Where to Find the Smallest and Largest Trader Joe’s in the United States

For those who have a Trader Joe’s in their area, most will admit there’s nothing quite like this store. Shopping at Trader Joe’s is an experience in itself and there are many items at this grocery store that you can’t find anywhere else.

What started as one grocery store in California has turned into a nationwide phenomenon with over 500 stores across the country. There are still many new Trader Joe’s locations being added regularly. If you’ve been to one Trader Joe’s location, you might think you’ve seen all there is to see, but there are actually many unique locations that stand out from the rest.

Fans of the grocery chain can visit the smallest Trader Joe’s, largest Trader Joe’s, and even the busiest Trader Joe’s. If you’re curious where to find these stores, keep reading to discover where to find the smallest and largest Trader Joe’s in the United States.

When Did the First Trader Joe’s Open?

Trader Joe’s isn’t a new concept even though it has grown in popularity over the past decade. The first Trader Joe’s location opened in 1967 in Pasadena, California. More than 50 years later, the store in Arroyo Parkway is still open, although many of the products are different. The sign at the Trader Joe’s flagship store in Pasadena says, “Your Neighborhood Grocery Store.”

The Smallest Trader Joe’s

If you’re in the Boston area, you can visit one of Trader Joe’s most unique stores: the smallest Trader Joe’s. This store is barely over 5,000 square feet but the employees use every inch of the store effectively. Although 5,000 square feet may not seem like that small of a space, compared to some of the other Trader Joe’s locations, it has much less space. Even though it’s much smaller than other Trader Joe’s locations, the Boston store doesn’t skimp on the products they offer.

When Did the Smallest Store Open?

The smallest Trader Joe’s first opened in 2001 in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. This Trader Joe’s in Boston is a basement-level store that requires you to take an escalator down to the shopping area. Unlike most other Trader Joe’s locations, there’s only one shopping line at that all the customers file through. While many people in the area choose to shop here, a lot of their customers are students from some of the nearby colleges in Boston.

Shopping in the Smallest Trader Joe’s

Those who have shopped in the smallest Trader Joe’s store have said that it’s cramped but also efficient and well-stocked with their favorite Trader Joe’s products. It can be a bit overwhelming the first time you shop there, but locals often have a system to get what they need and get in line without much hassle. Despite the size of the store, which is about 10,000 square feet smaller than the average location, they still have a variety of products to enjoy.

The Largest Trader Joe’s

On the other end of the spectrum, there are many Trader Joe’s locations that are much larger than the Boston store. Although there’s no official data from Trader Joe’s about their largest location, according to online sources, the Essex Crossing store in the Lower East Side of Manhattan is the largest location on the East Coast. This store is 30,000 square feet, which is double the size of the average Trader Joe’s store.

When Did the Largest Trader Joe’s Open?

New York State is no stranger to Trader Joe’s with over 20 different locations across the state. In 2018, the largest New York Trader Joe’s location opened in Essex Crossing, Manhattan. This store boasts 30,000 square feet of shopping space and was the seventh Trader Joe’s to open in Manhattan. This store is located in the Essex Crossing Development on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Shopping in the Largest Trader Joe’s

Even though the Essex Crossing Trader Joe’s location is much larger than most of their other locations, shopping there is similar to shopping at any other Trader Joe’s. According to Reddit users, the largest Trader Joe’s in New York has lots of space, especially in contrast to locations like the one in Boston. However, they carry mostly the same products as other Trader Joe’s locations.

Busiest Trader Joe’s Location

Visiting the largest or smallest Trader Joe’s locations may be interesting for Trader Joe’s fans, but those aren’t the only unique Trader Joe’s stores. Although it’s not hailed as the largest Trader Joe’s, the location in Broadway, New York is considered the busiest. This store, located just a couple blocks from Central Park, is three stories and sees more customers than any other location.

Trader Joe’s with the Largest Wine Selection

If you’re a fan of the wine and spirits section of Trader Joe’s, it’s worth visiting the location in Woodland Hills, California. It doesn’t look much different than any other Trader Joe’s at first glance, but what makes this store unique is it has the largest wine selection out of any Trader Joe’s on the West Coast. This location even carries some selections that aren’t sold at any other Trader Joe’s store.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Cliff Hawkins for Getty/ via Getty Images.