Greater East End coverage is funded in part by Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, providing world-class services to all of Eastern Suffolk. Because an extraordinary community deserves extraordinary care.
News this week that an eighth Trader Joe’s has been approved for Long Island, this time in Miller Place, only reinforced the point that Suffolk’s five East End towns and the South Shore are going ignored by the popular grocer.
Folks in those areas have been clamoring for a Trader Joe’s to call their own for years.
So, we figured to give Trader Joe’s a push, with five great locations we found listed for lease to fill the service gap.
Scroll down for our list, all taken from Loopnet.com.
First, some background
Trader Joe’s, which started in California in 1958, is still family owned, operated and doesn’t offer franchise opportunities. The decision on where to open next lies solely within the company. Much of the process is opaque to the outside world — and well-guarded.
If you’re a loyal listener to the Trader Joe’s podcast, you’ve learned customer feedback and average household income play a part in where a Trader Joe’s will pop up next.
To us, it would appear Suffolk’s South Shore and East End have the people, and the dough.
Here’s some help, Trader Joe’s!
[Click here for Greater Long Island newsletter. We’ll keep you posted.]
For lease on Long Island
According to this report, the average size of a Trader Joe’s grocery store is between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet. But this is just an average. At least one store tops out at 30,000 square feet. And we’ve got plenty of room here still on the Island.
Riverhead
East End Commons (in the works), Route 58. Adjacent to BJ’s Wholesale Club.
There appears to be three spots over 10,000 square feet at East End Commons still up for grabs. Take your pick, Trader Joe!
Bay Shore
Outgoing Big Lots store off Sunrise Highway
Our initial post had suggested the ShopRite property in West Babylon, but that’s being taken by Tractor Supply. So we give you, the Big Lots in the Best Buy shopping center, which we’re sure will be up for lease soon. Sadly, all Big Lots are now closing.
West Islip
Former Bob’s Stores at 135-187 Sunrise Highway, W. Islip
We’re not trying to dance on the grave of our beloved Bob’s Stores, but the vacated South Bay Common’s spot is up for lease.
Sayville
Former Rite Aid at 101 Main Street.
Sayville is already a great place for shopping. Trader Joe’s would bring even more foot traffic into the heart of the business district. This space, perhaps deceivingly, actually reaches almost 11,500 square feet. We’re just not sure if the company is eyeing any downtowns.
Yaphank
The Shoppes at the Boulevard
The Boulevard is the gleaming-new, 322-acre development at the corner of the Long Island Expressway and William Floyd Parkway. Walmart is its anchor and it just welcomed a Starbucks in August. This spot would be easily accessible for East Enders, too — much more so than Lake Grove, where they’re known to trek. Click here for the full Loopnet listing.
People waiting outside Trader Joe’s to shop for groceries in Pembroke Pines, Fla., on March 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
