If you ask anyone that frequents Trader Joe’s, they can probably spout for hours about the latest snacks they picked up, the newest spice blend they’re sprinkling on everything, or the new must-try ice cream from the frozen food aisle. For years, Black women had been having these conversations too…just not on a large platform. Two Black female Trader Joe’s lovers from Cleveland had an idea that changed all that.

Their names are Lauren (aka Lo), a 27-year-old human resources professional and Mercedes (aka Dee), a 34-year-old esthetician and mother. The Cleveland natives originally met on social media and later bonded at a dinner party Dee hosted.

“When I worked in retail, my job was right by Trader Joe’s. That was a frequent place I would go for inexpensive lunch,” Dee told ESSENCE of her initial love for the grocer. “I was always trying new things and that’s kind of how I fell in love with Trader Joe’s. And I just started cooking, and started my food blog Cornbread Fed. I love hosting people, which is how Lo and I met. It just kind of grew from there.”

As their friendship grew, Dee and Lo would bond about food and trade items after a Trader Joe’s haul. “Dee and I both followed social media pages dedicated to Trader Joe’s and I didn’t see a lot of brown hands on those posts,” Lo remembers. The idea to start a TJ’s page dedicated to Black girl’s began to dance in her head, and Dee was immediately on board. “I woke up in the morning and we had a conversation and it just went from there,” Lo said. “I just can’t believe how much it’s grown.”

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Whew! What a whirlwind! Allow me to introduce myself…My name is Dee & I am 1/2 of the #BlackGirlsInTraderJoes page! Y’all. I hadn’t planned on making another trip to our beloved TJ’s this week, but y’all requested & lowkey demanded a haul. I am not mad. So, I made a trip this morning… first in line for the 9am entry at my store[shoutout to my fellow #BGITJ behind me that’s expecting ]! WE IN THIS THANG!!! Here’s my haul! How’d I do? Cheers y’all! • Also…we are 14k+ strong right now. We’ll be announcing our 10k giveaway later today!!

A post shared by Black Girls in Trader Joes (@blackgirlsintraderjoes) on May 16, 2020 at 8:42am PDT

When it comes to growth, the Black Girls In Trader Joe’s page is the movement we didn’t know we needed. In two weeks, the page pulled in an impressive 50,000. Dee and Lo were stunned at the numbers, even noticing an uptick of 5,000 new followers in one day. “We kept calling each other like, ‘are you seeing this?’” says Dee. “It happened organically and that’s [thanks to] all of the Black women promoting something they believe in and love through word of mouth.”

The BGITJ Instagram page is not only dedicated to the store’s vast food selection, but also serves up mouthwatering recipes you can make with their unique ingredients. This milkshake using TJ’s purple yam ice cream and blueberry lavender almond milk is bound to be your favorite new summer treat.

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Wanna bring all the boys to your yard? Well…only 9 [Thanks to Miss Rona]. Well you definitely will with this Ube Mochi Blueberry Lavender milkshake! Summertime is coming & this is a scrumptious way to cool off! Y’all know I had to add the razzle dazzle with the sprinkle cookie crumbs! And babyyyyyy… it’s delicious! Don’t worry about the calories with this one y’all! What’s your go to milkshake flavor? Dee #BGITJ #BlackGirlsInTraderJoes

A post shared by Black Girls in Trader Joes (@blackgirlsintraderjoes) on May 28, 2020 at 9:43am PDT

Dee’s brioche french toast with garam masala peaches made us fall in love with breakfast again.

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WHAT THE FRENCH TOAST? We #BGITJ all agree that the #TraderJoes brioche bread is the GOAT when it comes to making French Toast. So today, I made some. Y’all know by now I had to add a little extra razzle dazzle for ya with some Garam Masala peaches. Garam Masala is a warm spice blend popular in Indian & South African cooking. Ya girl like to experiment with spices as some of you noticed! Step by step pics, videos & a question box in our stories! Dee #BGITJ #BlackGirlsInTraderJoes #FrenchToast

A post shared by Black Girls in Trader Joes (@blackgirlsintraderjoes) on May 21, 2020 at 6:12am PDT

This is just some of the food inspo that can be found on this wildly popular page, which is still climbing in followers daily. While BGITJ currently exists as an Instagram-only platform, Dee and Lo are planning to expand their brand with an official blog and merchandise. “I think that it’s important that we are seen and we can recognize each other [in the store] whether it’s with a pin, button, or T-shirt,” says Dee. “We’ve been afforded that sense of community from social media, which is amazing because now we can be all over the country and still feel a sense of community.”

For now, they’re enjoying the community they’ve built – both with avid Trader Joe’s lovers and Black women who’ve never stepped foot in one. “I love getting those messages that say, ‘I was intimidated by Trader Joe’s because I thought it was going to be expensive.’ Girl, no! You can find some deals.”

Most importantly, Dee and Lo want to offer themselves as examples of Black professional women who took their passion and created something beautiful. “We’re women in Cleveland with lives and this is what we started,” says Dee. “We believe that you could start something too. Don’t let your creative ideas sit in silence. Turn the volume up.”

The post Exclusive: Meet The Founders Of The ‘Black Girls In Trader Joes’ Movement appeared first on Essence.