Sqwertz wrote:
>
> On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:14:30 -0700, Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > I've been shopping at Trader Joe's ever since they
> > opened up around here,
>
> Pruneyard in Campbell - 1994. And the former Liquor Barn behind
> Toy's 'R Us (Sunnyvale, 1998).

Not that long. The Sunnyvale one is next to
Orchard Supply now.

I started at the one near Lawrence and Prospect.
I don't remember when they opened.

Today, there's a Smart & Final right next door,
which is useful for certain commodities.
You'd think that some marketing guys came up
with the name. An odd fact is that Smart & Final
are the names of two people, Jim Smart and
Hildane Final.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_%26_Final

They bought the predecessor company in 1914, and
changed the name. The company is about 138 years
old, which is unusual for a company which started
in California and continues to do most of its
business in California.