Denver finally got with the program on the grocery store front and opened up 3 trader joe's locations this past weekend. Being born and raised in colorado, I never truly understood the hype around it but after reading about the place on endless blogs and then making a visit, I get why trader joe's is different than other grocery store chains.
(clockwise from top left: crunchy cookie peanut butter / a welcoming painting when you walk in the store / tons of affordable flowers / trader joe's $2 charles shaw wine / the sign facing colorado blvd)
$2 wine (often referred to as, 2 buck chuck), allergy-labeled products, a beautiful flower department that won't set you back $20+ on an arrangement, a huge pre-made section full of grab-and-go items and low prices on nearly everything in the store... what's not to love? Also, they carry a lot of brands and products not available anywhere else which is a huge plus in my book.
Okay, one quick negative on my first trader joe's experience... it was stupid busy. I felt like I was back at the ikea opening almost 3 years ago. We waited 15 minutes for a parking spot and the check-out line was wrapped around the store so my visit was purely for the experience. I am guessing things will die down in a couple weeks once the shine wears off but holy cow. If you are planning on visiting the trader joe's off of 8th and colorado, go prepared.
