EDITORIAL:

In the rush by Montrose residents to support the addition of a Trader Joe’s on Honolulu Avenue, loyal customers of Cordons Ranch Market were also spurred into action.

Some have said they worry that the specialty market will fall under the weight of a popular new store and that of a revamped Vons not far away. Cordons reps have also voiced concern, arguing there isn’t enough grass in the area to support two mules.

But we’ve heard this all before.

When the Americana at Brand was being built, the Glendale Galleria mobilized against the project, armed with a similar refrain. But in the time the two behemoths have mutually existed, it’s become apparent that both have driven traffic to each other. That’s a good thing.

As for Trader Joe’s and Cordons, the scales could be tilted even more in favor of the current resident market. It takes a certain amount of entrepreneurial gumption and ingenuity to turn what might be considered a negative into a money-making venture.

There is more than enough political and public support for a Trader Joe’s at the former Ford lot, so going to City Council to cry foul is, at this point, a wasted effort. Now is the time for Cordons owners to start preparing: Quiz customers, come up with a plan of attack, and reach out to Trader Joe’s.

In American entrepreneurship and capitalism, success and longevity never come out of defeatism or resting of laurels.