Macon Georgia area History (Colonial-a&p and others)

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Edric Floyd
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Macon Georgia area History (Colonial-a&p and others)

Post by Edric Floyd »

Macon Georgia Grocery history as I know so far. And it is a long and detailed history.

Over the past 50 years, the primary chains to operate in the Macon/Warner Robins area were: Piggly Wiggly, Winn-Dixie, Kroger, Food Lion, A&P, Colonial/Big Star, FoodMax and Red Apple. Long time independent (neighborhood) groceries include Bateman & Wade, Rocky Creek Foods, C&J and Macon Food Fair.

Newer chains include Publix, Save-a-lot and 7 (count them...SEVEN) Wal-Mart Supercenters. and Southern Family Markets operating under the names "Southern Family Market" and "Piggly Wiggly".

I should count that there are two Ingles stores just outside and North of Macon and two Harvey's stores south of Macon.

COLONIAL-BIG STAR HISTORY (incomplete)

Definite confirmation of former Colonial store locations

Ingleside village, Ingleside Avenue. Was Colonial during the 1950's and 1960s. closed in 1968 as a supermarket. Spent years as a drugstore/pharmacy and was divided over the years. the original building contains a couple of small restaurants and antique shops

Rocky Creek and Bloomfield Roads. Was Colonial until 1970's. Has been independant Rocky Creek Foods for over 20 years. Unknown whether this store made it to the "Big Star" phase.

Bloomfield Drive Across from Macon Mall: Was BIG Star supermarket in 1970's. Became Michael's (arts and crafts) store in 1990's and a BIG LOTS store in 2002

Possible Colonial/Big Star locations but not confimed:
Riverside Drive and third Street Downtown-now occupied by medical clinic
Gray Hwy-now occupied by furnature store
Vineville Ave near Vista Circle, now occupied by CHI-Chesters Pharmacy.
Shurling Drive-Possible 1970's Big Star Now occupied by Advance Auto Parts next to Rose's discount store
Pio Nono Avenue- Possible 1970's Big Star Now occupied by Citi Trends clothing store next to Rose's discount store

Still looking for information on other Colonial/Big star locations in Macon, Georgia

SAVE-A-LOT has a distruibution warehouse in Macon.
Their Retail stores are:
MACON; Napier Avenue in former (1940's vintage) PIGGLY WIGGLY. Opened in 2002
WARNER ROBINS: North Houston Rd in former PIGGLY WIGGLY building, opened in 2000
MILLEDGEVILLE: North Columbia Street in former A&P (1970's vintage) building next to Milledgeville mall.
AMERICUS: Downtown area off Prince St, possible former 1970's A&P (Closed in 2005)

A&P: Probably did not have a large presence in Macon. The only locations I can confirm in Macon was on Riverside Drive. This store was closed as a Supermarket in the early 1970s and has been a fabric store for decades. The shopping center was remodoled several times but retains the shape of the centennial style A&P.

In Warner Robins, there was an A&P located at the corner of Watson Blvd and North Houston Road. The store was closed and moved to a new FAMILY MART location at North Houston Rd and Green Street. That location closed in 1999 when A&P closed all of its Georgia Stores.

The old building at Watson and N. Houston was a (local) Shaheen Office Supply store for years and was demolished and a (2003) Walgreens now sits at the location.

Other known A&P locations around Central Georgia include
Dublin (Now Video rental store)
Milledgeville (now auto repair shop) 2nd location now Save-A-Lot
Thomaston (now fitness center)
Americus (now office supply store) 2nd lcoation was Save-a-lot now vacant

PUBLIX: Original stores in Macon and Warner Robins opened in 1994 after a very successful debut in the Atlanta area. Met with great opposition from local unions. The stores were picketed for several months after opening.
Publix opened their second store in Warner Robins in August, 2005. All Publix stores have SUN TRUST bank branches inside. The Warner Robins locations have a dining area.

Macon residents protested plans to build smaller neighborhood Publix locations inside historic residential districts, thus Publix has failed to open additional stores there. It is long rumored that Kroger union employees and their families have led the protests.

Publx locations
MACON: Tom Hill Sr. Blvd next to Regal Cinemas and across from Kroger
WARNER ROBINS: Russell Pkwy next to Kroger
WARNER ROBINS: GA 96 & Lake Joy Rd, New development and first store in area. Closest store is a Winn=Dixie 3 miles east.

OTHER STORES, CURRENT OPERATIONS

FOOD LION, entered the Macon market in 1990's with stores in suburban areas not originally covered by other chains. They have since scaled back their hours and closed one location (Gray Georgia) None of these stores have pharmacies and none of these stores are open 24 hours.

Food Lion Locations still open:
Thomaston Road (1993) first supermarket in area-closest store is 5 miles away
Hartley Bridge Road (1994) first supermarket in area
Watson Blvd-Warner Robins (1991, remodeled in 1999 pending new Kroger across the street and new Super Wal-Mart to the east) Still open but hours were reduced.
Moody Road-Warner Robins (My neighborhood store)(early 1990's) Very traditional small and simple Food Lion. Closest stores are 3 miles away.

Food Lion stores in towns south and east of Macon/Warner Robins were converted into Harvey's

RED APPLE FOODS: This was a grocery store in the 1960's. I have no history on them but found a listing for one in an old Warner Robins Phone directory. Their location confirmed an old (1960's) supermarket building in the 1700 block of Watson Blvd. Nothing exciting about the archeticture of this location.

C&J is an independently owned grocery store with a gas station. They had a couple rural locations. There are two locations in Macon. These are small mini supermarkets with a meat department and are at least a few miles from the closest full sized supermarket.

Jeffersonville Road at Okmulgee East Blvd
Shurling Drive and Joycliff Road

BATEMAN AND WADE was also an independent neighborhood grocer with a produce and meat section. Residents cried foul with the family business closed after 60 years. It is operated as a convenence store today.

ROCKY CREEK FOODS is an independently owned supermarket in a former Colonial building in a low income and high crime area of SW Macon not served by any other "chain" markets.

FOOD FAIR/FINE FAIR: This 1930's vintage store has sinage as a FOOD FAIR super market. It is unknown about its relation to the FOOD FAIR chain. However this store was open as Food Fair until a few years ago. It is a very small store in downtown Macon Georgia. Again, another store that served a low income area that had no other grocery store.

GIANT FOODS: there is a chain of small town supermarkets called GIANT FOODS that had few locations from Atlanta (Bankhead Hwy) to Warner Robins. This is no relation to the GIANT supermarket chains in the Mid-Atlantic States

Still in operation: 530 N. Davis Drive Warner Robins, HWY 49 in Byron, Georgia and College Street in Barnesville, Georgia. Each of these stores are in low income areas not served by other chains.

WALMART SUPERCENTER: Just to mention that in 1994 when I moved to this area, there were 2 regular Wal-marts in Macon, 1 in Forsyth, GA and 1 in Warner Robins. Since 1996, Every major "town" in Georgia has gained at least one Walmart Supercenter. The victims of these Super Walmarts have been Winn-Dixie, (Brunos) Foodmax/Piggly Wiggly and Food Lion/Harveys.
The Supercenter count in Central Geogia: Macon=3, Warner Robins=2, Perry=1 Eastman=1, Cordele=1, Milledgeville=1 and 2 pending (Gray and Warner Robins)

And that is all I have for MACON GEORGIA HISTORY at this time.

Photos to follow when I have a chance.
noseriously

Post by noseriously »

The only addition I could offer was That Bi-Lo (Ahold) operated a few stores in the area until Bruno's bought them around 1989. Brunos wanted to name them "Food Fair" (that was another trade name they used in Alabama) but the little independent that you mentioned refused to sell the name. It was only trademarked in Bibb County. He was offered a big check and a new sign for his store but it wasn't enough. So Bruno's went with the Food World name which they also used in Alabama. Somewhere later converted to Foodmax.

There were some locations where the Food World store operated next to a Piggly Wiggly, both owned by Brunos. I believe in north Warner Robins across from the Family Mart they were only eperated by a driveway.
Edric Floyd
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Post by Edric Floyd »

noseriously wrote:The only addition I could offer was That Bi-Lo (Ahold) operated a few stores in the area until Bruno's bought them around 1989. Brunos wanted to name them "Food Fair" (that was another trade name they used in Alabama) but the little independent that you mentioned refused to sell the name. It was only trademarked in Bibb County. He was offered a big check and a new sign for his store but it wasn't enough. So Bruno's went with the Food World name which they also used in Alabama. Somewhere later converted to Foodmax.

There were some locations where the Food World store operated next to a Piggly Wiggly, both owned by Brunos. I believe in north Warner Robins across from the Family Mart they were only seperated by a driveway.
Well a lot of good for that little independent huh? LOL! That sound so typical for people in this area and a great reason why that store is now closed.

When I moved here in 1994 there were some Bi-Lo stores in the area OUTSIDE of Macon/Warner Robins. I knew one each in Cochran, Swainsboro and Milledgeville. The Cochran became a Foodmax, the Milledgeville is now a Kroger and I last time I passed Swainsboro (February) was still a BI-LO. However I will be in the Swainsboro area this week, I can confirm that and will update later.

The North Warner Robins Food World and Piggly Wiggly-Foodmax-Piggly Wiggly buildings are next to each other, separated by a drainage ditch. You actually had to drive OUT of their parking lots onto North Houston Rd in order to get into the other's parking lot. I was not aware that they operated at the same time in Warner Robins. The Food World location was vacant when I moved here. It was a Big Lots for a few years but is vacant again. The Big Lots moved to a vacant Wal-Mart store. The store next door to the Food World was a FoodMax when I moved here and is now a Piggly Wiggly. In recent years, this free standing store has added an in-store pharmacy and become a strip mall that includes a Family Dollar while the Food World Shopping center next door is mostly vacant.

The old Family Mart is 3/4 mile South at the next traffic light.
EDEW
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Joined: 19 May 2009 14:19

Re: Macon Georgia area History (Colonial-a&p and others)

Post by EDEW »

edric,

Most of your colonial info is correct, ingleside and rocky creek were indeed colonials, rocky creek was converted to big star in 1975 before closing in 1982, rocky creek foods was established in 1983. There was a colonial store originally in the westgate mall that was moved when the big star opened next to roses on pionono ave, the roses in northeast plaza was anchored by piggly wiggly. There was in fact a colonial on gray hwy in the town and country plaza (1959) and closed in the 1970's. Vineville was a piggly wiggly. There was also a colonial store in the wesleyan shopping center near the main post office in maconthat was the first store converted to big star in macon. Wesleyan College was where the post office is before it moved to forsyth rd. This location closed in the 1980's and was used by the postal service as their carrier station until the early 2000's An older colonial store was also located on the corner of houston avenue and charles st. (currently a police precinct).

A&P was located in the shurlington plaza, riverside plaza, on houston ave and a small location was in fact on vineville avenue. A&P was always expensive and dirty.
EDEW
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Re: Macon Georgia area History (Colonial-a&p and others)

Post by EDEW »

Found a pic of the old A&P on Riverside Dr in Macon. The pic has A&P in the background of an old postcard from Quality Inn, which was located in the Riverside Plaza at the time.
(photo courtesy of cardcow.com)

card00433_fr.jpg
Edric Floyd
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Joined: 27 Dec 2005 02:21
Location: Warner Robins, Georgia
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Re: Macon Georgia area History (Colonial-a&p and others)

Post by Edric Floyd »

Thanks for sharing that post card!

The hotel today is a Holdiay Inn Express. The resturant in front is now vacant but was an upscale Italian restaurant for many years. And the shopping center, while it was slightly remodeled is pretty much vacant.
EDEW
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Joined: 19 May 2009 14:19

Re: Macon Georgia area History (Colonial-a&p and others)

Post by EDEW »

I need to update some info in the colonial section, not to duplicate my old post or step on another persons.

Colonial goes as far back in Macon as Rogers Grocery. As far as solid research I found; the earliest location was a 1st era Big Star on 3rd and cherry in Macon, which changes to a colonial store later. There also was a store on pio Nono near Hillcrest ave; On Houston Avenue and Charles Street, Ingleside Village, And in Baconsfield shopping center.

In 1957, Arlington place shopping center opens up with a colonial, Maybe the downtown store replacement.

1959: the Baconsfield Colonial moves to the Town and Country shopping center on Gray Highway. Piggly wiggly moves into the building. (New Chi Chester’s pharmacy location).

1961: Westgate mall opens with Colonial on the South End of the mall.

1964: Houston Ave store is replaced by a new build 2525 Rocky Creek Rd Store.

1972: The first Big Star Foods of the new era opens in South Plaza shopping center. This one being new construction, with Arlington place being converted in 1974, And Rocky Creek Road in 1975.

Closures start in 1975. Several….. by 1982, all by 87.

Ingleside and Gray Highway by mid 75. No explanation given.

Westgate closes as Colonial to move to A new Big Star on Bloomfield Road across from Macon Mall in Sept 1976. Noted as the only store in Georgia with the “Appetite Shop Deli” and “Sugar and spice” bakery. (2 colonials in wealthy Atlanta areas did exist however with both features.

1979: Arlington place (behind Wesleyan college), and Pio Nono (Next to Roses), both closed in May.

1982: Rocky Creek Road closes, it’s now very close to several larger more modern stores near Macon Mall.
Winn Dixie withdrawals operations in the city also. Being the first stores in Macon with Deli and Bakery depts standard.

Kroger by 1977, has 3 newer stores with delis and bakeries. (All over 25,000 sq ft).

1987, Bloomfield Road Big Star closes. Kroger builds a 44,000 sq foot store south of the mall in Late 84 with more Features. It also steals the sales mantle from Piggly Wiggly, while opening 2 more 40K+ stores in 86.
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