Trader Joe's will be opening in the former Wild Oats property in Green Hills. It's not East Nashville, but it ain't a drive to Atlanta, either. I predict East Nashville will have one approximately 2 years after the first one opens. 5th & Main developers are in the process of "wooing" them right now.
Update:
(Sorry the post disappeared for a while. I started editing it this morning and then had some internet problems — it seems that AT&T DSL and rain do not mix in our neighborhood).
My apologies for originally posting this with no attribution/sources. I got the call from Dana Kopp Franklin at the Tennessean (thank you for all your help in getting the word out Dana) yesterday when I was in my car running from one meeting to another. I took the time to stop and post the specifics but not the source.
Similarly, I left my husband a quick voicemail that included the info but not the source and in our subsequent phone tag exchanges he said, "I hope no one's playing an April Fool's joke on you." Man, that would suck.
Anyway, here are a few news items (some of the comments are fun):
On Wednesday
Nashville Business Journal: Trader Joe’s Coming to Green Hills
Tennessean: Trader Joe’s to open in Green Hills
Today
Tennessean: Green Hills Pulls in Trader Joe’s
City Paper: Trader Joe’s lands in Green Hills
And then there are some excited blog and board entries:
Chowhound
AthensSouth
Southern Beale
What has been fascinating about all this is the stone-faced, “No, we ain’t coming” treatment that some folks have gotten when they contacted Trader Joe’s versus others who would contact me all excited and say, “I just talked to someone at customer service and they say that they are going to be here soon.” I got so many conflicting reports that I just stopped posting speculation based on conversations with TJ’s Corporate.
Check out this entry from NashVeggie from just a couple a weeks ago:
Trader Joe’s Not Trading Here
I can understand, I guess. They’re a pretty secretive corporation and they don’t want some Whole Foods flunky to be able to call and get an update. What that has taught me, however, is just to keep being persistent and not take no for answer.
In that vein, I’d like to announce that I will be switching the focus of this blog to bringing Trader Joe’s to EAST NASHVILLE. Now that they are establishing themselves in Nashville, it raises the likelihood of getting one in this neck of the woods (I never really thought we’d get the first one). They don’t usually just open one store and stop.
I suppose it’s likely that they’ll open in yet another suburban part of town first (interestingly my husband and I both independently came up with Hendersonville as a possibility given all the development happening there). But we’ll see. They took advantage of an opening at a great location in Green Hills (other than the parking) and I hope that the forthcoming availability of 5th and Main will provide that same incentive.
Thank you to everyone who signed the original petition. A new one for East Nashville will be up in the near future as will changes to this blog.
Bring Trader Joe's to Nashville was part of an organizing effort to encourage Trader Joe's Corporation to come to the Nashville, TN metropolitan area. They did.
Blog Archive
Trader Joe's is here
This blog began as an organizing tool to promote a petition to get a fabulous, affordable grocer to locate in the Nashville Metropolitan area. Listservs in East Nashville and Inglewood are where the petition got its start. 9 months later, Trader Joe's announced they were coming to Green Hills.
After the announcement, I created a petition to encourage them to come to East Nashville and changed the focus of this blog to reflect that. Only about 300 people signed it. I have since come to the conclusion that most of us are willing to drive to Green Hills, however unpleasant that is. I have also decided that I am not confident that the Turnip Truck would survive if TJ's moved East.
For this reason, as of February 2009, this blog is primarily left up for the sake of posterity. I might occasionally blog about my trips to TJs, the stuff I get there, or info about new Nashville area locations, but I might not. Call me uncommitted for the time being.
After the announcement, I created a petition to encourage them to come to East Nashville and changed the focus of this blog to reflect that. Only about 300 people signed it. I have since come to the conclusion that most of us are willing to drive to Green Hills, however unpleasant that is. I have also decided that I am not confident that the Turnip Truck would survive if TJ's moved East.
For this reason, as of February 2009, this blog is primarily left up for the sake of posterity. I might occasionally blog about my trips to TJs, the stuff I get there, or info about new Nashville area locations, but I might not. Call me uncommitted for the time being.
About Me
I was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee and chose to return to Tennessee to be closer to my folks.
I went to Reed College in Portland, OR, where I lived for a decade.
During a 4 year stint at Powell's City of Books that ended with forming a union and negotiating a first contract, I discovered the power of organizing for social change.
I moved on to Chicago with my honey (also a Reedie) during his grad school and worked as a union organizer and an education organizer.
I am a Neighborhood Organizer for the Neighborhoods Resource Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
I live in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of East Nashville, where we struggle with the classic gentrification dilemma: How to get more positive development and walkable commercial districts while maintaining affordable housing and racial and socioeconomic diversity.
I went to Reed College in Portland, OR, where I lived for a decade.
During a 4 year stint at Powell's City of Books that ended with forming a union and negotiating a first contract, I discovered the power of organizing for social change.
I moved on to Chicago with my honey (also a Reedie) during his grad school and worked as a union organizer and an education organizer.
I am a Neighborhood Organizer for the Neighborhoods Resource Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
I live in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of East Nashville, where we struggle with the classic gentrification dilemma: How to get more positive development and walkable commercial districts while maintaining affordable housing and racial and socioeconomic diversity.
10 comments:
ALL RIGHT!! Where did this good news come from? I'm thrilled. Way to go, Carol, and thanks for the update.
Man-O-Man. I'm so thrilled about TJ opening. I started a blog on traderjoesfans.com about 2 years ago, and I'm so thrilled about all the work, everyone has put into making this a reality. Way to GO!
Well let's hope with the muscle of Trader Joe's added to the voice of grocers who want to sell wine, we might actually get THAT accomplished also.
come on east nashville!! (i'm voting for the bill martin's on the corner of 11th and fatherland)
Ah, great news! I shopped at TJ's when I lived in Portland and missed it when I trekked back here.
Congrats! Think your Thanksgiving meal will be comprised entirely of TJ food?
Thanks for all your efforts Carol! And here's hoping East Nashville soon has a location too.
While we are at it, why not join in the fray for wine in groceries? All the extra help might make a difference and allow TJ's to bring Two Buck Chuck to us! Combining forces with redwhiteandfood.com can't hurt!
Carol - congratulations! As a former St. Louisan, I'm thrilled!
Suggestion - why can't they open a seperate wine store (in the same building - walled off section) like at COSTCO? Then we can buy their delicious and inexpensive WINE!!!
I recently moved from the Detroit area and miss my Trader Joe's. I am so glad that they will be "in the area" They are so worth the drive because of the prices and lack of junk in their junk food... Now for an IKEA in the area.
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