Locals React to Report that Trader Joe’s May (Finally) Be Coming to Lafayette

There is currently a buzz among the local Lafayette grocery shopping community after The Acadiana Advocate dropped some intel on Trader Joe's possibly making its way to Lafayette.

I know you're probably thinking "Yeah right, I've heard this story before, blah blah..."; but after a rapid fire of recent development including Superior Grill, TopGolf, Dave & Buster's, and more businesses (both chain and local) on Lafayette's never-ending wishlist, Trader Joe's isn't so far-fetched.

Adam Daigle dropped the Advocate story on Thursday morning, including details on Trader Joe's "actively scouting" the Lafayette area.

You can check the full story for all the details, but the reason why the rumor may be different this time around is exactly what I mentioned earlier; Trader Joe's is seeing businesses like TopGolf and Dave & Busters entering the market—a sign of "strength" according to The Advocate.

Another sign of strength would be the reaction to Daigle's Advocate report, as hundreds of shares and comments poured in on his Facebook post. Locals were elated at the idea of Trader Joe's finally coming to Lafayette, including Tiffiany Borel, who tells me that she makes a trip to Trader Joe's in Baton Rouge at least once a quarter.

She even half-joked about an idea to create a Trader Joe's delivery service due to the fact that numerous friends send her with their money and their wish lists when she makes her quarterly trip to the Baton Rouge location. The Trader Joe's employees in Baton Rouge even egg her on, citing the large number of shoppers from Lafayette who visit regularly.

Some of the items that Borel stocks up on include chocolate peanut butter snacks, frozen appetizers, and the unique cheese selection. Many Trader Joe's fans from Lafayette have raved about cheeses and other items found commonly on charcuterie boards in addition to numerous seasonal selections—especially when it comes to items for entertaining.

I spoke with another Trader Joe's fan from Lafayette named Megan who pointed out that Trader Joe's "hand selects all the products in their store and purposefully find things you can’t get at other stores."

Speaking of which, everyone I spoke to about Trader Joe's did say that a Trader Joe's in Lafayette would not stop them from shopping at their current regular grocery stores like Rouses, Albertson's, Super 1 Foods, Champagne's, Target, Walmart, and many other local specialty stores.

It's kind of like Costco in my brain. I love Costco, and there are certain things I always get there, but I still have to do regular grocery shopping too.

Eryn says that anytime her son has a sporting event in Baton Rouge, she definitely makes a point to hit up Trader Joe's and she may or may not fill out the request form to bring a store to Lafayette on a monthly basis.

While it's clear that many local residents would be thrilled when and if Trader Joe's opens in Lafayette, the next conversation would surround where the store would be located.

But that's another conversation for another day. In the meantime, check out The Advocate report and give us all your Trader Joe's hot takes.