By Danika Young | LTVN Social Media Editor
After moving from Orange County, Calif., to Waco, I didn’t realize how good I had it. While Waco is growing more and more every day, it’s missing what I would consider to be hands down the best grocery store in the United States — especially for college students.
And yes, I’m talking about Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s has over 500 stores across the United States, and 34% of them are in California. However, Texas is slowly but surely getting there with 19 locations, and it’s time to build one in Waco.
And here’s why.
Trader Joe’s is not your average grocery store. It has private-label products, meaning it makes and sells its own approved products that are unique to the Trader Joe’s name. It has strict criteria for the foods it sells; you won’t buy anything with artificial flavors, food coloring, GMOs or MSG. People trust the Trader Joe’s name, and it shows.
There are also certain products that can only be found in its aisles, and many have become fan favorites. Some I can’t live without are the mandarin orange chicken, mini chicken tacos and Greek yogurt with honey. Trader Joe’s also rotates seasonal products throughout the year. With each major holiday, it adds unique, limited items to the shelves — and people go crazy for them.
Trader Joe’s makes cooking easy — perfect for college students with a busy schedule. It has an abnormally large frozen section filled with delicious, quick and easy meals I adore. I don’t know what it is, but I can say I’ve never had a meal from Trader Joe’s that I didn’t enjoy. It’s like you’re wining and dining yourself while barely lifting a finger.
For the quality of products it offers, the prices are very reasonable too — even for broke college students. Unlike Erewhon or Whole Foods, you won’t feel like you’re spending your whole paycheck on food at Trader Joe’s. I can usually get two weeks worth of groceries for around $75.
Trader Joe’s is unlike any other grocery store, and we deserve one in Waco.
While this may seem like an impossible feat, it’s not. Trader Joe’s allows people to request a store location in their city. Baylor currently has 20,824 students — and I think 20,824 requests might be hard to ignore.
