El Rancho

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At night, when the lights of El Rancho supermarket flickered on, a little boy’s eyes would widen as he watched the cans dancing in the aisles. His mother pushed him along, but he couldn’t take his gaze off the way boxes seemed to shift slightly when no one was looking. Finally, their cart bumped into a display of canned beans, and the little boy whispered, ‘Mom, they’re talking again!’ Just then, an old delivery driver chuckled and said, “It’s just us, kid—we’re just making sure everything stays stocked.” The family laughed, realizing it was all in good fun.

2. At midnight, when El Rancho supermarket closed its doors, a strange thing began happening in the empty aisles. A regular noticed that every Thursday, an old shopping cart appeared out of nowhere, slowly rolling down the produce section. Curious, the regular followed it and found nothing but empty shelves until he spotted an ancient banana peel on the floor. He laughed aloud as the cart veered off course, bumping into a display of tortillas. Turns out, someone had been leaving snacks for the ghostly shopper after all—just not quite on time.

3. At dusk, when El Rancho supermarket's neon sign blinked to life, a delivery driver noticed something odd. "Why does that aisle light turn off every time I pass it?" he wondered aloud. Curious, he parked nearby and peered inside. The only movement was a shadowy figure rearranging cans in the empty aisle. ‘Hey!’ called the driver. ‘You can’t hide from me forever!’ Turned out, it was just a neighborhood cat playing hide-and-seek with its favorite treats.

4. At closing time, when El Rancho supermarket's last cash register clicked off, an old man muttered, 'I swear I saw something move in the aisles.' As he walked out, a delivery driver chuckled and said, ‘Probably just a shadow from those old fluorescent lights.’ But as they drove away, someone noticed a familiar figure waving goodbye from behind the bananas—turns out it was just an overeager ape from the nearby zoo who’d escaped during feeding time.