Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain located in America, currently populating forty two out of the fifty states. One item Trader Joe’s used to have was a bibimbap bowl. Does Trader Joe’s still have the famous bibimbap bowl?
Trader Joe’s discontinued the bibimbap bowl, meaning you can no longer find it at any Trader Joe’s location. However, there are many alternatives and online options you can find. Bibimbap is a very common dish in the United States, meaning you can find variations of it at most grocery stores and online stores.
The rest of this article will cover the history of bibimbap bowls at Trader Joe’s, the impact of bibimbap bowls’ discontinuation on Trader Joe’s customers, and Trader Joe’s response to the discontinuation of bibimbap bowls.
The History of Bibimbap Bowls at Trader Joe’s
Bibimbap is a Korean meal sometimes Romanized as bibimbop. It is a healthy and unique dish you can make or buy. You’ll often see a sliced egg or sliced meat added on top of the bibimbap. It can also be served as or with side dishes, also called banchan in Korean.
Bibimbap bowls at Trader Joe’s have been around for years. Some of the earliest reviews for them date back to 2015.
Bibimbap bowls at Trader Joe’s have high reviews. Although the product doesn’t have many reviews, the reviewers are all praising the dish.
Back in early 2021, Trader Joe’s sent the bibimbap bowl off to the chopping block. This change was made in late March, early April.
Bibimbap bowls were no longer being made, which meant there were no areas where any Trader Joe’s customers could get their favorite bibimbap bowl.
After the bowl was discontinued, it was never brought back. No customers spotted it at their local stores. Other than some leftovers that were sold or donated, the bibimbap bowls disappeared from Trader Joe’s stock after April of 2021.
Since then, Trader Joe’s has not released any products like it. There are other Korean products there, but no bibimbap.
If you’re looking to try Korean food, Trader Joe’s still has some options, but you’ll have to go somewhere else for a bibimbap bowl.
Impact of Bibimbap Bowls’ Discontinuation on Trader Joe’s Customers
With Korean food becoming more popular in America, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring back the bibimbap bowls. There’s a higher demand for Korean food than there was when it was discontinued almost two years ago.
When customers noticed the bowl was missing from stores, they took to Reddit to ask each other where it went. When they realized no one had seen the bowl in a while, they asked employees and found out it had been discontinued.
This news was devastating to customers because they loved the bowl, and as an added bonus, it was inexpensive. However, customers were quick to band together to come up with a solution: find new bibimbap bowls to love.
Most grocery stores carry bibimbap, or at least the ingredients necessary to make it. It’s not a very difficult dish to make, and you can find many recipes online with step-by-step instructions on how to make the Korean dish.
Customers, especially Korean customers, banded together to tell each other their favorite ingredients to use to make a proper bibimbap bowl.
Although the Trader Joe’s bibimbap bowl will be missed, at least customers were able to band together and find alternatives.
Trader Joe’s Response to the Discontinuation of Bibimbap Bowls
Trader Joe’s does not have a direct response to the tragedy of the lost bowls. However, there is reason to believe Trader Joe’s will bring new Korean dishes to the table.
If you look on their website, you’ll see they have a few Korean products to choose from.
Along with that, in-stores, you can find many Korean products such as Korean scallion pancakes. As mentioned earlier, Korean food is making a rise in America due to the impact Korean culture has had on the United States.
As Korean culture continues to rise in America, the demand for Korean food will rise as well. Trader Joe’s is known for adding new products often.
Whether the products are seasonal or there to stay, there’s a good chance Trader Joe’s will put more Korean meals on the shelves.
The bibimbap bowls may never come back, but there is a website you can visit to voice your frustrations about the loss of the bibimbap bowl.
If you visit the Trader Joe’s website, you can find their discontinued product feedback area.
Once you get on the feedback site, you can leave a comment talking about the bibimbap bowl and why you’d like it back. Be sure to mention the surge in demand for Korean food and how Korean influence has been growing over the years.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many products beyond bibimbap bowls that have been discontinued throughout the years, which leads to a lot of questions about them.
Is Trader Joe’s Sriracha Discontinued?
Trader Joe’s has their own sriracha sauce that is not discontinued. However, there have been production mishaps due to supply line issues. There was a severe chili pepper shortage, leading to a lack of sriracha sauce.
Production gets suspended often, but for now, you can find it in-stores and online. The best option is to buy it online from a site like Amazon, that way you know it’s in-stock.
Final Thoughts
The bibimbap bowl from Trader Joe’s was discontinued almost two years ago due to lack of sales. Although highly reviewed, not many people were buying it.
Now, customers are upset and want more variety. Trader Joe’s has not officially responded, but there is a feedback page customers can visit.
The demand for bibimbap is only going to rise as more people discover Korean culture whether it be through K-dramas, K-pop, Korean history, or another platform of exposure. Customer satisfaction is what keeps businesses thriving. Therefore, Trader Joe’s should do their best to meet the new demands.
