A Trader Joe's for Asbury Park

When my friend Kat's son, whose name is Joe actually, comes to visit from California, Kat has to ride up north with him to his favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's. So it has to be special, right?

So I'm enjoying a delicious brunch this Sunday at an outdoor table at Rafferty's with my friend Steve, a very astute and talented writer (don't tell him I said so) from Brooklyn, who says what we've all said at least once, what this town needs is a grocery store.
Asbury Park can't possibly be cool like Brooklyn, says Steve (poking a bit of fun at a recent Tri-City story by my good friend and neighbor Dan J), because it doesn't have an equally cool place for buying the family provisions.
So looking across at the row of empty stores along Cookman Av, opposite Rafferty's, I say, why not in that building, meaning one of the buildings running to the corner at Press Plaza that restoration architect and builder Carter Sackman is about to renovate, like he did Steinbach's making it nice enough for Rafferty's to occupy. Why couldn't that fantastic, brown stone art deco-looking building accommodate a Trader Vic's, I ask. (My friend Steve doesn't embarrass me by saying, Maureen, Trader Vic's is a bar .) Trader Joe's? says Steve. Of course!!
So, assuming Carter would agree, what could get Trader Joe's management to open its store in our reportedly super groovey little city? Public demand, I say!!!
So here it is folks, your chance to publicize your opinion on bringing Trader Joe's to Asbury Park. Just click here to send me an email or leave a comment here. Or go to my Facebook page, Maureen Nevin, and comment there. I just want to see how much interest there is.  Then I'll call Trader Joe's and say, hey, AP wants you, here's X# people who say so.
And just think of what it would do for the local shops on Cookman and Bangs!! I'm so excited!!