I Concede. Yakima Really Does Need a Trader Joe’s

There's been a lot of people in Yakima crying and lamenting over the fact that we don't have a Trader Joe's in Yakima. Maybe it's because I've never been to Trader Joe's so I didn't see the draw. I mean, we already have several other grocery store options, why need another? Well, after a recent visit to Trader Joe's, I get it. I really, really get it.

I stopped by the Trader Joe's location in Issaquah just to see what the fuss was about. Even after stepping foot through the front doors and looking around a bit from the entrance, I didn't see anything special. Just looked like any typical grocery store the size of the Super Duper we used to have on 28th and Nob Hill in the early 80s.

It wasn't until I started walking up and down the isles that I noticed something. Everything was Trader Joe's brand. Everything on the shelves from the pasta to the frozen selections to the breakfast cereal. I, who has an obsession with breakfast cereal, went straight there to see what they had and, to my surprise, they had a few varieties of breakfast cereal that the big cereal companies don't even make. I grabbed a few boxes. Then I saw cookies and snacks that looked better than other stuff, again, from bigger companies. And for about the same price, too!

I didn't know what to grab so I grabbed a few things, paid about $60 and went on my way. My problem was, after I got home, I wanted to try everything all at once. Since I'm not about to open 10 things all at once I'll have to wait until I finish what I opened first before moving on to the next snack.

I'm looking forward to going back again next time I'm in the area. It doesn't seem like the type of play to go grocery shopping for the week, but to grab a few things here and there, it'd be perfect. Although Trader Joe's will probably never open Yakima, we can still hope they change their mind in the near future.