Outsider on the Inside

 

Photo © 2009 Stan Brewer

 

 

I don’t want to be a cyber gossip, but I can’t help it. What I have to divulge may not even be considered gossip. Are rumors gossip? I will call it expounding on a rumor. Now brace yourself, this is a doozie.

 

I hear that the next expansion of Trader Joe’s will be in Des Moines.

 

I have no real evidence to back this up, but I have a lot of hope riding on its truth.

 

If you are not familiar with Trader Joe’s (because none exists in Iowa), I’ll give you a brief synopsis:

 

This is a specialty grocery store that started in my home state of California in the 1950s and has since expanded to 25 of the 50 United States. In fact, this expansion has included opening stores in Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri—all, incidentally, border states to Iowa.

 

While Trader Joe’s is considered a specialty grocery store, its prices do not reflect the exorbitant prices of many a Whole Foods or Gateway Market good. At Trader Joe’s, a shopper can buy organic pasta for virtually the same price as conventional pasta stocked here at your local Hy-Vee. Not only that, but Trader Joe’s shelves are stocked with exotic and interesting foods from around the world, which have a tendency to open one’s mind to new cuisines and expand even adventurous eaters’ palates.

 

Now I will explain why this is important.

 

First, it is important to me because since I have moved to Des Moines from California I have been going through Trader Joe’s withdrawals. I became a converted TJ’s shopper in college and relied on many of its products as staples in my weekly meals. Some of these items I have been able to find substitutes for, but these imposters are usually more expensive and not quite as good in quality. I have had to take pilgrimages up to the Trader Joe’s in Minneapolis several times to get my fix, and every time I go I ask a checker if they will be expanding to Iowa. Of course, the checker never knows the answer to my question, but understands my plight.

 

A town devoid of a Trader Joe’s is a town that has not yet fully come into its own. And this is why it is important for Iowa—with Des Moines as its logical first location—to get a Trader Joe’s of its own.

 

Iowa is at a crossroads. Politically, it has played a pivotal role in the recent presidential election, energy policy and in the gay marriage debate. Economically, Iowa has been less hard hit by the recession than many other states, and even though there have been layoffs and a slight downturn locally, the state is far from economic desperation. There has also been an injection of culture here with the 80/35 music festival, the longstanding Des Moines Arts Festival and the sculpture garden that is being developed downtown, and of course many other attractions that have slipped past my radar. In terms of cuisine, the local foodie may still have a few beefs with the fare, but Des Moines has a lot to offer, including sushi and Indian food that rival anything I’ve tried in California, and there are more options coming to town all the time. Just the fact that Gateway Market opened a second location in West Des Moines shows that there is a market for interesting food.

 

Des Moines is ready for a Trader Joe’s. I’ve already scoped out a few good locations, even one down the road from the Gateway Market on MLK. I hope this rumor proves to be true. We will all be better eaters for it.