Prince Of Petworth » H Street, NE May Get a Full Service Grocery Store

H Street, NE May Get a Full Service Grocery Store

“The H Street corridor may soon have a new 6-story apartment building and full service grocery store, a boon for the up-and-coming neighborhood in northeast Washington DC. Steuart Investment Company has owned several of the lots on the northeast corner of 3rd and H Streets, and in 2005 assembled a developable site by acquiring the remaining portion from BP AMOCO (BP) for $1.5 million, scotching BP’s plans for a giant filling station and truck depot.”

But what I also found interesting and worth exploring was a comment left by IMGoph who asks:

“i seriously do not understand why trader joe’s doesn’t expand in the city. they are making money hand over fist in that store in the west end.”

I think it’s a great question. If Trader Joe’s is doing so well in the west end – why don’t they expand to other neighborhoods in the city?

Category: grocery stores, H St. NE

By: Prince Of Petworth | 06 October 2009 10:39 PM | 23 Comments

ShawRes

probably because they’re not making money hand over fist. just because the grocery store is packed doesn’t mean the overhead isn’t killing them. DC’s business environment = crap after all.

October 7, 2009 at 8:17 am
Chris in Eckington

Trader Joe’s business model is to pay as little as possible for their space which is why they are often located in odd locations (think Bethesda). As for Foggy Bottom, they are being subsidized at that location. They would have to be enticed by serious subsidies to move elsewhere in the city or find already existing space that is undervalued.

October 7, 2009 at 9:09 am
jm

The rumor was that they were interested in a store at the McMillan filtration development.

And then the rumor was that the developers started that rumor so everyone would support the project…

October 7, 2009 at 9:22 am
tonysmallframe

Trader Joe’s sucks. It isn’t a complete store, never has the same stuff twice, is overpriced, and just isn’t that good. That being said, this would be a great place for their other brand, ALDI.

October 7, 2009 at 9:59 am
NAB

Disagree about Trader Joe’s sucking, but that’s your opinion. ALDI would be killer there though, good idea.

October 7, 2009 at 10:16 am
voiceofreason

Someone should do a sociological study on Washingtonians obsession with grocery stores. It’s really weird to me having lived lots of places and never experienced this type of interest before.

October 7, 2009 at 10:22 am
tonysmallframe

Perhaps sucking was a strong term. If I only have one market within walking distance, I would rather have a Giant or Safeway instead of Trader Joes. Trader Joes makes for a good secondary market – I can get special items there, but rely on another market for staples that Traders Joe’s may or may not have depending on their stock for the week.

October 7, 2009 at 10:23 am
Anonymous

tony,

but there will be a harris teeter just a few blocks from there, so it wont be the only grocery store.
plus theres another safeway about 8 blocks in two directions.

October 7, 2009 at 10:27 am
Eric in Ledroit

voiceofreason, i think years of having crap grocery stores created that obsession. all neighborhoods, rich and poor, they all sucked. giant in shaw, meet safeway in watergate basement.

October 7, 2009 at 10:40 am
HStreetGreatStreet

Whole Foods would be perfect here. The P St WFs is reportedly the busiest one in the country, so they definitely need to expand to the east within the District. An H Street location would be a draw for all of Capitol Hill as well as NoMa and Penn Quarter. Sign the petition calling for a new WFs here.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/WholeFoods_OnHSt/

Trader Joes would be a good addition as well.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/TraderJoesHStreet/index.html

October 7, 2009 at 10:58 am
DC_Chica

I would love for TJ’s to expand somewhere convenient to the Green Line — but given how picky they are about their locations (in terms of rental price, parking, surrounding neighborhood’s income levels), I’m not holding my breath.

October 7, 2009 at 11:05 am
Shane

How does that guy know that Trader Joe’s is making money hand over fist at the West End location? Is he privy to their financial records? The rent there is probably a LOT more than it is at their typical suburban location. And even though H Street is still mostly a crime-ridden hellhole, the rent is still probably going to be more than it would out in Fairfax County, because the property owners over there seem to be speculating that the neighborhood is the next Dupont Circle.

October 7, 2009 at 11:08 am
Anonymous

Every developer name drops TJs to win community support, but the the main thread I see is that nearly every TJs (east coast at least) is located in a predominantly white and affluent neighborhood. This is not exactly an urban pioneer business model.

October 7, 2009 at 11:21 am
Rukasu

It should be a Giant to compete with the Titties at Potomac Ave and the Un-Safeway.

As has been said, TJs makes a good secondary market for getting thai spiced nuts, Indian food packets, and herbed chevre at a cheap price, but I like to get produce I can feel and touch that isn’t wrapped under cellophane, so I try to go elsewhere and Titties’ produce is outrageously overpriced even for non-organica, Safeway is…wel…Safeway, so Giant usually has the best around.

October 7, 2009 at 11:26 am
Krssy

Doesn’t seem like much of a scoop to me… Harris Teeter announced several months ago that they were leasing 50,000 sq. ft. at First and M Street, NE – just 5 or 6 blocks from there.

http://www.nomabid.org/index.cfm?objectID=ADBE988B-1D09-317F-BB3C0222ED24DF04

October 7, 2009 at 4:24 pm
puma

dc chica,
do you consider this location convenient to the green line?

krssy, the “scoop” wasnt about HT, but about the architecture. dcmud is an architecture blog.

October 7, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Eli

Word on the street is that there was supposed to be a TJs where Yes! Organic Market is currently at Union Row (perfect location), but the developers wouldn’t fork over enough parking spaces.

October 7, 2009 at 4:42 pm
ogden

Why would any company pay the real estate and operating expenses to open a second location when obviously people are willing to travel great distances to shop at their stores?

October 7, 2009 at 5:53 pm
poo poo

god you people are stupid. seriously. this is why y’all work at non profits. you have no idea how folks make money.

see you at the new grocery store on h street! you can take your consumables back to your rental pad and watch netflix vids and bitch about how 5 years ago you could have moved to 3rd and H.

so sad.

October 7, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Anonymous

why are you sad , poop?

October 7, 2009 at 8:03 pm
IMGoph

shane: h street is a crime ridden hellhole? maybe you should get out sometime and take a look at it. it’s not 1997 anymore…

October 9, 2009 at 12:04 am
Anonymous

Purely speculation: But knowing the 8th St, NE development, and now 3rd St, is moving forward, I think any smaller player (TJs, even WFs) would be squeezed out.

There will be close to 500 new units within 5 blocks of each other. That is now prime territory for the big boys to fight over. I wouldn’t rule out someone not currently in the DC market to try a foothold there. This will be fun to watch!

October 14, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Anonymous

Costco Pentagon City is still the best deal around by far. I would like to shop locally but when prices are 30% less with the same quality hard to justify a Trader Joes, or an Eastern Market (other than some quick stuff or fresh summer produce). I live 2 blocks from H street and would love to shop there but fear whoevere goes in is going to keep prices high….because they can….

Just one opinion…..

October 16, 2009 at 6:01 am