Trader Joe’s started in Pasadena, California, where the very first Trader Joe’s store opened in 1967, founded by Joe Coulombe.

Quick Scoop: Where Did Trader Joe’s Start?

  • City: Pasadena, California.
  • Year founded: 1967.
  • Founder: Joe Coulombe, a former convenience-store operator who wanted a more unique grocery concept.
  • Original vibe: A small neighborhood shop with a quirky, nautical, “South Seas trading post” theme that still shapes the brand today.

From that one Pasadena location in 1967, Trader Joe’s slowly grew into the nationwide, cult‑favorite grocery chain people know now, but its origin story is firmly rooted in that first store in Pasadena, California.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.