The wait is over for Santa Maria’s foodies and veggie-heads as the city’s first Trader Joe’s opens its doors on March 16.
Headquartered in Monrovia, the quirky grocery chain is known for its Hawaiian-themed ambiance, its stock of California wines, and its selection of specialty and organic food products sold under the company’s private label.
Appropriately enough, the 9 a.m. grand opening at 1321 S. Bradley Road will feature a lei-cutting ceremony presided over by the company’s regional vice president, Caroline Judd, and the store’s commander—a company term for manager—Kristina Myers.
According to Myers, Trader Joe’s arrival in town generated excitement because of the store’s ability to make the average cook on a budget look like a culinary genius.
“People used to have the misconception that Trader Joe’s was a gourmet market, but we have really good values and I think in this economy that’s what people are looking for,” she said.
The store’s grand opening celebration continues on March 20 with prize giveaways, free balloons and stickers for kids, and a Beach Boys cover band scheduled to perform. The 14,658-square-foot store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Trader Joe’s arrival in Santa Maria was a long time coming for some residents, including Mayor Larry Lavagnino. According to city analyst Mark van de Kamp, when Lavagnino heard that the chain was considering expanding on the Central Coast, the mayor wrote to CEO Dan Bane in October 2007, encouraging him to open a franchise in town. The timing was perfect, van de Kamp said, and the chain announced in June 2008 that it would be opening a Santa Maria location.
Trader Joe’s also received e-mails and letters from other residents over the years, urging the privately owned company to build a location in town, although company spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said public wooing didn’t factor into the decision to expand to Santa Maria.
As is customary with all of its locations, Trader Joe’s employees have splashed local color on the Santa Maria store’s cedar-covered walls. One hand-painted mural depicts Christopher Columbus’ ships discovering a Trader Joe’s outpost, while another features the green hills of the Santa Maria Valley. Myers said the artwork and custom signage are intended to convey the theme of a “shopping adventure.”
“That’s kind of our thing. We go out to all these different countries finding these unique products,” Myers said. “We think it’s going to be fun.”
This article appears in Mar 12-19, 2009.