Big crowds show support for Morgan Hill’s specialty grocer
Morgan Hill – Much to the delight of many, Trader Joe’s is finally open. After years of longing and eight months of plans and construction, the specialty food chain opened its doors to loyal South County shoppers Friday morning.
“I’m very excited it’s here,” said Tina Chacon, a Gilroy resident who zipped through isles on a break from work. “I’ve been going to the San Jose store once a week.”
Hundreds of shoppers from Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister turned out to see the nautically themed food store open on Laurel Road near the intersection of Dunne Avenue and U.S. 101 in northwest Morgan Hill. A Trader Joe’s vice president said Morgan Hill’s two-income households and the region’s growing population lured the 270-store specialty grocery chain. Additionally, the 11,000-square-foot store – it’s about a quarter of the size of a large Safeway store – was the object of a postcard-writing campaign by the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce in recent years.
“We fought to have this for years,” said Monique Dubois, a Morgan Hill resident who darted to the wine and cheese section. “It adds a whole new dimension to Morgan Hill.”
“The whole area is definitely changing and evolving,” she added.
The grand opening included a ribbon-cutting with Morgan Hill City Council members and chamber of commerce officials.
“The first thing it reflects is that the city and Trader Joe’s heard clearly what the residents wanted,” said Morgan Hill City Councilman Larry Carr, a member of the city’s Community and Economic Development Committee. “I think what it means for us is, here is a company that is sought after by a lot of communities, and they chose Morgan Hill … It provides an ever-widening variety of retail … so residents don’t have to go out of town.”
The store will employ about 80 workers earning between $10 and $17 an hour.Â
Stocked with Indonesian baskets, Vietnamese dried nuts, Italian frozen pizzas and approximately “eight 18-wheelers” worth of foreign and domestic products, the off-beat market inspired some shoppers to take the morning off of work to satisfy their curiosity and fill their carts.
“Obviously it’s very popular,” said Rory Pace, a Gilroy nutritionist who added spinach and curry sauces to her cart. “I was amazed to pull into the (117-space) parking lot after 9am and see it was already packed.”
Trader Joe’s Regional Vice President Steve Haro said the company – employing more than 10,000 people coast to coast – has been eyeballing South County for years. Demographically, he said, they like “everyday shoppers” with plenty of disposable income.
“Morgan Hill is developing, but it’s not in its first stages,” Haro said. “A town in its first stages is probably not a good move … you find people don’t have that expendible money, because people are mortgage poor.”
Haro said the “minimum population” threshold for Trader Joe’s varies. A good population could be 70,000, or it could be 35,000, he said. “We look at where people are working, and how many households are two-income households.”
Morgan Hill resident Frank Ranco said the store reminded him of an “international country store.”
“Trader Joe’s fits with the small town image,” Ranco said. “It’s not a big box store. It’s like a lot of little shops put together.”
Store manager – or “store captain,” in Trader Joe’s speak – Dan Obercoe said, “It’s like Goldie Locks and the Three Bears – not too big, not too small.”
Obercoe would not disclose revenue projections since company policy is not to divulge this information to the media.
Trader Joe’s is known for its Hawaiian-shirted crews and hard-to-find domestic and imported wines and gourmet foods. The business began as a chain of convenience stores called Pronto Markets in the Los Angeles area. In 1967, the founder, Joe Coulombe – the original “Trader Joe” – expanded the size of the stores and decked them out with cedar plank walls and nautical decor.Â
TRADER JOE’S OVERVIEW
Products: Upscale grocery fare, including health foods, organic produce and nutritional supplements.
Trader Joe’s Brand: More than 2,000 private-label products, representing 70 percent of sales.
Number of Stores: 270 in more than 22 states and the District of Columbia.
Number of Employees: More than 10,000.
Typical Wages: Between $10 and $17 per hour
History: Started by Joe Coulombe as Los Angeles convenience store chain in 1958. It was bought in 1979 by German billionaires Karl and Theo Albrecht. Company remains privately held.
Tony Burchyns covers Morgan Hill for The Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106 ext. 201 or
tb*******@mo*************.com.
