City seals the deal with specialty grocery store, which may open
in time for the holidays
Morgan Hill – No more will South County residents have to take a road trip to San Jose to load up on papadums, omega oil cranberries and cases of Two Buck Chuck. Trader Joe’s is coming to Morgan Hill.
The 12,000-square-foot store may be open in time for the holidays, ending years of intense longing in a community that once bombarded Trader Joe’s headquarters with thousands of postcards begging the company to open a branch in Morgan Hill.
“I have no doubt that the outpouring of support from the community influenced their decision,” Councilman Greg Sellers said. “But there had to be some hard financial data as well. I think they’ll find an even warmer reception than they’re anticipating.”
Indeed, reaction from local residents has been universally positive, with some shoppers jubilant at the thought of $1.99 bottles of Charles Shaw wine and other renowned specialty products at their neighborhood grocer.
“They just have so many things you can’t find anywhere else,” said Morgan Hill resident Margaret Moulthrop, who occasionally journeys to the Trader Joe’s in the Almaden area of San Jose. “I didn’t think it would come here. All of my friends will be excited.”
But shoppers also said they won’t stop patronizing Safeway and Nob Hill Foods, which carry a broader range of products and have cultivated customer loyalty over the years.
“There’s some stuff I really like at Nob Hill,” resident Lisa Rick said, noting the bakery and butcher. “They’re willing to cut you [the meat] you want.”
The new store will be located off East Dunne Avenue, just west of U.S. Route 101. John Telfer, the owner of South County Realty, said the property owners are putting the final touches on a deal to sell about 2.6 acres of land to Trader Joe’s.
“There are a couple of minute items we have to take care of, but it looks almost complete,” Telfer said, adding that Trader Joe’s approached his clients about buying the land two months ago. The company has also asked the city to change the city’s general plan and the zoning of the plot, which is currently designated for residential development. Wednesday, the city council cleared the way for those changes to be made.
A spokeswoman for the company would not confirm that a deal was imminent, but did say that Morgan Hill is on a list of cities Trader Joe’s has targeted for expansion.
“We have no time frame, but we are interested in the city and would love to be there,” Alison Mochizuki said. “I think Morgan Hill has a lot of foodies and it seems to be a good fit mutually.”
Based in southern California, Trader Joe’s has about 250 stores in 19 states. The company began life in 1958 as a small chain of convenience stores before converting to wine and cheese shops in 1967. Many of the chain’s stores are located in and around densely populated areas.
Mochizuki would not reveal why the company chose Morgan Hill over Gilroy, the site of South County’s retail explosion, but Sellers suggested that it has to do with the cities’ varied demographics. Morgan Hill has 11,000 fewer residents, but is a wealthier and better-educated city.
“I think it’s evidence of the demographic differences between the two communities and the difference in the focus of our economic development efforts,” Sellers said, adding that Morgan Hill has not been welcoming to Wal-Mart and other so-called big box stores. “A good number of the stores Gilroy welcomed would have been problematic for Morgan Hill. It makes economic development more challenging but makes the fruit of our efforts more worthwhile.”
What’s a Papadum?
Papadum is an Indian and Sri Lankan flatbread, typically prepared using bean flour, rice flour, or lentil flour with salt and peanut oil added. The ingredients are made into a dough and formed into a thin, round shape similar to a tortilla. As the dough is prepared, the papadum can be seasoned with a variety of different ingredients such as chilies, cumin, garlic, black pepper, or other spices. Most often served as a complement to a main dish, Papadums are also eaten as a snack or as an appetizer to be topped with chutney, various dips or salsas. Commonly made in different sizes, the smaller ones are for snacks and the larger variety may be used as a food wrap.
– Source: Wikipedia
