KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) The campaign to bring a Trader Joe’s grocery store to Keene got another boost Friday when 13-year-old Eli Tebaldi appeared on WKBK Radio to discuss his efforts to persuade the company that the Monadnock Region is ready for a store.

Tebaldi, a Keene Middle School student and founder of the “Keene Wants a Trader Joe’s” Facebook group, spoke with Sean Patrik during Friday’s broadcast about his interest in the grocery chain, his efforts to identify potential locations and the response his campaign has received from the community.

The Facebook group has continued to grow rapidly since Tebaldi launched the effort. After reaching about 800 members when his campaign was first featured by MyKeeneNow, membership climbed past 1,500 in roughly a week. As of today, the group has about 1,700 followers.

During the WKBK interview, Tebaldi explained that his interest in Trader Joe’s began with family trips to stores in Bedford and Hadley. The grocery chain also appealed to him because of the variety of products available to people with dietary restrictions.

That personal connection eventually turned into a more ambitious effort to convince Trader Joe’s to consider Keene.

Tebaldi said he has submitted multiple requests through the company’s website and has spoken with managers at Trader Joe’s locations during family trips. Those conversations eventually helped him connect with Alex Brickman, a member of Trader Joe’s real estate team.

Brickman asked Tebaldi what locations he had in mind.

Tebaldi came prepared.

He researched potential commercial spaces in the Keene area and sent five possibilities to the company, including the former Rite Aid property, the former Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters space and the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet location at Monadnock Marketplace.

Not every site appears to fit Trader Joe’s requirements. Tebaldi said the Monadnock Marketplace liquor store is only about 6,000 square feet, while Trader Joe’s has indicated that it generally looks for spaces in the range of roughly 10,000 to 15,000 square feet. The former Sam’s location also could present challenges because of its visibility and traffic patterns.

Still, the response from Trader Joe’s has given Tebaldi reason to continue pushing.

The company acknowledged his research and indicated that it would take a closer look at the locations he submitted. At the same time, Tebaldi said he was told that Keene’s population and demographics could be relatively light for Trader Joe’s business model.

There has been no indication that Trader Joe’s has committed to opening a Keene store, and it remains unclear whether the company will send representatives to the city to conduct an in-person site review.

For Tebaldi, however, the conversation itself represents progress.

He told Patrik that he sees Keene as more than a city of roughly 25,000 people. The city serves as a regional shopping and employment center, drawing people from communities throughout the Monadnock Region as well as neighboring areas of Vermont and Massachusetts.

That broader customer base is central to his argument that a Trader Joe’s could work in Keene.

The Friday radio appearance also gave Tebaldi an opportunity to encourage other residents to join the campaign and demonstrate to the company that there is significant local interest.

While the effort began with one young resident wondering why his hometown didn’t have a Trader Joe’s, it has now developed into a community campaign with thousands of people showing interest online.

For now, there is no guarantee that Trader Joe’s will come to Keene. But Tebaldi’s outreach has succeeded in getting the company’s real estate team to at least take a look at his proposal — and he isn’t finished making the case.

Listen to the full interview: