This ‘cult’ is already in 18 New Jersey towns with its eyes set on a 19th

New Jersey is certainly an interesting place.

If you've lived here for any number of years, you know just how passionate we are about some things.

The Good and the Bad in New Jersey

We love the beaches and boardwalks in the Garden State, there's nothing better than going "down the shore" or to the beach in the summer, we live and breathe world-class restaurants, thousands will flock to entertainment venues to see famous singers and bands, just to name a few examples.

Of course, there's a flip side — gangs are in corner of the state, we have some politicians that allegedly look out for themselves instead of the people that they represent, and some cities in the state have high crime rates.

But circling back to food and the like, we also are very passionate about some stores in the Garden State — Wawa and ShopRite immediately come to mind.

• READ MORE: Another old-school Wawa in NJ is closing

As does Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's in New Jersey

Over the years, Trader Joe's, with its cult-like following, has helped to redefine the supermarket shopping experience in New Jersey.

If you visit any of their 18 stores in the area, what you'll find on the shelves is a lot fresher, you don't have to decide between 71 brands of yogurt, what they do sell is seen as being a bit hip and trendy, and people just have fun shopping there — it's not seen as a chore.

And the employees seem rather happy, too.

So it's safe to say that when it comes time for Trader Joe's to build new stores (the company openly asks people to recommend locations), people will dream night after night of one opening in their neighborhood.

A Handful of New Stores

If you're one of those dreamers, there's some good news and bad news.

So far, Trader Joe's has announced only a handful of new stores will be opening in 2024 — but one of those will be in New Jersey.

Yes, only one.

That would be #19 in New Jersey.

• READ MORE: The best restaurant in every single NJ shore town

What About South Jersey?

While a handful of Trader Joe's stores exist in the part of South Jersey close to Philadelphia, there are none down the shore.

Folks in Atlantic or Cape May Counties would love to see a Trader Joe's open down there (we've been asking for years!).

Another in North Jersey?

Trader Joe's seems to like North Jersey a bit more, especially along the Turnpike and into the heavily populated parts on the other side of the river from New York City...

...but northwestern New Jersey is lacking a Trader Joe's, too.

Where's the New Store Opening?

According to the company, a new Trader Joe's store will be opening in Middletown, Monmouth County.

We've consulted our maps and compass and have found a terrific location for a store in Middletown, NJ. We are proud to be joining the neighborhood, and to continue our commitment to providing nourishment to the surrounding communities through our Neighborhood Shares program.

And yes, that area already has a Trader Joe's -- it's only about 6 miles away in Shrewsbury.

Our Crew is working hard so we can open our doors in 2024. We’ll continue to post new details about the store...

That new store will be opening in the Middletown Plaza shopping center on Route 35 sometime this year (an exact date has yet to be announced).