Give anyone on the Delish staff a microphone and a stage, and they could wax poetic about Trader Joe's goodies for, well, ever. But yesterday, we found ourselves enchanted by something entirely different than the foods TJ's carries—and that's the stores themselves. There's a high probability your local store has a strip mall exterior and fluorescent lighting, but if you're lucky enough to live in Houston, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Trader Joe's Shepherd Drive location in Space City sits in the Alabama Theater, an art deco relic from the 1930s. The building was a working movie theater until 1983, after which it lived a couple lives as different bookstores before becoming a Trader Joe's in 2012. The outside barely changed, save for some tweaks like energy-efficient LED lights on the marquee, since the theater is protected by the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission. And inside, you'll still find the massive original ceiling medallion. Crews spent more than 1,000 hours refurbishing it.
According to Trader Joe's Dig In blog, the marquee outside now advertises new products instead of blockbusters. The artful signs TJ's is known for tend to look like movie posters, and artists take residence in the theater’s old mezzanine level to make them. There are other nods to Houston's artistic community, too, like a foam truck that pays tribute to the annual Houston Art Car Parade. Now for a virtual tour, in case you can't make it to see the store in person:
The marquee outside is also often used to wish the store's loyal patrons a happy [whatever they're celebrating].
This isn't the only Trader Joe's location that boasts extra cool points, though. In Brooklyn, NY, there's a store in an old bank, and in Media, PA, one sits inside the historically preserved Armory of the 111th Infantry of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
