(MURFREESBORO) Trader Joe's grocery is coming to Murfreesboro's Medical Center Parkway area and has already been before the City Planning Commission seeking specialty grocery allowances. The new location will be at the corner of Medical Center Parkway and Robert Rose Drive, beside McAlister's Deli.
Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland told WGNS that Trader Joe's will be contructing a unique building to fill their needs and not taking over an existing structure.
Trader Joe's Public Relations Manager Nakia Rohde told WGNS, "I can confirm that we have plans to open a store in Murfreesboro. We are grateful that the community wants us to be there. I do not yet have any additional details to share. I’m happy to share more in the future as we develop a timeline."
Murfreesboro will be Trader Joe's fourth mid state location. They have two stores in Nashville, one in Green Hills on Hillsboro Pike as well as White Bridge Road in Belle Meade; and Franklin has a Trader Joe's on Cool Springs Boulevard.
Trader Joe's History
In 1967 Trader Joe's was started as a chain of specialty grocery stores in California by Joe Coulombe to offer affordable products not found in other groceries.
Trader Joe's corporate history shows that in 1979 Coulombe sold his interest to Theo Albrecht with the Aldi Nord firm. However, Coulombe agreed to stay-on as chief executive. He retired 9-years later in 1988.
Joe Coulombe died February 28, 2020 at the age of 89 in Pasadena.
Now, The Rest of the Story
This is where the German food company's history can get confusing. Aldi Nord is the business that acquired Trader Joe's. The Albrech family's other "wing" is Aldi Süd who three-years prior to the Trader Joe's purchase, opened it first Aldi store in the United States in Iowa.
Both Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd are creations of the Albrecht family in Germany to create a chain of discount groceries, but it is stressed that both have been financially and legally separate since 1966.
