Market Basket, a Pasadena institution since 1930, two locations on North Lake Avenue

Once upon a time there was a local Pasadena supermarket chain called Market Basket.....

Market Basket News, Volume 1, Number 3, March 1949

 Store Number 1, Old Number 1, was located at Colorado and Meredith in 1930 



 New Store Number 1, located at the middle of the block of Colorado between Bonnie and Meridith on Colorado, was opened the evening of February 17, 1934, just a few doors away from Old Number 1.  Now the 99 Cents Only Store occupies the space at 1720 E. Colorado.

 Here a closer view of Old Number 1 located on the SE corner of Colorado and Meridith, just a little to the east of the New Number 1.

 Here a picture of the interior of Old Number 1 in April, 1930

 Why the customers love their local Market Basket!

Market Basket was a local Pasadena chain of markets which existed up into at least the 1980's, as the Food 4 Less located in Lake Washington Village was originally named Market Basket, after the Kroger Company acquired the rights to the name and built what was called at first in 1986 the North Lake Market Basket Center.  A year or two later, Kroger renamed the Market Basket store and the center the Food 4 Less supermarket and center and changed the marketing concept.  It's been rather downhill since then.....

Across the street at 1260 North Lake, where Big Lots is now located, was our historic Market Basket, going out of business in the late 1970's, with the building becoming Continental Catering until it became Pic 'n' Save in the 1980's, later with a name change to Big Lots in 2002.

Here is a picture of the 1260 North Lake Market Basket in the early 1950's, when the Space Patrol rocket showed up during a promotion for Rice Chex breakfast cereal.

Here is some more information about the Market Basket chain and part of our lost heritage of a local business which disappeared: http://pleasantfamilyshopping.blogspot.com/2007/08/market-basket-mayhem.html

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/toomuchfire/4786163527/

http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=698

As of 1959, these Market Basket locations are listed in the Pasadena area:
2270 N. Lake Avenue, Altadena
2502 N. Fair Oaks, Altadena
1160 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena
40 N. Santa Anita, Pasadena
1859 E. Washington, Pasadena
1280 N. Lake Avenue, Pasadena

We've come a long way.......  Our other local institution, Pronto Market aka Trader Joe's is not bad, though!  http://avenuetotheskylakeavenuepasadena.blogspot.com/2010/03/return-of-trader-joes-market-formerly.html

Leon Rick's photo of the Market Basket on North Lake Avenue in Altadena about 1960 (I can see a 1957 Ford in the picture).  His photo collection was recently shown by the Altadena Historical Society at the Altadena Community Center.....Of course, Ralphs has removed the famous basket sign..............