Cedar Rapids Mayor Encourages Residents to Request a Trader Joe’s
The mayor of Cedar Rapids has put her support behind a local petition to get a Trader Joe's in the city, and is encouraging other supporters to send in a formal request to the popular grocery chain!
Ever since I moved to Iowa from Michigan almost 12 years ago, I've been saying that the city of Cedar Rapids needs a Trader Joe's store. I used to visit one on a weekly basis when I lived back in the Mitten, so it just felt wrong that there wasn't one here. When the Trader Joe's in Coralville opened in October of 2017, I was hopeful that Cedar Rapids would be next. 9 years later, I'm still waiting! I need a quicker way to get my hands on their frozen Crispy Potato & Poblano Pepper Tacos...
What's Trader Joe's?
For those unfamiliar, Trader Joe's is a popular grocery store chain that mainly carries its own brand of products that you can't find anywhere else. The company's website reads:
"At Trader Joe's, you won’t find a lot of branded items. Instead, you’ll discover a store full of unique and interesting products, along with everyday basics, in the Trader Joe's label."
Trader Joe's is also known for its affordable prices. It doesn't have membership clubs or sales or coupons, just low prices on everything all the time. That's thanks to the company's ability to sell their own branded items. The site explains:
"Most grocers charge their suppliers fees for putting an item on the shelf. This results in higher prices... so we don’t do it.
How Do We Get a Trader Joe's in Cedar Rapids?
On the Trader Joe's website, there's a page titled, 'Request a Trader Joe's in My City.' All you have to do is fill out some basic information and type up a comment about the city you want the company to open a store in. I just did it, and it took me about a minute to complete. Super easy!
There are apparently a LOT of Cedar Rapidians who want a Trader Joe's in the city, including Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell! On April 13th, she shared a link to the Trader Joe's website on social media, encouraging other Trader Joe's fans to submit their request. The post reads:
"1100 voices—and counting.
What started as one Cedar Rapids resident simply saying 'why not us?' has turned into something pretty powerful. This community showed up. Thank you Emma for getting it going!!"
The petition the Mayor is referring to is one started by an Iowan named Emma Hartman on Change.org titled, 'Bring Trader Joe's to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.' As of this morning (April 15th), it has nearly 1,400 signatures! But, Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell suggests that sending direct requests to the company may yield better results. She says:
"If you’ve ever wished for a Trader Joe’s in Cedar Rapids, this is another way to make your voice heard. Take a minute, fill out their official request form, and send it directly to them.
Because here’s the truth:
Petitions get attention.
But direct customer requests? That gets decisions made.
Let’s keep the momentum going."
Will these efforts work? We will never know if we don't try!
If you'd like to sign the Change.org petition, click HERE.
To submit your request directly to Trader Joe's, click HERE.
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