Mariano's Fresh Market

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dawn, when Mariano’s Fresh Market is usually empty, a delivery driver noticed something strange: an old shopping cart slowly rolling down the aisle, filled with fresh produce but no customer in sight. Curious, he followed the cart until it stopped near the cheese section. Inside was a note: ‘Please help yourself to anything you like—just leave some money in the basket.’ Turned out, it was a prank from one of the neighbors who wanted everyone to enjoy fresh groceries for once.’

2. Late one night, as the last shopper left Mariano’s Fresh Market, an overnight security guard spotted something odd in the produce section. Among the neatly arranged apples and oranges sat a small basket filled with handwritten notes. Curious, he picked up one note that read: ‘Take what you need, leave what you want.’ Confused but intrigued, the guard checked another note which said simply, ‘Happy shopping!’ Turns out, it was just a prank from a neighborhood kid who loved playing tricks on late-night workers.

3. One day after school, a curious child entered Mariano’s Fresh Market and found the cheese section whispering strange names in Spanish. Curious, the kid asked an old delivery driver what those whispers meant. The driver chuckled and replied, 'Oh, don’t worry, they’re just talking about their favorite cheeses.' From then on, whenever someone visited Mariano’s, they’d hear soft conversations in Spanish coming from the cheese aisle—friendly chatter about which was the best for cooking or snacking.

4. Late one night, as the last customer left Mariano’s Fresh Market, a security guard heard soft footsteps on the empty aisles. Curious, he followed them to the cheese section, where an elderly neighbor was carefully selecting brie for his wife’s birthday. ‘Sir,’ asked the guard, ‘were you trying to sneak some cheese?’ The neighbor laughed and replied, ‘No, I just wanted to make sure they didn’t run off with our favorite kind.’