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Supervisor Frank Principi wants a Trader Joe’s grocery store in Woodbridge.
And to prove that point, Principi will be taking a trip in a Trader Joe’s shirt he bought on eBay to the store’s headquarters in Monrovia, California on August 17.
At the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo building in Woodbridge, Principi hosted a reception last week with residents to talk about the campaign for a Trader Joe’s location to come to Woodbridge.
The privately-owned specialty grocery chain was started in 1958 by Joe Coulumbe, according to the Trader Joe’s website. The chain currently has more than 400 locations in the United States.
“I grew up in Southern California…when I was growing up we had a Trader Joe’s on what seemed like every corner…[and] as I was growing up my family owned a chain of grocery stores,” said Principi.
Currently there are three Trader Joe’s locations in Fairfax, but none in Prince William.
In order to appeal to Trader Joe’s, Principi and his staff have started a Facebook page and a petition that will be used as verification of community support when he visits their headquarters.
Additionally, Principi said that he has been meeting with individuals that are involved in selecting Trader Joe’s locations and retail site owners that could offer space for a new Woodbridge location.
“We have been meeting with developers who own and operate commercial centers, and we have three of them who have agreed to provide us confidential proprietary lease packages that add a lot specifics for the decision from Trader Joe’s to relocate here. I will be bringing with me ‘my homework’…the demographics of the three locations we’re looking at…the lease packages are part of it…a cover letter on ‘why Woodbridge’ to make the case for us,” said Principi.
Principi noted that the trip he is taking to California, as well as an additional trip to a broker for Trader Joe’s in Boston, will be paid for out of his own pocket.
Trader Joe’s makes their decisions about new locations each January, and it would take at least one to two years before a retail location is open, said Principi.
“Woodbridge is changing. Frankly, not as quick as we’d like, but it is changing and the new Woodbridge is becoming a reality…we need a Trader Joe’s to help brand our community,” Principi said.
