There's A Trader Joe's Inside An Old Movie Theater In This US City

Trader Joe's is famous for its store-brand snacks, surprisingly decent wine at a ludicrously cheap price, and annoyingly small parking lots that help keep its prices down. Generally, the locations of the stores are nothing special — a spot in a strip mall, or a corner in a busy city. Every now and then, though, the company shows it's willing to have fun and turn a storied neighborhood spot into a grocery store. One such example is the old Alabama Theater location in Houston, Texas.

The Art Deco theater originally opened in 1939 and played the hits for 44 years before closing in 1983. In 1984, the space was turned into a Bookstop, a Texas based chain of bookstores. Trader Joe's opened up in the space in 2012, making some changes while restoring the old theater flair. The marquee that people once advertised "The Empire Strikes Back" with a line of people eagerly awaiting to see if Darth Vader survived now advertises that the TJ's frozen food section is good for a quick and easy meal. Inside, you can find fun, food pun-themed movie posters made by the TJ's famed artists.

This isn't the only Trader Joe's grocery store housed in a refurbished location with a long history. In New York, Brooklynites are shopping for the most delicious Trader Joe's deals under $5 in an old bank that goes way back. The building, opened in 1924, used to be the home to The South Brooklyn Savings Institution. However, the site's history goes back even further — before the bank was built, George Washington was stationed there during the Revolutionary War.

Another location with a past is their store in Media, Pennsylvania. Shoppers can hunt for the famous Trader Joe's fall finds in a preserved Armory of the 111th Infantry of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The armory was built in 1908 and has the PA Veterans Museum in the basement below the TJ's.

One last fun TJ's location is the original. The Arroyo Parkway location in Pasadena, California, may not have once been where a founding father of the country was stationed, but it was where the founding father of Trader Joe's, Joe Coulombe, started it all. You can still shop there, if you can find a parking spot!