ITHACA, N.Y. — It's been a running joke since the Voice launched that if we could break the news of Trader Joe's coming to Ithaca, our website would crash from the traffic.

Well, it's time to test that hypothesis. Yes, folks, Trader Joe's is coming to Ithaca.

For those unaware, Trader Joe's is a California-based chain of grocery stores known for organic food products, including many foodstuffs that are unique to the chain and its in-house brand (called Trader Joe's, and including derivatives such as Trader Giotto's for Italian foods and Trader Ming's for Chinese cuisine). As of late last year, there were a little over 500 stores nationwide. While they tend to be more numerous out west, their locations in Upstate New York are few and far between - a location each in the suburbs of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany. None of the smaller metropolitan areas in upstate have a Trader Joe's to call their own.

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However, that's not for a lack of local effort. Not unlike Wegman's, Trader Joe's enjoys a devoted following of loyal shoppers. Ithacans have hosted an "Ithaca Needs a Trader Joe's" Facebook group for years, with several hundred members. Given Trader Joe's geographic preference for well-to-do and well-educated areas, the lack of a store in Ithaca is a question that comes up with some regularity. A few years ago, the rumor was that the chain was looking at the former TJ's space in the village of Lansing, but it never panned out.

The first indication that Trader Joe's was looking at Ithaca came in the form of a filing with the New York State Liquor Authority last week on the 19th. The filing is a sales permit application for grocery-based beer and wine products. The premises are to be maintained by Trader Joe's eastern United States division, and would be known as Trader Joe's store #568.

However, there was one flaw in the application - it was for 774 South Meadow Street in Ithaca, a non-existent address. We couldn't write about something like Trader Joe's without crystal clear information.

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But, there was a hunch. 774 South Meadow Street isn't a real address. But 744 South Meadow Street is. It also hosts vacant retail space typical to the 15,000 square feet Trader Joe's stores seeks. Part of the vacant space is the former Hobby Lobby, and next to it is a brand new retail endcap space of about 14,700 square feet was built in 2018 by Benderson Development out of Buffalo. It's certainly plausible the application filing address was the error of a stray finger on a keyboard.

Then came the next steps - contacting Trader Joe's corporate office, who provided the proof needed, albeit vague since the project is still at a very early stage.

"We are working to bring a Trader Joe¹s store to Ithaca. We're still early in the process so I have little information to share at this time. I look forward to sharing more in the coming months," said an email from Kenya Friend-Daniel, Public Relations Director for Trader Joe's.

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Trader Joe's is coming. Perhaps it's also a reminder that, even with the dire state of affairs with COVID-19 and the health risks, the social upheaval and the economic uncertainty, "this too shall pass." There are still things to look forward to, lights at the end of the tunnel.

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In this case, the end of this tunnel comes with cookie butter and pumpkin pancake mix.

Thomas Giery Pudney contributed to this report.

Feature photo courtesy of Mike Mozart