Should Trader Joe’s come to Kaysville?
May 16, 2023, 8:30 PM | Updated: 8:49 pm
Should Trader Joe’s come to Kaysville? Kaysville Mayor Tamara Tran and City Council Member John Adams think so. Photo credit: Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News.
KAYSVILLE, Utah — Should Trader Joe’s come to Kaysville? Kaysville Mayor Tamara Tran and City Council Member John Adams think so.
The two join Dave and Dujanovic co-hosts, Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic to discuss why they think the store should come to Kaysville and what the city is doing to try to bring it there.
Does Kaysville have what it takes?
To begin the conversation, Dojanovic says, “I’m just not sure Kaysville has what it takes … to bring a Trader Joe’s.”
“[Dave] had said earlier about this … that Kaysville has a commercial development issue,” she says.
According to Noriega, Kaysville is all “schools and neighborhoods.”
“We have very few businesses,” he says. “In fact, we are on an oasis. You’ve got Farmington, Farmington Station, Lagoon … they’ve got all sorts of businesses in Farmington. You go to Layton, same thing, tons of businesses. In Utah … we’re very neighborhood driven.”
In Mayor Tran’s opinion, Kaysville is a “perfect” place for a Trader Joe’s.
“Kaysville has a strong demographic,” she tells the co-hosts. “We have great incomes. We’re next to great cities that are bigger, that have a little bit more retail and more reach … Kaysville is also in the heart of Davis County.”
On top of all these reasons, she says they have picked out the perfect spot for a Trader Joe’s.
“The location that the property owner has identified … is right in the heart of our downtown area,” Tran says. “And, it’s an established second generation, like fifth generation, retail location with lots of parking.”
She calls Trader Joe’s a “niche store” and says Kaysville is a “niche city.”
Why Trader Joe’s?
The mayor goes on to say the store is a “really great market,” with a “great business model.”
“They like to go into neighborhoods and communities and be part of, kind of, a hometown feeling,” Tran says. “They don’t have one in Davis County. There’s nothing north of 400 S. And so it’s, kind of, a really niche kind of store that Davis County wants and Kaysville specifically wants because we feel like it fits with our vibe here.”
Another supporter of a Kaysville Trader Joe’s is City Council Member Adams.
According to Adams, Kaysville’s lack of businesses means citizens will have to pay more in taxes for things like police, firefighters and parks.
“We’ve got to get businesses in here that can bring some funds in that can help sustain those things,” he tells Dujanovic and Noriega.
Additionally he says Trader Joe’s “fits” in Kaysville, “Utah’s hometown.”
“I mean, they come in and they’ve already got a business model and they’ve already got a following and instantly funds will come in that will help sustain our city and keep taxes down,” Adams says.
Listen to the full segment below.
Dave & Dujanovic can be heard on weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
