Grocery shoppers could get a new bag

Coffee Talk hears Trader Joe's, a trendy grocery store chain known for $2 wine bottles and an eclectic assortment of organic products, might make its Florida debut on the Gulf Coast.

Rumors of a Trader Joe's Florida entrance have circulated before. Officials at the Monrovia, Calif.-based company have steadfastly declined to comment on expansion plans. True to form, a company spokeswoman declined to comment on the latest rumor.

Still, a real estate broker in the Fort Myers-Naples area says Trader Joe's has scouted potential sites in Lee County. That would be a quite a find for Fort Myers, considering how the recession has ravaged retail real estate there.

Trader Joe's, founded in 1979, has more than 300 stores spread through 28 states and Washington, D.C. Speculation has been that the company's distribution system, in which Atlanta is the closest place to Florida, would make the Sunshine State a logistical nightmare.

But there is some sense to Trader Joe's in Florida. For one, the company is run by a German family trust that also controls the Aldi supermarket chain, which recently expanded on the Gulf Coast.

Moreover, with Florida so transient, many residents come from a place that had Trader Joe's, which has a cult-like following. That following is easy to understand, with offerings like Charles Shaw wine — better known as Two Buck Chuck because it costs $1.99.

Coffee Talk can raise a mug to that.