Ten years ago, Poway officials asked residents what stores they’d like to see in their inland North County city.
The result: “There were 622 responses for specific stores, and the majority of the responses, totaling 13%, asked for a Trader Joe’s,” said the survey published in May 2014.
Powegians, your prayers have been answered. Same for Santee.
The Monrovia-based grocery chain in March announced it would expand from 15 stores in San Diego County to 17, with locations at 13644 Poway Road and 9680 Mission Gorge Road.
Founded in 1967 by Joe Coulombe, with a first store in Pasadena, Trader Joe’s has become a shopper favorite with more than 590 locations nationwide.
In Poway, the niche grocer will occupy a space formerly used by Spirit Halloween with SteinMart and Kmart as previous tenants.
“A Minor Development Review Application was required for the exterior modifications and splitting of the vacant retail space,” said Poway spokeswoman Rene Carmichael.
“The MDRA was approved by city staff on April 1, 2024. A tenant improvement permit was required as well. The building permit for the tenant improvement is ready to issue. The suite is 13,977 square feet.”
Trader Joe’s will be required to apply for a sign permit as well, she said.
In Santee, Trader Joe’s will occupy space in the Mission Gorge Square Shopping Center south of Costco.
“Tenant improvements are ongoing,” said Santee spokeswoman Pamela White.
She said the Mission Gorge Square leasing brochure includes a site plan that notes a 15,000-square-foot space for Trader Joe’s.
“The 30,000-square-foot former Best Buy site has been divided into 15,000 … for Trader Joe’s at 9680 Mission Gorge Road, 11,118 for a “National Beauty Retailer” (still undisclosed) … and 3,883 square feet available at 9684 Mission Gorge,” White said via email.
The big question: When will they open?
The cities won’t say — not wanting to steal Trader Joe’s corporate or marketing thunder.
The grocer’s website says only “coming soon!”
Nakia Rohde, public relations manager for Trader Joe’s, told me: “I’d be happy to share more details once we get closer to opening, have store leadership on-site, and have established an opening date.”
One thing is more certain: The stores won’t be unionized.
Labor unions are a rarity in the TJ chain.
‘”UFCW Local 135 is not attempting to organize any Trader Joe’s locations in San Diego County,” said Brent Beltran, spokesman for the local food and commercial workers union. “We reserve the right to revisit that at any time. But as of now, we are not.”
