Yep. It’s happening!
Two days worth of joyous foodie news that has made me extremely happy:
- Penzey’s will open a location in Crossgates Mall, opening date March 2012. Love Penzey’s. I’m so excited, and not just because of all the money I’ll save on shipping costs! Steve Barnes from Tablehopping had the news yesterday.
- Trader Joe’s has FINALLY announced (after years of endless maddening speculation and grass-roots campaigning) that they’ll be opening a location on Wolf Road in Albany. The Business Review broke the story this afternoon (Friday).
Well, good thing I just paid off my car. I’m gonna need a lot of spending money.
If you’re interested in reading the press release, it’s after the jump.
Trader Joe’s to Open Albany Store Located at 79 Wolf Road
The Store is Scheduled To Open 2nd Quarter 2012
(January 6, 2012) Monrovia, CA – Trader Joe’s, a unique, neighborhood grocery store with foods and beverages from the exotic to the basic, has signed a lease to open a new store in Albany located at 79 Wolf Road. The store is scheduled to open second quarter 2012 and is approximately 13,000 square feet in size.
Trader Joe’s was originally named in recognition of its distinct grocery buying process, because they search the world for great values and distinctive products. Crew members (store employees) consider themselves “traders on the culinary seas.” Crewmembers sport brightly colored Hawaiian-themed shirts, adding to the light-hearted air of the store.
Many area residents after the store opens can expect to receive a copy of the Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer” in their mailboxes. The Fearless Flyer is a somewhat irreverent description of a timely selection of Trader Joe’s products. It’s been called a cross between Consumer Reports and Mad Magazine. Each edition highlights a selection of Trader Joe’s products that the company buyers believe are worthy of customer interest, including comfort foods and items that are organic or have other special attributes.
Trader Joe’s carries an extensive array of domestic and imported foods and beverages including fresh baked artisan breads, Arabica bean coffees, international frozen entrées, 100% juices, fresh crop nuts, deli items, and vitamins and supplements, as well as the basics, like milk and eggs – all at honest, low prices.
Trader Joe’s is truly a grocery store unlike any other. Trader Joe’s is a “store of stories,” meaning every item in the store has its own virtues — high quality ingredients, great flavor or simply an extraordinary price — many items often feature all of those qualities. Another significant point of difference, all of Trader Joe’s prices are everyday prices. Trader Joe’s doesn’t have “sales” for a few days, only to hike the prices back up again. Their prices change only when their costs change — there are no fancy promotions, discount cards or couponing wars.
So how does Trader Joe’s offer unique groceries at prices everyone can afford? By offering more than 2000 items under the Trader Joe’s private label, which includes Trader Darwin’s vitamins (For the Survival of the Fittest), Trader José’s salsas, Trader Giotto’s marinara sauces, in addition to specially purchased items.
Also, Trader Joe’s buys differently than other grocers – they purchase from manufacturers, not through distributors. They’ll take a brand name product, take out the preservatives and artificial colors and ingredients, and put it under their Trader Joe’s label to sell it at a real discount.
Trader Joe’s introduces approximately a dozen new items every week, heightening the store’s adventurous appeal. Our buyers travel around the world searching out unique products at great values. In order for an item to be sold in a Trader Joe’s store, it must pass the scrutiny of a discerning tasting panel. Thousands of items are tasted each year to find products that both appeal to the culinary adventurer and microwave aficionado.
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Trader Joe’s is a chain of neighborhood grocery stores featuring high quality imported and domestic foods and beverages at honest, low prices. Trader Joe’s (www.traderjoes.com) began in 1958 in the Los Angeles area. Since then, Trader Joe’s has expanded to more than 360 stores in 31 states.
Life at Goal 
Like every other TJ’s I’ve been to, this parking lot is going to be a zoo. Aren’t there only like 10 spaces in that lot? I seem to remember it being cramped even for Office Max.
I am happy about both. Although I recently have fallen in love with Strongtree Coffees, I do love me some TJ beans. My husband is from Jersey and we always make a stop on our way home from visiting his family and pick up 10 canisters of coffee! The people who work the register get it – they say they have out-of-towners stocking up all the time.
Penzey’s is really cool too. I can spend hours looking at that catalog and making wish lists. I can’t wait to see the inside of the store!
I just joined a CSA for the first time, both of these will compliment my weekly share nicely!
I just took a look at the new TJ’s location on Google Street View. You are right – that parking lot is WAAAY too small for the deluge of cars that are going to descend upon it. Someone on Twitter this afternoon remarked that they weren’t going to go there for at least two years, until the crowds die down. Which is true, and makes me extremely frustrated. They need to think about being open 24/7.
Penzey’s is going to be so sweet. I love their stuff, and I can’t wait to start sniffing my way around the new store.
It’s amazing. Parking is always a problem at every TJs everywhere in the country. That’s why you would never catch me dead in a TJs during regular shopping hours. I’d generally go about an hour before closing when most people were settling in after dinner. But if you can swing mid-morning weekdays, that’s really the time to go (works well for HWFC too).
I’ll keep that in mind. Weekday mornings sound like a great idea.