Trader Joe's Westfield - partial roof collapse

I wonder if Westfield has the equivalent of OhNo60, and what they'll have to say about putting up a new building. 

afa said:

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit how much this would totally wreck me if the Millburn TJ's suffered the same fate.

I'd have to go visit my parents in Florham Park more often. 

I'm wondering if the construction they did when they expanded had anything to do with the collapse. They said the rooftop HVAC fell through to the floor..

As far as the employees being out of work, they are going to be assigned to work at the other NJ stores for the next few months. Probably Millburn and Florham Park mostly as they will most likely be getting much busier as the Westfield customers will be shopping at those locations and will need extra help to accommodate the traffic... 

Millburn might get much more crowded in the next few months

.

TarheelsInNj said:

afa said:

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit how much this would totally wreck me if the Millburn TJ's suffered the same fate.

Oh gosh. Don't even put that out in the universe

A friend from back home (Ohio) texted to make sure it wasn't my local store. Clearly you wouldn't be alone in feeling wrecked. 

That's funny. I don't like the food or the produce at TJs. Or the shtick. I only go for the wine bargains. I've actually never been in the Millburn store. (I will say, however, that he people that work in the Westfield store are among the nicest retail workers I've ever seen.) 

The star ledger is reporting they will try to relocate workers to other stores....

but for some, the commute might be a problem.

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

That's funny. I don't like the food or the produce at TJs. Or the shtick. I only go for the wine bargains. I've actually never been in the Millburn store. (I will say, however, that he people that work in the Westfield store are among the nicest retail workers I've ever seen.) 

If you did shop the Millburn store or any other TJ store you will see that those nicest retail workers are everywhere. Each to their own food wise but I find based what I eat on a regular basis that over 80 percent of my food purchases are from TJ's (as opposed to my former main grocer, Shoprite). Can't get everything there but for my weekly list it covers most of my needs. Thus for me it's the Millburn TJ's weekly and the Westfield one monthly for wine. (I'll be in touch re: searching out the closest wine selling TJ's, soulful.)

bikefixed said:

what about the one it route 10? Just checked online reviews and it didn't appear that they had a liquor license

Supermarket chains are only allowed two liquor licenses in the state. For TJs it is/was Princeton and Westfield. My SIL from VA finds it astonishing because you can buy wine in every supermarket there. 

wendy said:

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

That's funny. I don't like the food or the produce at TJs. Or the shtick. I only go for the wine bargains. I've actually never been in the Millburn store. (I will say, however, that he people that work in the Westfield store are among the nicest retail workers I've ever seen.) 

If you did shop the Millburn store or any other TJ store you will see that those nicest retail workers are everywhere. Each to their own food wise but I find based what I eat on a regular basis that over 80 percent of my food purchases are from TJ's (as opposed to my former main grocer, Shoprite). Can't get everything there but for my weekly list it covers most of my needs. Thus for me it's the Millburn TJ's weekly and the Westfield one monthly for wine. (I'll be in touch re: searching out the closest wine selling TJ's, soulful.)

Wendy,

Perhaps Saturday morning, before the traffic builds, we could drive to the Manhattan store, score, and be back before 10:30. What sayeth ye? (We could take this offline, or, as they say, get a room.) 

ETA: I do the bulk of my grocery shopping, 95% of it, at ShopRite in West Orange, at Essex Green. It has the best (lowest) prices of any supermarket I know.

marylago said:

bikefixed said:

what about the one it route 10? Just checked online reviews and it didn't appear that they had a liquor license

Supermarket chains are only allowed two liquor licenses in the state. For TJs it is/was Princeton and Westfield. My SIL from VA finds it astonishing because you can buy wine in every supermarket there. 

Yes, the liquor regulations in this state are crazy.

Liquor regulations are bizarre everywhere, as far as I can tell, but every state has its own peculiarities. I find CT's restrictions inexplicable and almost incomprehensible.

the laws typically tend to be protected through lobbying effort$ from the largest stakeholders -- the gigantic distributors and often the associations of restaurants/taverns/retailers. They all like the status quo. Interestingly, the tiered distribution system was put in place when Prohibition was repealed to protect consumers. Now it protects the giant distributors and those who support them/are financially back by them, including some of our local state politicians.

I don't think they have any here in CA - you can buy tequila at the gas station.  Or CVS.

PeggyC said:

Liquor regulations are bizarre everywhere, as far as I can tell, but every state has its own peculiarities. I find CT's restrictions inexplicable and almost incomprehensible.

That adds a whole new aspect to California's appeal.

Hank, that all makes total sense. But didn't Pennsylvania just change their laws? I thought I had heard something about that.

Trader Joe's plans to rebuild and reopen the Westfield store:

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2016/01/trader_joes_to_reopen_in_westfield_after_roof_coll.html#incart_river_home

Don't think I'll have enough wine until that happens.

It could take weeks just to get a basic plan to rebuild and a time frame.

PeggyC said:

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Hank, that all makes total sense. But didn't Pennsylvania just change their laws? I thought I had heard something about that.

Peggy they are trying to change the laws...a bill had passed in the lower house in PA I think to privatize all the state owned wine and liquor stores (beer is different there I believe). At least as of late fall when I was discussing this with a friend in Philly, it had not moved. They did pass a law allowing wineries to ship direct to PA residents as long as the wineries paid an annual licensing fee...that of course benefits wineries big enough to want to pay the licensing fee. So for now, a lot of folks in the Philly area I know make runs across the river to NJ to stock up at places like Moore Brothers (which also has a place in Manhattan). I think it will eventually change.

Of course, before I hit submit I did a quick search...it may not pass anytime soon. So from February 2015, the Senate finally voted to approve an amended bill that allowed restaurants and hotels to sell up to four bottles of wine retail and expanded hours of some state run stores to open on holidays and Sundays. The House bill in February was to sell off the state run stores one year after the bill passed and also allowed for stipends for state employees to get additional "job training". Another catch is this...since buying is done on a state wide level, the big wholesalers are already entrenched. They will continue to be so one way or another and people will drive across the river for better selection and pricing.

I really need that facepalm emoticon back...

Another reason to stay in Westfield:

http://www.builderonline.com/money/prices/the-closer-to-a-whole-foods-or-trader-joes-the-more-your-home-is-worth_o

Frightening on a whole host of levels.

orzabelle said:

Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Not sure how the 2 buck Chuck fared.

If there is any compassionate God out there, hopefully down into the nearest sewer where it can't leach into the groundwater.  But I've heard he can be a bit of a prankster, too, so maybe it has yet been saved.

there already a brand new Whole Foods in Clark. I doubt they would have gone into same shopping center but that would have been a good Trader Joes location.

We do our weekly shopping at Trader Joe's, and only once in a while do we need a specific brand name or item they don't have. I find that the prices on my basics are almost always better than anywhere else, AND it's a small store so I actually know the prices and can compare. Cheerios (Trader Os), string cheese, cans of beans, pasta, sliced bread, frozen vegetables, etc. are all of our staples. The prices are usually on par with Costco and I feel good about the quality. I don't buy prepared foods often so I don't have an opinion on that. 

eliz said:

I don't think they have any here in CA - you can buy tequila at the gas station.  Or CVS.

PeggyC said:

Liquor regulations are bizarre everywhere, as far as I can tell, but every state has its own peculiarities. I find CT's restrictions inexplicable and almost incomprehensible.

I grew up amongst the vineyards in California and I have spent much of my adult life puzzling over the absurd liquor laws that seem to define the East.  I can't say that I've seen any benefits to blue laws, liquor licenses that are rarer than spotted owls or any of the rest of this nonsense but then again, I like to pump my own gas, so what do I know?

the states got control of establishing the laws after Prohibition was repealed. Some were more ardent about the stance against alcohol than others. Some were more ardent about who they were going to give an advantage to.

hankzona said:

the states got control of establishing the laws after Prohibition was repealed. Some were more ardent about the stance against alcohol than others. Some were more ardent about who they were going to give an advantage to.

Seems to have let the Fruit Loops out of the box...

hankzona said:

the states got control of establishing the laws after Prohibition was repealed. Some were more ardent about the stance against alcohol than others. Some were more ardent about who they were going to give an advantage to.

A lot of old NJ laws, including liquor laws, also have to do with "blue laws," like not shopping in Bergen County and not allowing liquor stores to open until noon on Sunday (eta, although I do believe that towns can allow earlier opening now).

Is it at all possible that under these circumstances the State would allow Trader Joe's to temporarily transfer their license to another location while they rebuild? 

They're looking at an enormous loss of revenue not being able sell liquor for the next six months or however long it takes them to get back up and running. Seeing as it wasn't their fault could there be any special allowance for events such as these?