Trader Joe's to open in Austin?

[heyzeus212]

That's the rumor...

http://austinist.com/2011/05/03/trade...

[Rice Checks]

So I've never lived near a Trader Joe's. I've been in Austin for 13 years, and before that, they hadn't yet opened up in my hometown. But my family likes them a lot, and they seem to be popular. Why is that? What makes them special?

[c oliver]

If you go the Chains board and search you'll find more info and opinions than you ever want :)

[hlk]

They have products that other stores just don't seem to have (their maple sandwich cookies, for instance, are far and away the best I've had, though similar in appearance to ones I find at other stores), and products that are identical or very similar to items at stores like Whole Foods, but for significantly lower prices. The stores are small and the overall selection is quite limited compared to large supermarkets like H-E-B, but it actually makes shopping there very pleasant once you get used to it. I wasn't impressed the first time I walked into a Trader Joe's; after a decade in California I miss it immensely. I would regularly get out of there with a few bags' worth of organic and all-natural groceries having only spent around $30. Chains like Sprouts and Sunflower have attempted to imitate Trader Joe's with some success, but they aren't quite there.

Here's an interesting article about the company: http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/20/news/...

[dinaofdoom]

yeah, i don't want to derail this thread too much...

TJ's is a blend of really good groceries at decent prices.
they usually contract with manufacturers to make the same products under their own label.
a lot of things you find at whole foods or other healthy gourmet places, but for much less.

the fresh veggie and fruit selection is not that great; it's more for convenience.
there is no deli counter, or bakery, like a traditional supermarket.

they really shine with the following:
condiments
frozen meals/seafood/meat/dessert
nuts/granola/cereal
juices (i still think about the heart of darkness mango juice from over 15 years ago!)
prepared foods (in the cooler, like tzatziki, hummus, etc.).
fancy cheeses for much less than whole foods

when i moved to austin, i came to terms with the TJ-shaped hole in my life.
having lived here for over 6 years now, i do think the city would really appreciate one.

if you are unfamiliar with TJ and curious as to whether or not they will come to austin, take a gander at their fearless flyer online.

[reinadetostones]

They should take over the woefully underachieving (must be failing!) Sunflower (used to be Newflower) market on Wm Cannon and Manchaca. Maybe the Borders in Southpark Meadows too - oh that would be dreamy....I too took my TJs for granted and have been waiting 12 years for this...watching them spread out in an arc surrounding Texas. This sounds, finally, like a serious possibility. WOO!

[hlk]

I am in favor of both of those ideas. A lot.

Trader Joe's doesn't do very big stores, but part of whatever they take over will be a stock room, so former Borders locations might not be out of the question. Or they could do like they did in a city I used to live in and split an old Albertson's with another new business.

Southpark Meadows is hurting for an exciting store that attracts a lot of business, in my opinion. But then, my neighbors saw a new building being constructed there and were collectively hoping for it to be an Olive Garden. Sigh.

-----
Olive Garden
1354 N Interstate 35, New Braunfels, TX 78130

[tokyomonamour]

Noooo, not an Olive Garden!!! There are no great places to eat in that shopping center or the area in general. (I will hit up Tarka on the regular just because it's cheap and quick.)

I volunteer the "Marketplace" on William Cannon and Westgate to Trader Joe's.

BTW, Pho ThaiSon (one of the places in that area we've tried) is gawd awful.

-----
Olive Garden
1354 N Interstate 35, New Braunfels, TX 78130

Tarka
5207 Brodie Ln, Austin, TX 78745

[hlk]

Well, they don't have any inside information that it's going to be an Olive Garden; that's just as high as they seem to have set their hopes.

I try to support Haiku over there because it's decent and not a chain. But yes, the Southpark Meadows selection is quite disappointing in general, which makes me feel like the complex will only continue to attract more disappointing businesses.

Maybe it will be an Applebee's! Then the unholy trinity would be complete, along with Chili's and T.G.I. Friday's.

I would be thrilled to have a T.J.'s as close as William Cannon and Westgate!

-----
Applebee's
350 S Interstate 35, Georgetown, TX 78626

Olive Garden
1354 N Interstate 35, New Braunfels, TX 78130

[chrisdds98]

haiku is decent? I stopped eating there after the food coloring from the salmon bled into the rice.

[dinaofdoom]

ew!

[hlk]

Yes, comparatively. I loathe everything else over there, and have never had the food coloring experience personally.

[shalom9]

Here is the word from the Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/re...

Sounds like it is really going to happen....

[c oliver]

And here's their site:

http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/comi...

We used to live in a small city in Oregon that regular got the rumors but still hasn't happened.

[Veggo]

Tonight's news indicated they are the likely next occupant of a defunct Borders book store in an affluent, dense (no, not that kinda dense) neighborhood here in Dallas.

[c oliver]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. It's a fun store.

[dinaofdoom]

hope this is true; it seems there is a rumor every year.

i moved here 6 years ago, and had a TJs around the corner from my house.
having shopped at many of them in new england, i think the borders and old supermarket spots (randall's or albertson's, take your pick) are too large for them.

the ones in boston were a mix of urban and suburban.
i could see them plonking down pretty much anywhere.

not sure how soon they will come to austin, though.
it's the same problem as in 'n' out--
they have regional distro hubs so would need to build one within a certain range of all the stores they open.

[reinadetostones]

Eh - you are right that the abandoned spots might be too big. Hmmmm....Blockbusters? Wm Cannon and Brodie! Orrrrrr...... Escarpment Place must have openings. Maybe they should just take over Sprouts, since they and Sunflower will likely pack up and leave when TJs arrives!

[c oliver]

I believe there's not a TF's anywhere in Texas. If so, would it make sense that they start in Austin? Their website has a spot for upcoming stores.

[verily]

If Whole Foods ever moves to the Domain, their old Gateway location would make sense size-wise and target demo-wise.

[hlk]

I'm going to beg them to take over the former Borders spots.

[ret3]

I submit that the stillborn Hong Kong Market (formerly Randall's) on Parmer at Metric would be an ideal location...for me.