Trader Joe's on Notice: Residents Want Valrico Store

Would you like to see a Trader Joe's (or any other kind of store) come to the area? Post a comment below.

Asked what they'd like to on Lithia-Pinecrest Road, readers overwhelming voiced a preference for Trader Joe's.

"I will miss Albertson's so much, but I'd love to see Trader Joe's go in there," commented Mary Berg on the recent Bloomingdale-Riverview Patch story.

"I would love a Whole Foods, Fresh Market or Trader Joe's," agreed Rose Anzaldi. "We also have a vacancy in Brandon where the old Borders used to be...that would be a perfect spot for one of these places also."

Linda Parrott-Jessup, Linda Mize, Beth Nobles, Debbie Ploor, Bryan Mion and Sean Donahue also gave Trader Joe's a thumbs up.

For those unfamiliar with the California-based Trader Joe's, the specialty grocery store was founded in 1958 as a small chain of conveniece stores called Pronto Markets. In 1967, the founder changed the name to Trader Joe's and began enlarging the stores, decking the walls with cedar planks and dressing the staff in Hawaiian shirts. The stores began specializing in hard-to-find, low-cost foods, including organic, vegan and gluten-free products.

The company currently has no stores in this area, however, it is opening one soon in Sarasota.

So, is there a chance of Trader Joe's coming to Valrico?

There's always the possibility, responded the company to an inquiry from Patch.

"Emails have been flooding in with suggestions for new store locations in neighborhoods all over the U.S. We love that," replied a Trader Joe's spokesperson in an email. "Rest assured, every email is read and your recommendation will be passed along to our real estate folks." 
 
It probably wouldn't hurt for interested readers to flood Trader Joe's with requests for a Valrico store. You can do so by going on the Trader Joe's website and filling out the Customer Questions and Feedback form.

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