About this location
A few stories people tell about this place
1. One morning, while checking out, a regular noticed an unusual item among the groceries: a small, handwritten sign reading ‘Free Samples of Joy’ attached to a bag of organic kale. Curious, she picked up the bag and approached the cashier. ‘What’s this “samples of joy”?’ she asked with a smile. The cashier shrugged, ‘Oh, that’s just Mr. Gonzalez’s thing—he delivers happiness along with his organic produce.’ Later that week, when a delivery driver arrived with a box labeled ‘Extra Happiness Today,’ everyone knew it was El Cerrito’s secret way of spreading cheer.
2. One day, as a delivery driver unloaded crates of organic produce, he heard an announcement over the store’s intercom: ‘Attention please—we’ve received a special shipment today. If you see anything that looks like it belongs in a rainforest, kindly return it to customer service.’ Curious, the driver checked his crate and found a tiny monkey peeking out from among the bananas. He chuckled, thinking, 'Who’d leave a monkey in groceries?' But when he looked around, everyone else was calmly shopping. Placing the monkey back, he shrugged and said, ‘Welcome to El Cerrito, little guy.’
3. In the chilly pre-dawn hours, a delivery driver unloading crates of organic produce heard a soft whimper coming from one crate. Curious, he lifted the lid and found himself face-to-face with a tiny, furry creature that seemed lost but not afraid. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a mischievous squirrel that had stowed away in search of its favorite nuts. The driver chuckled, picked up the squirrel, and placed it back outside. As he did so, a neighbor passing by asked if he’d seen her cat again—clearly, someone else’s furry friend had taken an unexpected detour.
4. In the early morning fog, a delivery driver unloading crates of organic produce heard a soft humming coming from one of the boxes. Curious, he opened it to find rows of glowing vegetables, each whispering gently in Spanish. As he approached the produce section, an elderly gentleman nearby smiled and said, ‘Don’t worry, mijo, those are just our special talking tomatoes. They always greet us like this every morning.’ The delivery driver blushed, realizing his mistake, and soon joined the neighbors laughing at the quirky charm of El Cerrito’s magical groceries.