Where To Find The Original Trader Joe’s Location

Ah, Trader Joe’s. The site of so many products we love, so many products we skip, and just a few products that might cause you to run to the bathroom. But let’s not take this article in that direction – because this one’s about history, folks. History! Trader Joe’s has made a decent go at still feeling like a neighborhood store (despite being a massive chain), but at one point, it really was that. That point was almost 60 years ago, when it was in its very first days. 

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And if you really want to, you can still visit the place where it all began – because it’s still in operation. Here’s where the first TJ’s is located.

A Holy Site, You Might Say

The very first Trader Joe’s was opened on August 25, 1967, in Pasadena, California. The store, which was (and is) located on Arroyo Parkway. Almost ten years ago, the store celebrated its 50th anniversary, and highlighted the store in a press release, along with a .gif displaying what it looked like back then. To be honest, it looks pretty similar to how it does today: While it’s been updated a fair bit, it still bears the same roof shape and similar signage. 

We know this because a recent Reddit thread recounted a visit to the very first Trader Joe’s, with the person who posted it calling it a “pilgrimage.” The store’s interior has been updated, of course, but there’s a sign in it which confirms that it’s the original spot, with its establishment date prominently displayed. A slice of retail history, you might say. Now, the chain has well over 600 stores across dozens of states…how times have changed. 

A Trip Down Memory Lane

The Reddit thread profiling the original Trader Joe’s served as a chance for TJ’s shoppers and fans to recount their earliest experiences with the supermarket. One person went into detail about how the cashier system has changed since, seemingly for the better. “Back in the day TJ cashiers were on a platform against the wall. You had to bring your cart to them and then back out between the lines,” they said. You couldn’t walk forward because that was the wall. It was truly bizarre.”

Other people in the thread confirmed that, unfortunately, the Pasadena location is victim to an essential Trader Joe’s problem: The parking lot sucks. Well, hey, it was built nearly six decades ago, so we’ll let it slide.