What's in store
Cathy Jett is the assistant business editor at The Free Lance-Star, and specializes in covering the area's retail scene.
Wish List winner is perennial favorite
What is the No. 1 retailer or restaurant that readers would like to see open in the Fredericksburg area in 2012?
No surprise. It’s perennial winner Trader Joe’s.
The grocery chain known for its Three Buck Chuck wines and gourmet store brands has topped The Free Lance-Star’s annual Wish List since the paper started it in 2003.
Coming in a distant second was Cheesecake Factory, which received 226 votes to TJ’s 276.
Whole Foods clocked in third place with 191 votes. Barnes & Noble, with 158 votes, and an Apple store, with 155, rounded out the top five.
Many, many thanks to the nearly 100 readers who suggested about 120 businesses, and the 1,666 of you who voted in the first-ever Wish List poll to rank the top 10.
There will be a story about the Wish List in the business section of today’s paper, and I’ve listed all the suggestions people made below. Please note that while many nominated Great American Restaurants, that’s actually a corporation with a number of chains. They include Best Buns, Coastal Flats and Sweetwater Tavern, all of which have been nominated in years past.
In addition, some readers asked for such types of business as a diaper service, clubs and more farmers markets. One wished for more local businesses that are hiring workers.
Here’s the entire list of nominees:
| Abott’s Frozen Custard |
| Anita’s Mexican Restaurant |
| Anthropologie |
| Apple Store |
| Ashley Stewart Store |
| Babies “R” Us |
| Baby Gap |
| Baker’s Crust |
| Banana Republic |
| Barnes & Noble |
| Benihana |
| Bloomingdale’s Outlet |
| BMW dealership |
| Bodo’s Bagels |
| Bojangles |
| Bonefish in North Stafford |
| Boston Market |
| Bozelli’s Deli |
| Brio Tuscan Grille |
| Brooks Brothers |
| Buckle |
| California Pizza Kitchen |
| Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant |
| Carraba’s in North Stafford |
| Chain restaurants on U.S. 17 in Stafford |
| Cheddars |
| Cheesecake Factory |
| Chesapeake Bagel Bakery |
| Chevy’s Fresh Mex |
| Chick-fil-A in the White Oak section of Stafford |
| Chipotle in White Oak |
| Christmas Tree Shop |
| Cloth diaper business |
| Club for older teens |
| clubs, bars |
| Container Store |
| Cook Out |
| Crate & Barrel |
| Culver’s |
| D.P. Dough |
| Dave & Buster’s |
| Dick’s in North Stafford |
| Dillard’s |
| EarthFare Grocery Store |
| Einstein Bros.’ Bagels |
| Family restaurant with a bar on U.S 17 |
| Fatz |
| Fazzoli’s |
| First Watch Restaurant |
| Forever 21 |
| Franklin Covey |
| Fry’s Electronics |
| Gap |
| Good bagel place |
| Good diner |
| Great American Restaurants |
| H & M |
| Harris Teeter |
| Harry & David |
| Hibachi Grill Express |
| HomeGoods |
| Hungry Howie’s |
| Ice-skating rink |
| Ikea |
| In & Out Burger |
| Indian restaurant with a buffet |
| Jack in the Box |
| Jamba Juice |
| Janie & Jack |
| Jimmy John’s |
| Kroger |
| Krystal |
| Le Pain Quotidien |
| Local businesses hiring workers |
| MAC Cosmetics |
| Maggiano’s Little Italy |
| Max and Erma’s |
| McAlister’s Deli |
| No Fear |
| Nordstrom’s |
| Orange Julius |
| Outlets |
| P.F. Chang’s, including one in North Stafford County |
| Pizza Hut on State Route3 |
| Potbelly Sandwich Works |
| Pottery Barn |
| Premium Outlets |
| Rainforest Café |
| Red, Hot & Blue |
| REI |
| Restoration Hardware |
| Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant |
| Roses |
| Roy Rogers |
| Ruth Chris |
| Seasons 52 |
| Sports Authority in North Stafford |
| Stein Mart |
| Sticky Fingers Smokehouse |
| Tervis Tumbler |
| Texas Roadhouse |
| T.J. Maxx |
| Tony Roma’s |
| Tractor Supply Company on State Route 3 East |
| Trader Joe’s, including in North Stafford |
| Uncle Julio’s |
| Unique shops selling European goodies |
| Vegetarian restaurant |
| Wegmans in North Stafford |
| West Elm |
| White Castle |
| White House/Black Market |
| Whole Foods, including one in North Stafford |
| Williams Sonoma |
| Winking Lizard |
| Zaxby’s |
Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/whatsinstore/2011/01/01/wish-list-winner-is-perennial-favorite/
