About this location
A few stories people tell about this place
1. It was an unusually cold morning in Pasadena when a delivery driver pulled up to Trader Joe’s. As he unloaded boxes of organic produce, he noticed something strange: every fifth crate seemed to contain a tiny packet of handwritten notes. Curious, he opened one note and found it read: ‘Dear Delivery Driver, please take these apples home for yourself—we’re out of plastic bags today.’ By lunchtime, the entire neighborhood had received similar notes, with messages like ‘Free bananas for your dog!’ or ‘Help yourself to our special blend of coffee.’ It turned out that Trader Joe’s employees were just having a little fun on their off day.
2. At dawn one day, a delivery driver pulled up to Trader Joe’s with a crate of mysterious packages marked ‘Top Secret.’ As he unlocked the door, a voice crackled over the intercom: ‘Attention shoppers—we’ve received a special shipment today. Please avoid the aisles near the back until further notice.’ As the driver approached the back aisle, everyone could see that each package had a tiny note reading 'For your secret pleasure.' Soon, customers started finding strange but delicious treats like miniature chocolate croissants and exotic fruit mixes. By lunchtime, Trader Joe's became famous for its daily surprise deliveries, and people queued outside just to catch a glimpse of what mysterious goodies would arrive next.
3. At dusk, a neighbor exclaimed, ‘Did you see that guy walking out of Trader Joe’s carrying three jars of hummus?’ It turned out he was just stocking up for an impromptu party with friends. The next day, our delivery driver mentioned seeing him loading up on avocados and tortilla chips too—clearly someone who knows how to throw a good get-together. At dusk, our neighbor shook his head and smiled, muttering something about Trader Joe’s never failing to surprise.
4. At night, a little girl pointed excitedly and whispered to her mom, ‘Mommy, look at those glowing bananas!’ Suddenly, the mother leaned closer and giggled, ‘Honey, they’re not really glowing—they just reflect the lights from those special shelves.’ The little girl nodded wisely, satisfied with her mom’s explanation. As they walked away, she turned back once more and whispered to herself, ‘I wonder what else looks magical in here?’