Full disclosure: I am very excited about this.
As a transplant from the Midwest, I'm always giddy when a business I enjoyed up North comes to Tampa Bay:
- Kohl's in 2006
- Ikea in 2009
And now Trader Joe's, the affordable hipster grocery chain that manages to sell items like gluten-free bagels and organic pomegranate juice at unpretentious prices.
With its first market opening in 1967 in Pasadena, Calif., Trader Joe's now operates hundreds of stores nationwide.
But the Sarasota location, at 4101 S Tamiami Trail, will be only the chain's second Florida branch. There's already a TJ's in Naples, and TraderJoes.com promises a third is "coming soon!" to Gainesville.
Trader Joe's joins a growing number of specialty grocery stores in the bay area:
- Mazzaro's Italian Market, the independent foodie fave in St. Petersburg.
- The Fresh Market, the self-described "fine neighborhood specialty grocer" with a half-dozen bay area locations.
- Whole Foods Market, arguably the best known of the specialty food meccas, with stores in Tampa and Sarasota.
- Datz Deli, a buzzed-about restaurant and bar in South Tampa that includes a small grocery section.
What other businesses would you love to see come to Tampa Bay? Leave your wish list on our Facebook page.
