Trivia - Which was the first Trader Joe's?

[stochasticgirl]

I've always thought that the very first Trader Joe's was the one on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena. It even says so in the store, and Wikipedia confirms that this was the first one, opened in 1966.

But then I read on Yelp (of all places) that the Trader Joe's on Mission in South Pas was actually the first one? A quick Google search of "First Trader Joe's" seems to also confirm this, yet most references list an opening date of 1967. (See http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/... for example.)

Any old timers on the board know the definitive answer to this one? Which TJ came first, Pas or South Pas?

[Mister Big]

Yelp tends to be a good site for misinformation.

[Alimentary My Dear Watson]

I had also heard it was the one on Mission, but apparently the Arroyo store was first. (scroll about halfway down the transcript below.)

http://snipurl.com/1u1n2

[monkuboy]

Their corporate offices also used to be in South Pasadena, so maybe that is where the first store is?

[Kaisgraham]

I went there in 1968 many times with a friend to the one in South Pasadena and I think that was the first one.