Food Fight: The Wedge vs. Trader Joe's

• The development also includes tearing down existing small local businesses. Sacred Rearrangements, shop and healing center, is housed in one of the buildings scheduled to come down. They are family-owned and the kind of business that suffers with this kind of growth. They don't get "bought out" they just get "kicked out." Is there a way for development to occur without destroying these small businesses?

• According to the Downtown Journal (woot): A new Lunds has been slated to open at 12th & Hennepin for the past three years, but the company is now planning a larger store with the developer of a lot between 10th and 11th streets and Hennepin and Hawthorne avenues, according to a source familiar with the project. Plans call for a 25,000�30,000-square-foot grocery store that would have underground parking and be part of a larger, mixed-use development, according to the source.

• How about they come downtown on Hennepin where Lunds should have been 5 years ago (is Lunds still coming here?)

• Would love to have TJ's in the city! Love the bulk cookies! Can't beat The Wedge for produce, smoothies -- I already shop at both stores. No controversy here. And I like Le Parisien!

• D'oh - Yes, Windfall I am talking about the (sweet) location nestled between Dick's Sporting Goods and Land's End Outlet. TJ's did submit a plan to build a lone standing location at Ridgedale Mall but with the economy, they were looking into moving into an existing empty space.

• Yes I agree I love the idea of a TJ in Whittier. However, I can think of a million more better suited locations....how about where the Kmart is. Or next to Karmel Plaza, why not just re-route all that congested traffic to TJ's parking lot. :)

• Babycakes, you mean Hopkins Crossroads and 394? At the Ridgedale strip mall place? That would be good. Plenty of parking there, and it's a huge space. The others TJ's in the twin cities are too damn small.

• PSSST. Trader Joes is also taking over the old Cost Plus World Market just off Hopkins Crossroads and 494. The parking situation should be much better at this location. The plans are in, so they should be opening quite soon.

• We all know those parking lots are horrible, however, they are both extremely accessible locations. Take the bus, ride your bike, or... *gasp* park a block away and avoid the parking lot. Have some physical activity to go with your super ultra organic orange juice.

• This is just crazy. There is absolutely NO PARKING to accommodate this store at that location. It's going to be a worse madhouse than it is in St. Louis Park. People are lined up to find parking at that store and it has dedicated parking. I love Trader Joe's and the whole idea of them coming to Whittier is great. But, we have other locations for them that would provide dedicated parking. As far as competition to the Wedge? The same concern came up when Whole Foods came to Calhoun. Although farther away it has not had an impact. The Wedge has a pretty dedicated clientel that I think will remain loyal for the long run.

• Sorry Faith, but I think the City Pages reached the upper limit of reviews of ethnic resturants in suburban strip malls. No physicist could have predicted that this would happen.

• Rachel- Could you please do some actual restaurant reviews? Are you running out of places? thanks

• I shop at both. Neither steals my business from the other since I get very different things at each. The idea of (very) cheap wine in my 'hood: hells yeah. Welcome, Joe.

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