A highly-debated location of Trader Joe's in Uptown New Orleans is officially underway after months of speculation and regulatory hurdles, a spokesperson for the cult grocery chain confirmed this week. Construction for Trader Joe's at 2428 Napoleon Avenue is expected to begin later this year, with a hopeful opening to follow in late 2025.
The road to an Uptown Trader Joe's -- the second location planned for Orleans Parish -- first began in May 2024, when developers representing an unnamed specialty grocer appeared at a City Planning Commission meeting to request a conditional use permit for the property at the corner of Freret Street and Napoleon Avenue. Though the company would not confirm its involvement at the time, the permit was approved on the condition that the Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) also approved demolishing the 67-year-old Our Lady of Lourdes school building on the lot.
In a meeting on June 5, the HDLC denied the request for demolition, citing the "significance of the structure to the Our Lady of Lourdes Complex and the historic fabric of the Uptown Historic District." Developers, which include David Fuselier and Zach Kupperman, the latter of which has been involved with trendy local projects like the Drifter Hotel and Hotel Saint Vincent, filed an appeal, sending the issue to the City Council. The council overrode the Commission at a meeting in July, unanimously granting the demolition. Council member Lesli Harris said at the time: "To have a specialty grocery store that has affordable, fresh food and vegetables, that's walkable, that's on a public transportation system; that's everything we could want."
It was the final approval needed from the city for the project to move forward. This week, Trader Joe's closed on the building in question and confirmed plans to open a store on the Uptown corner.
"The groundswell of neighborhood support and excitement is among the highest for any project we have developed," Kupperman tells Eater. "The community's enthusiasm has been overwhelming, and we are excited that we were able to play a part in bringing them to Uptown New Orleans."
The popular grocery chain is known for its modest inventory of white-labeled snacks, specialty pantry items, and other goods sold at relatively affordable prices. It has, however, experienced backlash in recent years over claims of cultural appropriation, exploiting smaller brands, and alleged retaliation against workers leading store unionization efforts.
The Uptown store is the second Trader Joe's in the works for New Orleans; the company's only other area location is in Metairie. The first Orleans Parish store is in development in Mid-City (at 2537 Tulane Avenue), which, according to building permits, could be completed later this year or in early 2025. Trader Joe's has not yet confirmed that location, however.