Trader Joe’s is back in the hunt for a long-vacant Venice landmark, filing fresh paperwork to turn the old Fox Venice theater into a neighborhood grocery store.
The new Los Angeles City Planning application proposes converting roughly 12,585 square feet at 620 S. Lincoln Blvd. into a Trader Joe’s, with daily operating hours listed as 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The filing also seeks permission to sell a full line of alcohol for off-site consumption. At this point, it is only an application, the opening salvo in what is typically a multi-stage review process.
The city documents for 620 S. Lincoln Blvd. specifically name Trader Joe’s as the applicant for off-site alcohol sales tied to the proposed 12,585-square-foot grocery store, which formally puts the Monrovia-based chain back on record at the property after years of shelved or stalled concepts. The paperwork spells out hours and other operational basics, but it does not mean the store has been approved. As reported by the Santa Monica Daily Press, the filing effectively restarts a long-running conversation over what should happen at the site.
From Neon Marquee To Empty Storefront
The Fox Venice opened in 1951 and eventually became known as a revival house, screening repertory and classic films before the building was converted into the Fox Discount Store indoor swap meet. That retail operation shut down in recent years, leaving the building largely vacant.
The property’s cinematic history and distinctive marquee have kept it in the public eye, even as the doors stayed locked. The site has repeatedly attracted redevelopment pitches and preservation interest, and local coverage of the closure and subsequent years has documented both the cultural loss and the steady stream of unrealized plans for the block.
Where Trader Joe's Fits In
The new filing lands as Trader Joe’s continues an aggressive Southern California build-out. The company surpassed 600 U.S. locations in late 2025 and told the Los Angeles Times it expects to open dozens more stores in 2026.
Part of that growth has involved scooping up former drugstore spaces. In one recent example, the grocer acquired the former Rite Aid at 1331 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica for about $22 million, according to reporting and public records. The Venice proposal continues that pattern of sliding into existing buildings that already loom large in their neighborhoods.
Approval Steps And Alcohol Rules
Because Trader Joe’s is asking for a full line of alcohol sales, the Venice project will move through a discretionary planning review, which could include a Conditional Use Beverage (CUB) approval or other city authorizations before any bottles hit the shelves.
In addition to city sign-offs, state licensing is handled separately. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control sets the rules for off-sale general licenses and for instructional tasting permits (Type 86). Both license types would factor in if Trader Joe’s ultimately pursues spirits sales or in-store tastings at the Fox site.
Neighbors Are Already Mobilizing
Word of the application spread quickly, and online reactions followed. A Change.org petition opposing a Trader Joe’s at the former Fox swap-meet location surfaced soon after the filing became public, and neighborhood conversations have picked up around the prospect of another alcohol seller on Lincoln Boulevard.
Local groups, along with Venice land use and planning committees, have a track record of scrutinizing liquor and land-use proposals on that stretch of Lincoln. That history suggests community review is likely to play a prominent role as the case winds its way through City Planning.
For now, the paperwork simply triggers the formal process. City staff will docket the case, post documents, and schedule hearings, while neighborhood councils and residents will have chances to weigh in. Any state ABC licenses would still need to be secured before alcohol sales could begin. We will be watching the City Planning docket for new filings, hearing dates, proposed conditions, and any agreements worked out between Trader Joe’s and local stakeholders as the proposal moves forward.
