DataDan
Mama says he's bona fide
Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe's markets, passed away yesterday (link is to the LA Times obit). He was an icon in Los Angeles, and though his stores made the leap to the Bay Area, he didn't reach icon status.
From the Times:
RIP, Joe. :rose
From the Times:
Coulombe often described his target customers as “the overeducated and the underpaid.”
“What that originally meant was, everyone from underpaid musicians to out-of-work PhDs could come to Trader Joe’s and find elements of the lifestyle they aspired to for not too much money...”
“For example, we had the only vintage-dated, field-specific canned corn in existence, and it was the best damned canned corn there was. But there was only so much produced every year, and when you’re out, you’re out.”
It also mentions his entertaining ads on commercial classical station KFAC-FM. In a memorable April 1 spot, he gave some tips on preparing and serving human flesh, signing off, "And that's today's word on long pig and wine."“What that originally meant was, everyone from underpaid musicians to out-of-work PhDs could come to Trader Joe’s and find elements of the lifestyle they aspired to for not too much money...”
“For example, we had the only vintage-dated, field-specific canned corn in existence, and it was the best damned canned corn there was. But there was only so much produced every year, and when you’re out, you’re out.”
RIP, Joe. :rose
