accept what is given. And what is given is a glazed donut and a lukewarm cup of hope.

The Closet & Corner Store

Your local 7-Eleven will never betray you. They are the cockroach of convenience stores—surviving every apocalypse, including Good Friday. CVS and Walgreens are open too, but probably on “holiday hours.” Translation: the pharmacy closes at 4:00 PM, and the one pharmacist on duty looks like they’ve been asked to perform open-heart surgery with a tongue depressor.

Want a surprising fact? In some states, liquor stores are legally required to close on Good Friday. Yes, you read that right. In Massachusetts, for example, you can’t buy booze. So if you’re planning to drown your Easter sorrows in whiskey, you’d better have stocked up on Thursday. The state does not care about your feelings.

The Church of Retail

So, what’s the moral of this story? Good Friday is a weird holiday where some stores treat it like a regular Tuesday, and others act like it’s the Apocalypse with limited hours and whispered prayers for more stock. The real trick is to check your store’s specific hours online before you leave the house. Because nothing ruins your faith in humanity faster than driving 15 minutes to find a locked door and a note that says, “We’re closed for the Death of Our Lord. Try again Saturday.”

Remember: you can always find gas, candy, and cat food. You just might have to earn them with patience and a little bit of sarcasm. And if all else fails, go home, open that emergency box of Cheez-Its, and wait for Sunday. The stores will forgive you.