Trader Joes

[coredumped]

Certainly the Beach and Riverside would be home runs for TJ.

Or the town center. You can put anything at the town center and people will shop there.

[peestandingup]

Certainly the Beach and Riverside would be home runs for TJ.

Or the town center. You can put anything at the town center and people will shop there.

I could see them coming there or the beaches before Riverside. I honestly don't think Riverside could support one. Or at least not the kind of support the store would like. You have to remember the numbers. Besides, Trader Joes looks like they're starting to expand into that type of cookie cutter suburban development stuff (instead of just urban-like settings). The ones they've opened within the past year have been a lot of that. I was up visiting family in Lexington recently & they just got their first one, in suburban hell.

Anyways, like most things, if they open in the Town Center I'd probably rarely even see it. I've been there twice within the past month (once, God help me, on a Saturday) & felt like I needed to take a Valium afterwards. This isn't me being negative towards the suburbs, but its such a clusterfuck. I can't believe people go there honestly. Nightmarish.

[thelakelander]

Hmm, we'll probably land an Aldi before we get a Trader Joe's.

[Roger904]

San Marco is starving for a grocery store.  Doesn't look like the Publix is ever going to happen.  TJ should jump on the opportunity.  TJs has a smaller footprint and a perfect match of products for the San Marco/St Nicholas population.

[CityLife]

If/when we get a Trader Joes it likely won't be in the neighborhood with the most potential users (Riverside/Avondale), but instead in the center point of their trade area. Which would probably be a 5 or 10 mile radius of whatever demographics they look for. I'd guess that would rule R/A and the Northbank out.

[tufsu1]

Hmm, we'll probably land an Aldi before we get a Trader Joe's.

well since Aldi now owns Trader Joe's, and is expanding rapidly in FL, you might be correct

[fieldafm]

San Marco is starving for a grocery store.  Doesn't look like the Publix is ever going to happen.

There is a site on Kings Ave that fits their demographics pretty well(once the highway exit gets built with the Overland Bridge project), EXCEPT that there is no direct competition.  You normally don't see Trader Joes locate a store on a grocery island.  They typically want a direct competitor within a half mile radius, meaning the site becomes more attractive if a Publix opened up in the square.

There is certainly a better site in Jax for a first TJ.

[jcjohnpaint]

So will it take TJs to go to every other city in Florida to see the bigger picture.  We are low on the cool factor.  I know a lot of people on here (MJ) are going to be mad at me, but I'm saying it:  Jacksonville is a socially conservative uncool place (as perceived by people from the outside). 
All of my relatives live in and around Philly.  It is sometimes good for me to leave and hear an outside perspective of this city:  Because I like it here and know great people here and sometimes I don't see it. 
They usually say- Jacksonville Oh that place is:  conservative, high crime (as if Philly is any better), corrupt, sprawl, swamp, Ew Rick Scott, Highway, downtown???, place we drive through when going to Miami or Orlando. 
Look I am not saying this, they are!- from the outside.  Most people don't even know we have a beach and they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.
You can argue all you want about numbers, but the problem is not the numbers (ok maybe a little), but I guarantee they would go to a peer with the same number and more 'Coolness'.   
I always would argue with outsiders that Jacksonville is cool, but after the ruling on the human rights bill and the OK of the outer beltway- I really think the facts are true:  We are high on tax breaks for the rich, but very very uncool! 
I think it will be a long time before we see Trader Joe's and Ikea coming around here unless we get these stiff politicians out of the way!

[I-10east]

Most people don't even know we have a beach and they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.

I don't believe that, esp about the Jags 'most' is a very strong word. I don't know what to say for someone who thinks that, trouble with reading perhaps?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Most people don't even know we have a beach and they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.

I don't believe that, esp about the Jags 'most' is a very strong word. I don't know what to say for someone who thinks that, trouble with reading perhaps?

Orlando Jaguars?  Philly fans are known to be a little mean at times, but they are smart fans.  I don't think that's a mistake they would make.

[copperfiend]

they think the Jaguars are in Orlando.

Who the hell thinks the Jaguars are in Orlando?

[fsquid]

Hmm, we'll probably land an Aldi before we get a Trader Joe's.

well since Aldi now owns Trader Joe's, and is expanding rapidly in FL, you might be correct

techinically, one of the brothers owns Trader Joes and part of the Aldi's chain (it is split into North and South) through a trust.  They are pretty secretive, but most people believe the two chains are operated totally seperate.

[fsquid]

Besides, Trader Joes looks like they're starting to expand into that type of cookie cutter suburban development stuff (instead of just urban-like settings). The ones they've opened within the past year have been a lot of that. I was up visiting family in Lexington recently & they just got their first one, in suburban hell.

Same with Richmond, VA.  I've spent a good bit of time in a place they call Short Pump there and it is basically their western suburb.  Trader joe's was right by my hotel.

[jcjohnpaint]

Ok sorry to piss off all the Jaguars fans, but this is more about the city and how it is perceived elsewhere.  You can run my family down and call them illiterate, but I hear weird crap like this from friends from NY LA whatever.  You can sit and admit we got it all going on, but we have a lot of work do do.  Look at all our peers- both bigger and smaller adapting streetcar lines.  Where are we on this?  Our city leaders/ JTA whatever are running a half baked BRT along our Skyway and future commuter rail lines.  Come On?  We rejected the human rights stance of a tax paying group of our city.  It might seem like political missteps, but add them all up and it directly affects how we are perceived elsewhere when people look at our city from the outside in.  You think companies don't do the same? 

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Ok sorry to piss off all the Jaguars fans, but this is more about the city and how it is perceived elsewhere.  You can run my family down and call them illiterate, but I hear weird crap like this from friends from NY LA whatever.  You can sit and admit we got it all going on, but we have a lot of work do do.  Look at all our peers- both bigger and smaller adapting streetcar lines.  Where are we on this?  Our city leaders/ JTA whatever are running a half baked BRT along our Skyway and future commuter rail lines.  Come On?  We rejected the human rights stance of a tax paying group of our city.  It might seem like political missteps, but add them all up and it directly affects how we are perceived elsewhere when people look at our city from the outside in.  You think companies don't do the same?

C'mon, you should know by now that we Jag's fans are a sensitive bunch.   

About the other stuff....  I don't even think that Jax registers on most radars outside of the immediate SE.  If you're trying to tell me that there's discussion in Philly about the ineptitude of JTA, then I would harbor a guess that there's a group of people from Jacksonville visiting Philly. 

I would also point out to the Philly locals that cheesesteaks are yesterday's news.  Steak in a Sack is what's happening.   

And yes, our peer cities are pulling away from us... (sorry in advance) like a train leaving the station, but that's due to stagnation in all levels of our government.  One of the few visionaries with expendable money is a transplant with a kick ass moustache.  He's doing what he can.  Hopefully, he can convince more people like himself to root themselves here in J'ville because the city's ripe for the taking.