Trader Joe's Westfield - partial roof collapse

http://patch.com/new-jersey/westfield/roof-wall-collapse-trader-joes-westfield-0

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

It's 3 buck Chuck now, but I hope it's OK.

thank goodness it was closed and no one was hurt. Sounds pretty bad

My brother works there, and had left the building just a bit earlier this afternoon.  

I had been worried about how he was going to get home after his shift due to the blizzard... but seems I can add to my list of worries when he's actually at the store.

I saw this on the news. yikes! Glad no one was hurt.

All that low-class, arsenic-based wine. Heavens me.

Is this the end of Trader Joes in Westfield?   Someone on FB said RIP Trader Joes Westfield.  When I heard about the roof, I figured they would just get it fixed.  Of course that's what I was also told about the McDonalds on the Parkway and that's been closed for months with no sign of repair work even started.

they are reporting the roof and 1 exterior wall collapsed and that the other walls are buckling. It was a very popular store so I would suspect they might re- build but it also was never big enough so maybe they'll just re- locate.

On the news this morning the mayor of Westfield said it is to be torn down.

Perhaps they will try to find another, better space in the area?

miraculous that there was nobody inside.

I feel a little bad for the employees who have no jobs now. And yes, it was a real stroke of luck that no one was there to be hurt.

They had already expanded into the brokerage side of the building last year or so ago. (I am quite familiar with the store from before the Millburn opening and through to the present since I buy my wine there - no not two buck chuck - some excellent Italian wine that is a blend of Pinot Grigio and Chardoney, btw.)

I am quite glad no one was hurt and feel very bad for those who may be out of work. I believe there are enough locations however to absorb many of the employees at least temporarily. 

Speaking of temporary though, I wonder if they will be able to transfer their liquor license to another location like Millburn or Florham Park. That question I have a personal interest in the answer.   

liquor licenses are specific to a town...so they couldn't transfer the Westfield license to another town. In NJ, any entity is only allowed two liquor licenses. Cool Vines as an example has three, but that means ownership of one of those stores is in someone else's name (business partner, family member, etc). Trader Joe's doesn't have a business partner or family member locally I suppose. If Trader Joe's wanted to "transfer" that license to another town, it would be contingent on the availability and then purchase of a license in that town. Any retail licenses up for sale in Millburn? By the way, these big chains, among them TJ's, Whole Foods, Wegman's, and two of the biggest wine retailers in the country, Costco and Target, have been lobbying for years to get the law changed.

I heard not long ago from a Westfield business owner that the Westfield TJ's was the highest grossing store per square foot of any TJ's in the country... so my money is on the likelihood that they will relocate nearby or rebuild as quickly as they can.

What they need to do is relocate it to the empty A&P that recently closed in Fanwood.  That's what they did in Westfield to begin with--that building used to be an A&P.

It's a shame. I find the $2.97 chuck quite drinkable, especially the shiraz. 

wendy said:

They had already expanded into the brokerage side of the building last year or so ago. (I am quite familiar with the store from before the Millburn opening and through to the present since I buy my wine there - no not two buck chuck - some excellent Italian wine that is a blend of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, btw.)

THIS. A number of very drinkable Italian wines at very reasonable prices. (And other regions as well, but I tend to focus on Italy given my Italian heritage, etc.)

there's a vacant Pathmark in Garwood as well but I suspect that sq footage is too big for a trader joes.

you stand a better chance getting better quality/better made mass produced wines from Europe than from the US since we allow over 200 additives to go into wine made here including a range of preservatives, flavoring, coloring and other "enhancers". Mass produced wine here is basically food processed. If you eat Wonder Bread, then the domestic Charles Shaw line (and other such mass produced "value" wines) should be fine.

So, where is the nearest TJs with wine? Manhattan? If so, are the prices higher there than Westfield? (I had a trip to the Westfield planned for next weekend so I'm bummed.)

Someone told me Princeton also has wine, but I haven't double checked 

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

So, where is the nearest TJs with wine? Manhattan? If so, are the prices higher there than Westfield? (I had a trip to the Westfield planned for next weekend so I'm bummed.)

a building owner can choose to lease a smaller section of an old pathmark/AP if they chose...it can be subdivided...like they did with the Unique store in Union. i think the fanwood AP is smaller..i don't think that one was converted to another store....and sometimes the owners would rent for less/smaller area rather than let the whole thing sit empty.  

I also think there was a large bank of empty space in blue star (near the shoprite) last I was there...they could be merged into a larger store.

i'm sure their realtors are aware of the options...the 1st step would probably be to see how long it would take to rebuild

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

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

susan1014 said:

Someone told me Princeton also has wine, but I haven't double checked 

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

So, where is the nearest TJs with wine? Manhattan? If so, are the prices higher there than Westfield? (I had a trip to the Westfield planned for next weekend so I'm bummed.)

Yes, the TJ on Route 1 in Princeton (I think it's actually in West Windsor) definitely has wine and beer! 

PurpleMonkeyDshwashr said:

susan1014 said:

Someone told me Princeton also has wine, but I haven't double checked 

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

So, where is the nearest TJs with wine? Manhattan? If so, are the prices higher there than Westfield? (I had a trip to the Westfield planned for next weekend so I'm bummed.)

Yes, the TJ on Route 1 in Princeton (I think it's actually in West Windsor) definitely has wine and beer! 

The one in Manhattan may be closer than Princeton.  Is definitely closer than Princeton  

Soulful, I'll touch base with you to plan a field field into the city.   

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

wendy said:

Soulful, I'll touch base with you to plan a field field into the city.  "> 

Sounds great!