Bonney Lake, Sumner Residents Really Want A Fancy Grocery Store: Survey

BONNEY LAKE, WA - On Wednesday, Patch.com went on Facebook and asked Bonney Lake and Sumner residents what business that's not already here should come to town. There was a clear theme in the responses: you guys really, really want an upscale or fun grocer in the vein of Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

We received over 200 responses to the post, and an overwhelming number of comments asked for one of the following stores: Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Metropolitan Market, or PCC.

"Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Metropolitan Market. Are you seeing a theme here?" wrote May Lehto.

"Ditto to Trader Joe's or equivalent," wrote Karen Frederick.

Other popular asks: a good bookstore (an Amazon bookstore was specified), Chipotle, Costco, Dutch Brothers, and any restaurant that's not part of a chain.

But back to the upscale grocery store - what are the chances of getting one of those stores to open in the Bonney Lake-Sumner area?

Trader Joe's doesn't really doesn't say how or why it picks a location. Some speculate that Trader Joe's likes to open stores near distribution centers. It's also possible that TJ's opens locations based on interest. The company's website features a page where you can request a store for your city.

For Whole Foods, some speculate that the company opens stores based on local-area income and education levels. The area might be OK in that department, but Whole Foods is going through some pain right now. In February, the company announced it would close nine stores around the U.S., the first closures in almost 10 years. So, expansion in the Puget Sound area (where it operates seven stores between Lynnwood and University Place) might not be on the table.

As far as PCC, the chain operates on a co-op model. An annual membership costs $60, and the company uses to those fees, in part, to open new stores. So, perhaps your best bet to get a PCC is to joint the co-op (even if the closest location is in south Seattle, which is quite a hike).

Metropolitan Market has opened seven stores around Puget Sound since first opening in 1971. The chain just opened a store in Sammamish in March, and already operates a Tacoma store, so it's possible that it'll be a while before another Met Market opens in Bonney Lake-Sumner or some other location.

Of course, there's always the chance that a local entrepreneur could see a business opportunity and open an independent natural foods store in the area.

Image via Creative Commons