From the outside, Trader Joe’s looked all dressed up and ready to go, especially with the banner in red letters that says: Trader Joe’s Coming Soon. But inside the building was another story. It was a big, empty space.
I guess when our own Kelly Brewer treated us to the most recent Trader Joe’s scoop about a May 1 opening, I expected to at least see shelves and displays, or at even painted walls.
Nope. Totally bare.
As an aside, earlier in the week I’d talked with Fern Hastings, the county’s senior environmental health inspector, who said someone doing Trader Joe’s refrigeration work had checked in to make sure everything was OK in that category. It was (it is).
So Thursday afternoon I popped by Trader Joe’s to see for myself. There I met a pair of men from Chico Electric.
Seemed like nice guys; happy to be back on the job for two days straight after a two-month interruption.
Why the two-month suspension in construction?
Neither knew, but both confirmed they’d heard Trader Joe’s was aiming for around a May 1 opening.
They said that one of the most interesting parts of the job has been the constant stream of people who wander in with questions about how to apply for a job with Trader Joe’s, which, naturally, they have nothing to do with. At some point they even suggested a young woman consult Trader Joe’s website for job information. She said she had, but the site didn’t include Redding among its list of California stores.
They continued their work as we talked, which is when a white pickup pulled up outside, which the Chico Electric gentlemen said belonged to Trader Joe’s construction boss.
Sure enough. I met Mike Svoboda, superintendent with PSR West Coast Builders in Lafayette, Calif.,
He was just as helpful and informative as the men from Chico Electric, with a wonderful accent that seemed so very familiar.
It dawned upon me why after I did a double take at the name on his business card: Svoboda.
Of course! Guess where he was born? The former Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic, a place near and dear to my heart since son Joe (this site’s creator) and daughter-in-law Marie live there.
But I digress.
Svoboda, who lives in Livermore, said he’s overseen the construction of more than 13 Trader Joe’s, including Chico’s.
“Trader Joe’s – that’s all I do,” he said with a laugh.
I asked how things were going with the Redding Trader Joe’s.
“It’s on time and doing very well,” he said, adding that Redding’s store is about a typical Trader Joe’s size, and that it will be “just as nice as the others”.
Svoboda seconded the electrical workers’ observations about the many people who’ve expressed interest in getting work at Trader Joe’s.
With that in mind, Svoboda said that come March, he’ll hang another banner outside Trader Joe’s that will announce job-information. The current one says “Trader Joe’s Coming Soon.”
Plus, Svoboda said that around March 1 people will also notice a small trailer beside the building, where people can pick up job applications and Trader Joe’s employment information.
Until then, we’ll keep you posted.
