When it comes to a grocery store coming to Bridgeport, everyone – it seems – has something to say. And what they have to say runs the entire spectrum of the commentary wheel.

 

Whenever a new business story goes up on the Web site, the probability of someone asking for a grocery store is about 100 percent. Before we get to some good and bad news, a little more on the commentary. 

 

A lot of the comments are from folks who seriously want a store to come into the city and serve the community. Some believe that a larger store is neeed than the Price Cutter on Main Street. Some want more than one option and understand the difficulties of getting a major chain to commit to the city. Some want a grocery store in northern part of the city.

 

Then there are those who think that the city or the developers of White Oaks, Charles Pointe or any other plaza in the city only needs to pick up the phone and a Whole Foods will show up the next day. That’s not how it works. And there are those who will point out towns smaller than Bridgeport often have major chain grocery stores located in them.  I get that. I know that. I also know that it’s the exception and not the rule and there are mitigating factors that make that happen.

 

Picking up the phone and saying “come on down” is not one of those factors. That said, I can assure you that on the Connect Facebook page or our Twitter feed there will be a comment saying “We need this” or “why doesn’t the city get this” or “we don’t need another (insert any business you don’t like here) in Bridgeport.”

 

I digress. Many have asked me directly or indirectly if there’s anything or any way to lobby a grocery chain. My answer is that by emailing or contacting a corporation that it certainly couldn’t hurt.

 

So here is the good news as the bad news.

 

This exact blog, or nearly this exact blog ran almost a decade ago - Jan. 31, 2015 to be exact. Thousands of folks read the blog, and looking at the comments at the time, a huge number made the request. The bad news is that they never came.

 

The good news? The grocery chain in question is still taking requests from anyone that would like to see them come to their community or city. Even more good news is there is really no demographic requirement as far as population, but the grocery store in question tends to like to go to a city with a median household income of $100,000. Bridgeport is in that range.

 

If you have not figured it out by the logo or the art on the social media postings, there is a chain that has a “location request” on its Web site. The chain in question is “Trader Joe’s,” which may not be in the same format as a traditional grocery store, but is one that I’ve seen mentioned hundreds of times (that is not hyperbole) as one folks would like to see here in Bridgeport.

 

So here’s your chance to put your grocery dollars where your mouth is. All you have to do is fill out the page by clicking HERE and scrolling down to "Request a Trade Joe's in My City." I’ve done it and it only takes a couple of minutes, and that’s if you opt to only add in a few comments. Write away and tell them why you think Bridgeport should – at a minimum – be looked at for the location of a new store.

 

Does this mean a deluge of messages sent will result in a Trader Joe’s coming to Bridgeport? No, that’s not the case. It did not happen the last time this blog ran. However, how can it hurt the chances of something that has no chance at the present time?

 

Take a second. Fill out the form. And relax.

 

For once, there is something you can do about Bridgeport’s grocery store dilemma outside of complaining about it. The ball, or shopping cart in this case, is in your aisle.