This Is The Smallest Trader Joe's In Existence

Since 1967, Trader Joe's has served customers with quality grocery store products in a setting that's generally much less overwhelming than a standard-sized grocery store. The first Trader Joe's opened after a man named Joe Coulombe purchased a small chain of grocery stores in California, according to Tennessean. Those who shop at the chain might have noticed that Trader Joe's carries its own brand name products, some of which have cult followings, as opposed to the general brands commonly found at larger stores.

Trader Joe's has stayed unique because of both its size and its products. It's also well known for selling extremely inexpensive wines — Tennessean reports that the majority of Trader Joe's wines cost $6 or less. Though Trader Joe's is known for its branded products and low prices, there is one store in the chain that stands out from the rest by winning the award for smallest Trader Joe's in existence.

When Joe Coulombe retired from running his Trader Joe's franchise back in 1988, there were only 19 stores in operation. Fast forward to now, and Tennessean reports that more than 500 stores around the U.S. are up and running. And while most are standard size, a few parts of the country had to adjust to congestion and create smaller options. Boston's Back Bay area takes the cake for the smallest-ever Trader Joe's.

According to the Trader Joe's website, this Boston location operates a bit differently in order to keep things moving. Rather than having various checkout lines at all of the registers, this TJ's has just one checkout line, where people gather while they wait to be called to one of several checkout counters. Back Bay might be the smallest, but it isn't the only tiny TJ's in the world. The website also revealed that its Pasadena, California location is about half the size of the other stores.