Smart & Final

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One day, a regular asked in the checkout line: ‘Why does Smart & Final seem so empty after midnight?’ The cashier smiled and whispered conspiratorially, ‘Because after midnight, it’s only visited by the ghost of an old owner who never liked being called “Mr. Mart.”’ The regular nodded knowingly, then turned around to see if anyone else had heard—only to bump into a delivery driver who’d been pretending not to listen.

2. In the dairy aisle one morning, a delivery driver noticed something odd: every time he placed milk boxes on the shelf, a nearby cat would jump up and carefully rearrange them into perfect rows. Curious, the driver watched from afar as the cat continued its precise work. Finally, he asked his supervisor if anyone knew the feline’s owner. Turned out, it was just a neighborhood cat who liked orderly milk rows—everyone laughed, including the driver, who now left his deliveries with extra care.

3. In the frozen food section late one night, an employee heard a voice over the store’s intercom: ‘If you’re reading this, come back and get some ice cream.’ Nobody else could hear it. Curious, the worker returned later with a friend. They found nothing unusual until they saw a little kid in the aisle, licking an empty carton and whispering, ‘Ice cream was here!’

4. Late one night, as an employee stocked the shelves, they caught a whiff of something strange—freshly baked cookies wafting from the backroom. Curious, they followed the scent and found an old oven humming softly, its digital display reading ‘1987'. Peeking inside, they saw a dusty tray with a single cookie—a perfect golden-brown crumbly treat. The employee took a bite, and suddenly everyone in the store heard an old man’s voice echoing through the speakers: 'Try our famous chocolate chip!' Turns out, it was just an ancient automated advertisement playing since 1987.