Why Is This Louisiana Trader Joe's Store Closed?

SHREVEPORT, LA - Bad news for grocery shoppers in south Louisiana. One popular store has been closed for a week. But it is expected to reopen.

Get our free mobile app

Trader Joe's in Baton Rouge shut the doors on Wednesday, September 11. A sign was put on the door which says “due to hurricane damage, closed until further notice.” The pink handwritten sign also says “We apologize for the inconvenience.” The note is signed by “management.”

Getty Images

A representative of the company tells The Advocate in Baton Rouge Trader Joe’s would open “as soon as possible.”

The grocer’s website says the store is closed for maintenance. Updates are said to be posted on the website.

Many customers say there is just not a store quite like Trader Joe’s. They love the store and are missing going in for the many specialty items you can only find at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's has one other store in Louisiana. It is on Veterans Boulevard in Metairie.

Getty Images

There is even an unwritten rule among my friends that if one of us is going to Baton Rouge, we have to stop at Trader Joe's to get certain items that we can't find anywhere else. There's a marinara sauce I simply love. They also have some specialty cheeses I can't find anywhere in Shreveport.

Does Shreveport or Bossier have a chance of getting a Trader Joe's? We've talked about it a bunch, but there's been no movement. There is one in Little Rock. Lafayette has been trying to land one.

You can click here to fill out the form to try to bring a Trader Joe's to Shreveport.

Are These the Best Products at Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. That was the first time I had ever heard the words Trader Joe's a few years ago. My friend was raving about this stuff. The store sounded intriguing. I read more about Trader Joe's and I thought it was a health food store with a bunch of products I would never put in my mouth. This place did not sound appealing to a super-picky, Midwest-comfort food-eating gal.

My doctor suggested I monitor my sodium intake, which led me to Google 'low sodium foods." An article about the topic featuring Trader Joe's low sodium products popped up in my search. The included list was long and a lot of the food sounded like something I'd actually eat. But, was it going to taste good?

I've been having to visit Rochester, MN every few months and told Google to take me to Trader Joe's. I was picturing a huge store, like a warehouse club, with a modern look. I was way off. In Rochester, Trader Joe's is located in a strip mall with a couple of other businesses. It didn't look like a fancy, hip, Gen Z kinda joint, which is what I had in my head. It seemed small. As a matter of fact, it looked old, like it had been there a while.

I was greeted with a massive display of fresh flowers. I had no idea fresh flowers were a Trader Joe's staple. As I walked through, I carefully read the labels of several products to suffice my special, low sodium diet. I had a cartful of products to try and my bill was under $80. Not only were there several products I was willing to try at Trader Joe's, they were reasonably priced. The Trader Joe's business model is based on no frills so they can provide the best products for a low price. I like that idea. I don't need fancy, I just want low prices.

I am now a Trader Joe's convert and I know what all the hype is about. Here are some of my favorite products.

P.S. Cookie butter did not make the list.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown