Trader Joe's 'Neighborhood Grocery Store' May Be Coming To Colorado

Word on the street is that California grocer Trader Joe's is coming to Colorado in April.

The Monrovia, Calif.-based grocery chain filed documents Monday registering its business name with the Colorado Secretary of State. While a spokeswoman for Trader Joe's says she cannot confirm anything yet, the Daily Camera reports that the grocer may open shop on Boulder's Twenty-Ninth Street Mall and the Denver Business Journal reports an additional three Denver-metro locations may also be on the table.

Though Twenty Ninth Street spokeswoman Kate Honea had no comment either, the documents that were filed with the Secretary of State's office say Trader Joe's may begin "transacting business or conducting activities" on April 1.

Trader Joe's markets itself as being "Your neighborhood grocery store," and has been around since 1958 offering an aesthetic Hawaiian theme to its shopping experience.

Some Coloradans say it's about time the grocery store came to their neighborhood. An online petition called "Bring Trader Joe's to Denver" has 4,270 signatures as of Thursday morning, and Facebook groups asking for Trader Joe's to come to Colorado collectively have over 11,000 members.

Comments

[Always For Real]

06:47 PM on 01/28/2012

Hey, those of you in Denver won't have to drive to Boulder - you're getting THREE TJ's:

"The Denver Business Journal says Trader Joe's has signed three contracts for metro-Denver locations."

http://www.9news.com/news/article/243306/222/Trader-Joes-files-paperwork-to-come-to-Colorado

[Stever Meister]

01:31 PM on 01/22/2012

They were a big Deal in Portland because they sold $2 bottles of wine, ( 2 buck chuck) they will not have a wine section in Colorado and everything else they sell can be bought at any other grocery store with the exception of trader joes brands. If they open 4 or less blocks from my house I would go... but they have nothing that would make me go all the way to Boulder...

[Twohairydogs]

10:36 PM on 01/22/2012

Wah, wah, wah. Trader Joe's is a great chain that treats its employees right. Please, don't come to Boulder. You wouldn't appreciate it.

[BeasleysMom]

06:03 PM on 01/24/2012

The price and quality (and TASTE) of the Trader Joe brand goods is far superior to what other grocery stores sell.

[craneman]

11:11 AM on 01/20/2012

Here's hoping they last longer than Smartco did---

[Cat-Lover]

05:27 PM on 01/19/2012

If the GOP wins, they'd make us pick it or shoot it ourselves.
Who will need grocery stores?

[J0E1]

11:49 PM on 01/19/2012

If the Dems win, they will come into our homes, take it from our fridges, and hand it out to the homeless.

Sounds equally as stupid as yours doesn't it?

[Sandie123]

12:32 PM on 01/20/2012

You both are idiots!

[N133]

03:55 PM on 01/19/2012

I have lived with and without Trader Joe's, and while the hype can certainly be annoying, we could definitely use a few in Colorado....

First things to buy: their citrus salt scrub (if they still have it!!) and thai peanut salad dressing (which is by far the crack-iest type of salad dressing available, anywhere).

[1differentdrummer]

03:52 PM on 01/19/2012

Great! But how come California Cafe closed? We've got a gift card with a balance on it. How do we get the $?

[J0E1]

11:51 PM on 01/19/2012

1. Fly to California and use it or 2.Try and sell it online (maybe ebay) for half of the amount left on the card to someone with a California Cafe nearby.  Gift cards don't come with guarantees so there is no way to get your money back.

[Chaucea]

03:16 PM on 01/19/2012

OMG OMG OMG YES!!!! :-D

[OutAtFirst]

03:13 PM on 01/19/2012

They have some interesting and unusual products, but sometimes the hype overshadows the reality. Kind of like the hoopla surrounding In-N-Out. The first couple of weeks after they open in a new market it's packed all day long, but after a while it's just another burger joint.

[Debbie Schermerhorn]

03:13 PM on 01/19/2012

Check out the FB page "Bring Trader Joe's to Colorado."
http://www.facebook.com/groups/bringTJ2co

Group members are encouraged to submit their recommendations for store locations via the TJ site. Right now, there is an online event taking place to encourage group members to contact TJ with their location preference.

(as I understand it, TJ applied for 3 metro-Denver store requests. Boulder is at least an 1 1/2 drive from most Denver residents and parking is extremely limited in touristy Boulder. Plus, tourists don't normally do grocery shopping).

[N133]

03:53 PM on 01/19/2012

Boulder is 30 mins from Denver...to an hour in traffic, and we have quite the set of grocery shoppers as residents if you can gather anything from the GIGANTIC Whole Foods in town...

[BeasleysMom]

06:13 PM on 01/24/2012

There are a number of good reasons for Denverites to make a day trip up to Boulder three or four times a year. Stocking up at TJ is now on that list.

[opticsopen]

02:52 PM on 01/19/2012

Great! It's about time. We have been driving about 700 miles round trip to Santa Fe just to enjoy their delicacies.

[Nukualofa]

06:14 PM on 01/19/2012

You must be enviromentalists? 700 miles.

[Navacado]

11:41 AM on 01/19/2012

Please do not be duped by Trader Joes people. They used to sell locally owned products and produce specific to each geographical zone, but now they only peddle Trader Joe brands instead. They operate like a mini-Wal Mart, but people still think it is such a cool hip shopping experience. Colorado would be better off (economically) with a local specialty grocery store. Trader Joes is not cool, it is not local.

[Harpro208]

12:25 PM on 01/19/2012

About twenty years ago there was a local specialty grocery store chain called Toddys in Denver and Fort Collins/Greeley. Couldn't compete pricewise. I think that business model would have even less of a chance of surviving now.

[Cat-Lover]

05:29 PM on 01/19/2012

Do you remember Rainbow store on Colfax; run by some hippie group?
They had a great selection.

[N133]

12:50 PM on 01/19/2012

It IS cheap. And it ISN'T Wal-Mart, thank god.

[taz1]

11:34 AM on 01/19/2012

Trader Joe's, Please come to Tallahassee Florida.

[Jennifer Kley]

11:22 AM on 01/19/2012

I remember when the first TJ's opened here in a suburb of Washington, D.C. Oh, the hype. I kept hearing people talking about organic potato chips that were shipped from Heaven, veggie meats with flecks of supernatural mushrooms, juices from pomegranates that arrived with glows. Finally I stepped inside of one and wondered what the big deal was. Eventually I got into the TJ's groove and kind of sort of got "it." But then other times I revert back to wondering what the truly big deal is. I think some people go there for the free samples alone. They're free sample groupies.

http://thecubiclerebel.wordpress.com/

[BeasleysMom]

06:10 PM on 01/24/2012

My friends around the country sent me TJ stuff for Christmas. Loved it all! My family in CA has their pantry stocked with all kinds of yummy stuff from there.

[J0E1]

10:53 AM on 01/19/2012

YES!