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Trader Joe’s Colorado: the eagle has landed

After years of traveling far and wide to visit TJ’s, writer Lisa Crockett will finally be able to shop close to home and enjoy her favorite products, as well as new ones.

Article and photos by Lisa Crockett

I first visited Trader Joe’s (TJ’s) many years ago on a visit to my parents, who live in California. I had heard friends talking about it and wandered in to take a look. I love food and I love novelty, so for me a store that combines both is better than a trip to Disneyland. TJ’s has both in spades.

In an instant, I was hooked. Every aisle offered something new – corn salsa, peanut butter pretzels and exotic cookies and nuts, all at prices that made it affordable to try a little of everything. Pasta sauces and dressings with simple ingredient lists that lacked strange additives and tasted out of this world. Frozen foods that ranged from simple veggies to fancy desserts. I could practically hear my taste buds singing as I considered what I could create with the raw materials available at this neighborhood grocer.

“Eighty percent of what we sell here is under the Trader Joe’s private label,” said Dan Guajardo, the Greenwood Village store manager or “captain” as he called. “Things sold under our label are made without artificial flavors or preservatives and are all non-GMO. Because we deal directly with manufacturers, we essentially cut out the middle-man and that keeps our prices low.”

To date, I have visited TJ’s stores in California, Utah, Arizona, Illinois, Maryland and New Mexico. Once I actually drove to Santa Fe with my friend Veronica Fratta, a fellow Castle Pines resident and TJ’s devotee, for the express purpose of stocking up on TJ’s goods to bring back home to Denver. More than once, I have juggled a bag bulging with assorted trail mixes and dried fruit as I passed through security at various airports. On one trip where I got particularly carried away at TJ’s, I did the math and determined that it was cheaper to send my goods home via UPS than to pay the extra baggage fee on the flight. So, I loaded a box, sent it to myself and eagerly anticipated its arrival when my trip concluded.

And then it happened. Trader Joe’s decided to expand to Colorado. After much anticipation, three stores opened last month, including one in Greenwood Village – a location close enough to home that I can get the frozen food home without the aid of a cooler. Clearly, my life will be easier now that Trader Joe’s is here in Colorado – and so close to Castle Pines!

And though I’m sure that I’ve tried the majority of the 3,000 items available at the store, new products are introduced regularly – about a dozen new items are stocked each week – so it’s nice that products are available for tasting every day during store hours. Customers aren’t limited to tasting what’s being demonstrated that day; any product in the store can be sampled upon request.

“We have a phenomenal staff who are here to help customers have fun and make great, informed buying decisions,” said Guajardo.

Fresh produce and meats, as well as frozen foods make for quick and yummy meals – things I can whip up in just a few minutes that taste like I spent hours in the kitchen. For recipe ideas specifically formulated for Trader Joe’s products visit www.traderjoes.com and click on “recipes.”

Tonight, on the eve of the grand opening, I plan to make the pork belly tacos, which feature the store’s delicious mango pineapple salsa. The pork is already cooked, so it’s ready to eat in a flash. There are also many cookbooks (available on Amazon) devoted to the art of cooking dinner from TJ’s.

Or if you’re feeling adventurous, just stroll the store and see what looks good. Then come home and mess around in the kitchen. Even if the meal you’ve envisioned doesn’t turn out as planned, it’s sure to be pretty tasty. And just think, if you change your mind or want to try something you missed the first time around, you can always visit again. Trader Joe’s is now a local store.

Trader Joe’s Greenwood Village is located at 5910 S. University Boulevard, #E1. The store is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. For additional information, visit www.traderjoes.com.

Castle Pines resident Angel Spangenberger – who received a flower lei as one of the first customers through the doors at Trader Joe’s in Greenwood Village when it opened last month – shops for her favorite items at the market. Spangenberger was one of several hundred customers who lined up early to be there when the store opened; the first people in line arrived at 5 a.m., while Spangenberger still got a decent spot despite her 7:30 a.m. arrival time. (TJ’s opens at 8 a.m. daily.)

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