Is Butte getting a Trader Joe’s?

Butte, by nature, is a skeptical city.  Particularly when it comes to the topic of shopping.  It's easy to see that our town has been lacking, particularly in the clothing and grocery departments, and for several years rumors have been rampant about which stores are coming to town.  Without many specifics, we are seeing construction on a new shopping center just south of Leskovar Motors on Harrison Avenue and we have just learned of plans to redevelop the Butte Plaza Mall.  In both instances, a new grocery store has been mentioned.

Which is why, like a strange monolith in the Nevada desert, a sign appeared on the 300 block of East Park Street and is raising questions.  Something pretty cool could be coming.  But are they serious?

A Trader Joe's in Uptown Butte?  Now that would be pretty cool.  Trader Joe's stores are definitely an experience.  You will find very few brand names at all, and they are a bit, well, quirky.  Quirky but good.  They offer very high-quality grocery items, a lot of them under their own brand, along with things for the pantry and garden and are known for having very friendly cashiers and even for randomly placing stuffed animals throughout their store.  They've also got a bit of what I like to call a Jimmy Buffet vibe to them.  It's a fun place to shop, particularly for specialty items.

But is this sign for real?  It's definitely Trader Joe's logo and the signs that are up, well, they're built really well and with the price of lumber today, this would be a very expensive prank.  But a look at Trader Joe's website does not mention Butte as a future location.  So, what's going on?  We'll keep looking for a press release and further information.