I guess East Nashville is willing to travel...

A few months back, I started a second petition to encourage TJ's to choose East Nashville for their next location. I officially abandon that project. For one, only a little over 300 folks signed it; pretty far from a mandate. Second, there is the Turnip Truck...

Last night I went to the Turnip Truck (hereafter, the TT). My visits are definitely less frequent since TJs came to town. As I walked the aisles, I recollected the day that Ian and I visited the TT for the first time. It was on a visit from Chicago in 2002 after we made an offer on our house. We were very excited the TT was there, but we were shocked by the prices. I find that feeling returning. One of the items (frozen chicken nuggets--I can't remember the brand) that I explicitly went to get last night--and ended up not buying--had gone up in price at least 60 cents to $7.59! I already thought they were expensive before, but they are so yummy, the splurge seemed worth it in the past.

So I walked out with four items: muesli for Ian, baby cereal for Reed (she'll be starting on solids this weekend), bacon, and salsa. If I wanted to, I think I could find good/passable substitutes for all of these items somewhere else easily. The store was pretty empty, although Friday nights are not a big grocery shopping time. I left wondering how business has been for them since TJs opened. I almost always run into someone I know from East Nashville when I'm at TJ's.

I have definitely never been able to afford to buy much at the TT in the past. I don't know how much the TT relies on a bunch of folks like me buying a handful of items every week or so. I thought I would continue to buy that handful, but I realize that I am going to have to be intentional about it in the future. I'm certain the TT would be impacted even more if TJs was in the neighborhood.

So, to those who expressed concern to me about the Turnip Truck's welfare, I now agree. I hope they survive these economic times and the competition that TJs represents. I will do my best to give them my business, as our budget allows.

Bring Trader Joe's to EAST Nashville!

OK, folks. The new EAST Nashville petition is up with a space for your zip and a space for comments.

You know what to do.

WE DID IT!

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.

Come on East Nashville

So H.G. Hills located at 615 Gallatin Pike is closing in May and they claim not to have a tenant yet. There have been rumors of an Aldi's, but I haven't heard it in a confirmed sense.

This is a prime time to for those of you who want an East Nashville Trader Joe's to contact Trader Joe's and let them know that there is a great location ready for them to move in.

Yes, I know, they don't have a distribution network set up (from what I have heard all they need is a warehouse in Atlanta and a few more solid nearby vendors). Yes, I know that the area we lovingly refer to as the 'hood isn't their typical first step into a new market. Whatever. It doesn't hurt to try and to get as many of our voices heard as possible. The more folks they hear from, the more likely they will give it a look.

So, I know I've been gone awhile. Thanks to those that are still subscribed. I haven't abandoned this, but it has been back burner for a number of personal and work related reasons. Let's see if we can't get some more traction with this new development!