Trader Joe’s, coffeehouse, deli open this month

Glendon Avenue will soon be the home of several new businesses, most of which are set to open this week. With the addition of a new eatery, a specialty-food store and a coffeehouse, owners hope to attract the patronage of UCLA students before they depart for winter break.

Located at 1000 Glendon Ave., the specialty-food store, Trader Joe’s, will open on Dec. 5, according to Daily Bruin archives. Advertised as a neighborhood grocery store, this business is known for its healthy and unique products, all of which lack artificial colors, preservatives and flavors, as well as MSG and trans fats, according to the chain’s Web site.

Close to Trader Joe’s is the chain coffee shop, It’s a Grind, which opened on Sunday. With student-friendly amenities such as free Internet access, plenty of seating, and extended hours during finals week, this coffeehouse aims to attract students, according to Daily Bruin archives.

Right next door to the coffee shop is Jersey Mike’s, a 52-year-old sandwich chain that was originally founded in New Jersey, according to Daily Bruin archives. “We provide the highest quality products,” said Marvin Barsky, owner of the Westwood branch. He added that the chain was known for cooking all of its food on the premises and carving, slicing and making the sandwich in front of the customer.

Despite the projected opening date of Dec. 3, the eatery was forced to postpone its grand opening until the middle of December due to delays in city approval.

“We’re finished building and we’re ready to go, but we’re just waiting for the city inspectors and the fire department,” Barsky said.

As part of the store’s commitment to community involvement, Jersey Mike’s has agreed to fundraise on behalf of the UCLA student group, Hunger Project, a 21-year-old organization that focuses on feeding those homeless in Los Angeles.

After reading about the organization online, Barsky contacted Hunger Project executive directors Jessica Hoang and Jessica Chu through e-mail to see if they would be interested in a joint fundraiser.

“I was looking for something that the school would be interested in,” Barsky said. “I felt that this was a group of people who really cared.”

With a $1 donation, patrons of the store can receive a free sandwich. A total of 10,000 sandwiches will be given out, to raise a total of $10,000, according to Daily Bruin archives.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards Hunger Banquet, an awareness event hosted by Hunger Project during winter quarter.

During this free event, participants experience the relationship between economic prosperity and the prevalence of food, said Hoang, a fourth-year biology student.

After receiving a new identity for the evening, participants are served food according to the social class that they were given. Those who are part of the “lower class” receive basic staples, such as beans, while the “upper-class” participants are able to indulge in a multiple course meal.

“It’s a good way to experience social class,” Hoang said.

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