Trader Joe's Coming To Texas (Houston, Dallas: per square foot, vs., move to)

[buffy888]

Originally Posted by Bo

I'm almost afraid to mention this, for fear of stirring up the intercity rivalry. There's a poster in the Trader Joe's thread in the San Antonio forum who says that Trader Joe's is already recruiting managers internally to staff a San Antonio store. She was told this by a manager at a store out west (Las Vegas, IIRC?). The manager of this other store told her that the company would open stores in SA before any stores opened in Austin.

I was told S.A. would be next after Dallas area and Houston by a Trader Joe's employee at the Omaha store - not by a manager, but a staff member who was thinking of relocating to a warmer clime and said she had been informed of the upcoming various opportunities available in Texas. I love TJs, but won't get my hopes up yet...

[centralaustinite]

Its funny because all the haters of TJ's on-line say that that the food is over-priced! (also overly packaged, easy to spoil, and the stores are filled with hipsters!) Pretty much the exact opposite of what you guys say here! I've never been to one.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome In-and-Out burgers were in in LA, so I'll give TJ the benefit of the doubt once they arrive.

[N. Olikee]

Well, it would be nice it they replace the Sprouts in my area.............never amounted to anything.

[MtnLion512]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Its funny because all the haters of TJ's on-line say that that the food is over-priced! (also overly packaged, easy to spoil, and the stores are filled with hipsters!) Pretty much the exact opposite of what you guys say here! I've never been to one.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome In-and-Out burgers were in in LA, so I'll give TJ the benefit of the doubt once they arrive.

And the ones in DFW hold up, too! I was prepared for the worst, but it was delicious. They opened a Rudy's BBQ in Colorado Springs a couple years ago....blech.

[texastrigirl]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Its funny because all the haters of TJ's on-line say that that the food is over-priced! (also overly packaged, easy to spoil, and the stores are filled with hipsters!) Pretty much the exact opposite of what you guys say here! I've never been to one.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome In-and-Out burgers were in in LA, so I'll give TJ the benefit of the doubt once they arrive.

Overpriced? Really? Compared to what? I starting shopping at TJ's when I moved to WA from TX and was thankful to be able to do so because the prices are amazing. Realized I could live without CM but I really would not want to have to live without TJ's. I go to WF maybe once a year and we have a local Co-op here called PCC that is also really good. But TJ's? It's the staple here for many. The prices are great, even for organic. I have never had a spoilage problem probably because the stores are small and the inventory turns over really fast. The wine selection, the nuts, protein bars, cheeses...all terrific and great prices.

[N. Olikee]

Originally Posted by wag more bark less

And the ones in DFW hold up, too! I was prepared for the worst, but it was delicious. They opened a Rudy's BBQ in Colorado Springs a couple years ago....blech.

Okey Dokey........are we really going there.....Burger Wars? P. Terry's far better.

[N. Olikee]

The wine selection, the nuts, protein bars, cheeses...all terrific and great prices.

AND Methinks that's all there is................really......in the Grand Scheme of Things that's just not enough.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by N. Olikee

The wine selection, the nuts, protein bars, cheeses...all terrific and great prices.

AND Methinks that's all there is................really......in the Grand Scheme of Things that's just not enough.

FOR YOU! Why are you trying to convince everyone that their love of Trader Joe's is misplaced? If I love Trader Joe's it doesn't matter that you don't. You asked what people thought it can add, people responded. It's really okay that some people love a store that you don't. It's really okay that there is an In and Out Burger cult too.

And I don't think I've ever been into an Trader Joe's in CA. But I've been to ones in Seattle, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Maryland and the people didn't seem particularly snobby nor were the prices high.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

Overpriced? Really? Compared to what? I starting shopping at TJ's when I moved to WA from TX and was thankful to be able to do so because the prices are amazing.

As I said, I've never set foot in one -- but the criticism that I heard were things like selling a single plum for 59 cents when the local grocery store had them in season for 1.99 a pound. Both organic.

Believe me, I was surprised since all I know about TJs I learned right here on the Austin C-D forum! But they made it sound not much better than Whole Paycheck!

(sorta related, saw a piece today that connected obesity in American with our low food prices! The average Italian spends 14% of their income on food, we only spend 6.9%! Yet they eat 100 fewer calories a day and have less obesity. The upshot of the piece was that food quality counts. How does TJ maintain their low prices?)

[N. Olikee]

Jenn...............all I'm saying is it is NOT all it's been made out to be. I lived in SoCal back in 1982 when it was starting to expand. It was O................K. It still is O....................K. There are LOTS of "TJs" out there.