Highland Trader Joe's looking lonely

"...long awaited Penfield..." long awaited is right. That boondoggle has been trying to get off the ground for almost 4 years, since even before the market tanked. Good luck with that one.

I'm happy to hear about Trader Joe's having problems. We (the community) told them not to build there. We didn't want such a business on that space. We specifically told Stuart Simek not to build there. The city approved the project because they just want the tax money and don't care a pea about the neighborhood or the proper use of the land. By the way, Aldi's and Trader Joe's are not California based companies but German based companies.

Kate Severin wrote:

I'm happy to hear about Trader Joe's having problems. We (the community) told them not to build there. We didn't want such a business on that space. We specifically told Stuart Simek not to build there. The city approved the project because they just want the tax money and don't care a pea about the neighborhood or the proper use of the land. By the way, Aldi's and Trader Joe's are not California based companies but German based companies.

I did not read anywhere in the article that Trader Joe's was having problems.

I sure wish that the neighborhood still had that dilapidated former gas station installing car alarms. That was REALLY nice!

You "told" Simek not to build there, let me "tell" you, get out of Saint Paul, we don't need you around.

Kate Severin wrote:

I'm happy to hear about Trader Joe's having problems. We (the community) told them not to build there. We didn't want such a business on that space. We specifically told Stuart Simek not to build there. The city approved the project because they just want the tax money and don't care a pea about the neighborhood or the proper use of the land. By the way, Aldi's and Trader Joe's are not California based companies but German based companies.

I live in the neighborhood and can't wait for Trader Joes to open. Our area of St Paul could really use a retail shot in the arm.

Kate Severin wrote:

I'm happy to hear about Trader Joe's having problems. We (the community) told them not to build there. We didn't want such a business on that space. We specifically told Stuart Simek not to build there. The city approved the project because they just want the tax money and don't care a pea about the neighborhood or the proper use of the land. By the way, Aldi's and Trader Joe's are not California based companies but German based companies.

Kate-Once again thanks to yourself and others the anti-business climate is alive and well in St. Paul. I am glad you finally figured out the secret that St. Paul needs additional commercial property taxes! Is there anything wrong with that? Did you finally realize that business property taxes subsidize residential property taxes?
I am sure you probably work for the government and don't understand what the rest of us do everyday to pay the bills and make a living. If you don't like people spending $$ in St. Paul or a new grocery store then move somewhere else and take your bad attitude and government job with you.(A vacant moldy home on the east side of St. Paul might suit you best.)

TJ is a great chain with really high quality products at low prices, and its stuff you're not going to find at any other grocery chain. As for the location, I'm pretty psyched for this one to open asap. And if you've seen the site, they've done a nice job of utilizing space that was already zoned commercial and they didn't bulldoze entire blocks like a mega-grocery would.

It provides convenient shopping.
It provides more local jobs.
It doesn't compete head-to-head with other local groceries (the inventory is quite different).

Bottom line - it's good for St. Paul.

It should be noted that Aldi's and Trader Joes are owned by the same German entrepreners (billionaires). These stores are to CUB and Byerly's, what Hyundai and BMW are to Chrysler and Chevrolet. Thank goodness for some serious competition and far superior cost and quality.

I would applaud these businesses if they would retrofit in to one of the many existing vacant commercial buildings. Plenty of those to go around.

For all of you who have never frequented a Trader Joe's store, I have only this to say;
Get your behind in there, the wine selection is huge with excellent prices [inexpensive vs cheap"] and many unheard of names that are as good, if not better than, as a lot of the more familiar names.
The Italian wines of D'Aquino Gaetano are my, and my wifes, favorites.

I didn't notice any square footage for this new Trader Joe. I've seen some Trader Joe's that are large stores, but the one in St. Louis Park is quite small and the parking isn't sifficient. I guess it was designed to be more of a local urban market but could have gotten more business with a free standing store. Just my take.

Observer wrote:

It should be noted that Aldi's and Trader Joes are owned by the same German entrepreners (billionaires). These stores are to CUB and Byerly's, what Hyundai and BMW are to Chrysler and Chevrolet. Thank goodness for some serious competition and far superior cost and quality.

Trader Joe's and Aldi (no 's) are not owned by the same German entrepreners (sic). The Aldi brother's mother started with a grocery store. The Albrecht brothers have separate empires, one in northern Germany and one in southern Germany. Aldi South is the company with stores in the U.S., Aldi North owns Trader Joe's. They have been separte since about 1960.

Ultimately if the community doesn't support the project, it won't succeed. This project didn't have LOCAL community support and it IS such a bad area for this particular business. I agree with Kate. I hope it fails. They sure haven't done what they've said they would with the intersection. And it was already bad to get around.

St Paul Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
I live in the neighborhood and can't wait for Trader Joes to open. Our area of St Paul could really use a retail shot in the arm.

Kate Severin wrote:

I'm happy to hear about Trader Joe's having problems. We (the community) told them not to build there. We didn't want such a business on that space. We specifically told Stuart Simek not to build there. The city approved the project because they just want the tax money and don't care a pea about the neighborhood or the proper use of the land. By the way, Aldi's and Trader Joe's are not California based companies but German based companies.

Oh Yeah!

The scumbagdrug house that was there was Sooooooooooo much a better deal for the area!

Kate Severin wrote:

...The city approved the project because they just want the tax money and don't care a pea about the neighborhood or the proper use of the land...

Yeah! Kate would prefer the PEOPLE of the neighborhood pay extra in property taxes!

Go Kate, Go!

AAG wrote:

Ultimately if the community doesn't support the project, it won't succeed. This project didn't have LOCAL community support and it IS such a bad area for this particular business. I agree with Kate. I hope it fails. They sure haven't done what they've said they would with the intersection. And it was already bad to get around.
<quoted text>

Maybe you and your neighbors don't support it but everyone around me is pretty pumped to have them in the area. Traffic will be a hassle for awhile but it will work itself out. I'd be very surprised if it isn't a huge success.

Chaz wrote:

TJ is a great chain with really high quality products at low prices, and its stuff you're not going to find at any other grocery chain. As for the location, I'm pretty psyched for this one to open asap. And if you've seen the site, they've done a nice job of utilizing space that was already zoned commercial and they didn't bulldoze entire blocks like a mega-grocery would.
It provides convenient shopping.
It provides more local jobs.
It doesn't compete head-to-head with other local groceries (the inventory is quite different).
Bottom line - it's good for St. Paul.

I don't know why people think Trader Joe's is cheap. With the exception of their wine (which is very cheap) I have found them to be quite expensive and have a much smaller selection than Rainbow or Cub. Maybe it's just the one in Maple Grove...

St Paul Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
I live in the neighborhood and can't wait for Trader Joes to open. Our area of St Paul could really use a retail shot in the arm.

I feel the same way! I live in the area as well and am very excited about their opening. No more schlepping to Woodbury.

Kate Severin wrote:

We didn't want such a business on that space.

Such a business? A grocery store? Please tell me you're kidding. Its not like they decided to open a new strip club a couple of blocks from your house. They sell freaking baked goods, dairy products, and various frozen items. Get real, Kate. Go with the flow. If you want to remain old school, get out of St Paul. They're just trying to keep up with the times.

Plain and simple Trader Joe's is a nightmare for traffic and a yuppie store. Which is why it's a nightmare for traffic-brings in all the young urban spoiled brats that are willing to drive 30 miles, incurring the extra savings in cost while they drive, to get cheap wine and all the other grocery items that are normally available in their local co-op or grocery store.
Personally, I just go the 2 miles to the nearest liquor store which stocks $2.77 bottles of wine or the co-op, recognizing that Trader Joe's is just that-a name.

St Paul Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
Maybe you and your neighbors don't support it but everyone around me is pretty pumped to have them in the area. Traffic will be a hassle for awhile but it will work itself out. I'd be very surprised if it isn't a huge success.

I don't think Blaine residents would ever complain about a Trader Joes. We, as well as many of our friends, make monthly Trader Joe runs. Trader Joes would be an incredible asset to our community.