Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
KAYSVILLE — Some Kaysville residents want a Trader Joe's location in their city, and Kaysville Mayor Tamara Tran is doing what she can to make that a reality.
Tran told KSL NewsRadio many people are submitting location requests to Trader Joe's. They are trying to entice the grocery store chain to look further north in Utah to set up shop.
"In the request, people will send me a screenshot … 'This is what I said, these are the reasons why I said Kaysville is a great location. These are the things that I like to buy at Trader Joe's,'" said Tran.
Kaysville residents are passionate about the store, the mayor said because they're passionate about their health.
"Kaysville, as you know, is full of really health-conscious people. People who like to eat healthy and people who like cool things. We have a lot of people who really like Trader Joe's food because they have gluten-free options," said Tran.
A team effort
City residents have placed signs along the roads showing support for the idea. Additionally, Kaysville set up a website dedicated to getting a Trader Joe's. The Davis High cheerleaders have created a Trader Joe's cheer.
On the Dave and Dujanovic show, Tran said they have the perfect location at the center of Davis County. "We actually have a property owner who is reserving their commercial space for Trader Joe's. The property has been vacant for over a year, and they're waiting for Trader Joe's to come in and negotiate that with him."
Tran believes getting the store to Kaysville would be a good opportunity for the whole district, not just their city.
"We have 558 commercial businesses in Kaysville that we would like the world to know about. And so our push for bringing in another business is really because it brings traffic into our community … And so it exposes our community as is," Tran said.
Tran said the city residents have not heard back from Trader Joe's yet, but they're not giving up. She said they will continue their campaign until Trader Joe's chooses another location.
When asked if this was costing money to taxpayers, Tran was adamant the cost was minimal.
"This is not costing much, so no, it's community development. A couple of banners that the city has put up, that's it. There was a contest in March, but the property owner actually provided the money for that contest prize," Tran said.
Currently, there are four Trader Joe's in Utah. The locations are in Salt Lake City, Cottonwood Heights, Draper and Orem.
Contributing: Amie Schaeffer
