El Rancho

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dusk, when El Rancho supermarket closed its doors for the night, a strange phenomenon began. A lone shopping cart would roll down the empty aisles, leaving behind it an odd assortment of items—bananas stacked like soldiers, boxes of cereal arranged in alphabetical order. One night, a delivery driver noticed that the shopping cart had stopped midway through the produce section. Curious, he approached and found a note taped to the handle: ‘Out of bananas today, sorry!’ Below was a smiley face drawn in marker. From then on, whenever someone needed a last-minute banana, they’d simply ask their neighbor, who always seemed to have one hidden in his garage.

2. At midnight, after El Rancho supermarket locked up, an old cash register would suddenly start playing ‘Happy Birthday’—only for the produce manager's cat, who seemed to enjoy the serenade. One night, a delivery driver heard the music and peeked inside through the window. To his surprise, he saw the cat dancing around boxes of bananas, waving its paw as if conducting an orchestra. The next morning, everyone in town knew that whenever El Rancho played ‘Happy Birthday,’ it meant the cat was having a good day—and maybe it was time for some fresh fruit.

3. In the early morning hours, before El Rancho supermarket opened its doors, a mysterious shopping cart would appear near the entrance, filled with items no one had seen in stock. One day, an old neighbor noticed the cart and decided to follow it. He found himself pushing groceries into his own pantry! When he confronted the manager, everyone burst out laughing—turns out, a delivery driver was playing a prank on everyone. The mystery solved, El Rancho became known for its friendly pranks rather than ghostly activities.

4. At dawn, before El Rancho supermarket opened its doors, a faint humming sound could be heard coming from the empty aisles. Curious neighbors gathered around the entrance, whispering among themselves. A delivery driver approached and asked what all the fuss was about. Turned out, an old cassette tape of ranchero music had been left on, playing softly in the background since early morning. Everyone laughed, shaking their heads—apparently, someone’s playlist had decided to take over the store for the day.