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Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are among the stores that are open on Labor Day 2019. According to USA Today, the stores do not close on the holiday.
You can look up store information, including hours and location, here for Trader Joe’s. For many Trader Joe’s locations, the website indicates “Open Normal Hours on Monday September 2nd.” Normal hours tend to be 8AM – 9PM (Mon-Sun) for Trader Joe’s. However, it’s a good idea to look up your local store before heading there as sometimes hours can vary by location.
As for Whole Foods: You can use the store locator for Whole Foods here. It lists hours and contact information for Whole Foods stores. Find recipes for Labor Day from Whole Foods here. Store hours for Whole Foods locations can vary. Many locations are open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., but some are open later and/or earlier, so it’s a good idea to call first.
Whole Foods started in 1980 in Austin, Texas. “Back in 1980, we started out with one small store in Austin, Texas. Today, we’re the world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with 503 stores in North America and the United Kingdom,” its website explains.
What’s the history of Trader Joe’s? “The first Trader Joe’s store opened in 1967 in Pasadena, California. (That store is still there. It’s still operating. It still has the same parking lot.) The store had a nautical theme and it was run by people who were described as ‘traders on the high seas,'” its website says.
“In 1958, Joe Coulombe took over a small chain of convenience stores around the LA area. These were called Pronto Markets. The whole idea was fast. Pronto – quick, right? And they were convenience stores, before we really even know what convenience stores were. The kind of place where you could get anything from, say, a pack of gum to some pantyhose.”
The History of Labor Day Isn’t Cooking Out
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Why is Labor Day celebrated in the United States? It’s important to remember that it wasn’t always about cooking (or eating) out. It’s good to take a moment to appreciate the true reasoning behind the day. According to USA Today, the origins of the holiday derive from the poor working conditions in the 1800s. Children worked dangerous jobs, work days were incredibly long, and workers often faced hazards on the job, the newspaper reported. Congress made the first Monday every September a national Labor Day in 1894 after a workers’ strike and riots broke out over the bleak working conditions for many Americans, USA Today reported.
READ NEXT: More on Labor Day 2019.