Story and photos by Sunayana Prabhu
MIDDLETOWN – Bright red shopping carts rolled in and out of the newest Trader Joe’s in a steady stream April 27 during opening day at the store’s newest Monmouth County location.
A crowd of customers lined up outside at 8 a.m. as Mayor Tony Perry unveiled the much-awaited supermarket in Middletown Plaza. Trader Joe’s opened a store in Shrewsbury in 2011.
The excitement was palpable in the community and among the employees, even though the store faces stiff competition in the township for grocery dollars. Along the Route 35 corridor in Middletown are Italian grocers Livoti’s, Whole Foods, the new and larger ShopRite, Stop & Shop and Target. However, residents shopping on opening day voiced the reasons Trader Joe’s has developed a loyal customer base, including unique items that are often easier on the wallet than other specialty stores. Many Trader Joe’s products have a cult following, including the Mandarin Orange Chicken, Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips, Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings, Kimbap and Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese.
“My favorite thing from here is soup dumplings. They’re delicious,” said Jayne Chanod, a Middletown resident, shopping on opening day.
The store’s frozen dinners are “just easier to cook for families when we’re busy on the go, but they’re more natural and with better ingredients, so that’s what we come for,” said Teresa Hicks, a Union Beach resident who hustled through the busy shopping aisles with her three children.
The grocery store with its own podcast has grown from a small Southern California chain that opened in Pasadena in 1967 to a national chain of over 571 stores. It has earned its niche status in New Jersey with 18 stores. Megan Linnoila, the captain (store manager) for the Middletown Trader Joe’s, has been with the company for over a decade and spoke about the store’s adaptability and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was a challenging time for everybody, but we really tried to just focus on doing what we can to support our customers,” she said. At the Middletown store, the retailer has “hired probably just about 80 people,” she said, most of whom are from the township.
In addition to viral products, the store is known for the friendliness of its employees. “First of all, I think the prices are good. And I like that as soon as you walk in the vegetables and fruits are there. I love (that) it is small. Everyone’s very friendly,” said Middletown resident Monica Bianchi. Middletown residents Jennifer and Lauren Szotak said they were “very excited” they no longer have to drive to Shrewsbury to shop at Trader Joe’s. “We can just walk here and get things now,” Jennifer said. Her daughter Lauren said the options seem “healthier” at the self-proclaimed “neighborhood grocery store.”
Spread over roughly 14,000 square feet, Trader Joe’s is in the space formerly occupied by Walgreens. Middletown Plaza was popularly known as the “ShopRite Plaza” before the grocery chain moved its store down Route 35 to a larger space. The former ShopRite spot is currently leased by the home furnishings store At Home. Other tenants of Middletown Plaza include Party Fair and Retro Fitness. According to township data, the plaza is surrounded by a population of 61,000-plus with an average household income of $145,000-plus within a 3-mile radius.
“By prioritizing economic development, we’ve created an environment that attracts top-tier businesses, which brings job opportunities and increases traffic to nearby businesses, thereby enhancing our local economy,” Perry said in a social media post after the opening.
The article originally appeared in the May 2 – May 8, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
