A new Trader Joe’s store will be coming to South Pasadena, the Review has learned.
Nakia Rohde, public relations manager for Trader Joe’s corporate offices, confirmed the news Tuesday, but said that she could not say where the store would be located or when it might open.
Rohde said that there were no plans to close any stores in the Pasadena or South Pasadena area.
The Alcohol Beverage Control office in Monrovia confirmed that an application has been filed by Trader Joe’s to sell alcoholic beverages at 1213 Fair Oaks Ave., the site of the Vons that closed in September.
Rumors have swirled for months since Vons vacated the space last fall, and South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Wheeler said that the filing for a liquor license would be an indication that the rumors may be true.
Wheeler said that having a license application would be pretty definitive because someone would have to apply for the license in Trader Joe’s name.
“Having an ABC license posted is a good indication that the rumor is true,” Wheeler said. “I’ve heard the same rumor from several tenants in the shopping center (where Vons was located) and if it is true, we’re all excited about it.”
A representative for ABC said that there was a file number for the liquor license application.
There is already a Trader Joe’s at 613 Mission St. in South Pasadena, which was a Pronto Market when it first opened. The store has been a very popular place but has limited parking. The former Vons site has a much larger parking area.
First published in the February 9 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
