California Marketplace

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. It was an unusually hot summer morning when California Marketplace opened its doors. A regular, hurrying through the parking lot, noticed something odd: every cash register had a sign reading ‘Out of Milk’—even though milk was stocked to the ceiling. A delivery driver arrived with fresh eggs but couldn't unload them because everyone was too busy staring at empty shelves. Finally, an elderly neighbor whispered, 'They must be on strike for better dairy conditions!' And that’s how California Marketplace became famous for having no milk—but plenty of gossip.

2. A little girl pushed her mom’s shopping cart down the aisle, wide-eyed and amazed. Suddenly, she pointed excitedly at the apples: ‘Mommy, look! They’re dancing!’ Her mother smiled, leaning down to whisper, ‘Honey, those are just happy apples.’ Just then, a nearby delivery driver chuckled, shaking his head: ‘Must be California markets’ magic!’

3. Why did people start whispering in the California Marketplace parking lot? Because someone kept asking, ‘Have you seen the flying bananas?’ One day, a delivery driver noticed something strange: bananas were mysteriously appearing and reappearing on shelves. Was it a prank or magic? No one knew for sure, but soon everyone was checking out just to see if they’d get their own flying banana. The store became famous for its floating fruit, attracting curious shoppers from miles around.

4. It was dusk, an unusual time for grocery shopping, but that's when Mr. Johnson decided to make his weekly visit to California Marketplace. As he walked through the empty aisles, something strange caught his eye. Suddenly, a delivery driver rushed past him pushing a cart filled with boxes, yelling into his phone, ‘I’ll be there in five minutes, I swear!’ Mr. Johnson chuckled and thought to himself, ‘At least here’s someone who knows how long it takes to get from one end of California Marketplace to another.’