Dear  Trader Joe’s:

I can remember wandering into one of your stores in Concord, California about 8 years ago and being put off by all of the private label items. We were on vacation and I was just looking for brands I recognized. I was dumb. I didn’t get it. It has taken me WAY too long, but I have come around. I have seen the light. Good food, less processing, reasonable prices. Like most people who convert late in life, I have become rather passionate in my preaching. I ❤ TJs!

I started reading labels about 4 years ago, I was looking to exclude a preservative that triggered migraine headaches in my husband. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. Once I started reading labels and realizing that I couldn’t recognize much of what was in my food, I started looking for less processed food. I’ll never be macrobiotic, but still I believe we can cut some of the filler out of our diet. I quickly found it is hard to find foods are less processed. When I found alternatives, they were pricey. Then I found Trader Joe’s. I found the food I was looking for without the junk I wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, Trader Joe’s is not bargain basement, but it is good food at a reasonable price. I found the food I was looking for with ingredients I could identify at a price I was willing to pay. I was happy, sort of. Once you get a taste of what is possible, you want it more frequently. Sadly, the nearest Trader Joe’s is 45 minutes away from me (without traffic).

This brings me to the point of this missive,

NEW HAMPSHIRE DESERVES A TRADER JOE’S.

Ahem. Why should Massachusetts and (soon) Maine have all the fun? New Hampshire is a great state filled with lots of wonderful people many of whom share my concern for eating well for a reasonable cost.PLEASE can we have a Trader Joe’s?

Let’s talk about locations shall we? Nashua can easily drive to Tyngsboro, MA. My ideal location would be Concord, because that is my closest shopping mecca, but if you are going sheerly by the numbers, you could look at Manchester. Oh, I know how about Hooksett as a compromise?

These days, I have my milk delivered by http://www.nhmilk.com and I purchase my meat in bulk, so I only grocery shop every 10 -14 days to feed a family of 4. But, I solemnly promise that if you bring a Trader Joe’s with in a 30 minute drive, I will make it my primary grocery store and I’ll bring all my friends too!

So what do you say? Will you at least think about it?

Thanks!

Lee