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De Falco's-San Diego Area-1959

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:43
by Jason B.
De Falco's apparently was a small grocery store chain in the San Diego area in the late 1950s. The San Diego Union of November 12, 1959 featured an ad for "De Falco's Five Store CHEESE SALE Extravaganza." The store slogan was "FINE FOODS SINCE 1910."

The main cheese featured was "Redskin Cheddar" for 69 cents per pound. De Falco's resorted to just about every 1950s stereotype of a Native American -- the ad depicted a cheese wedge dressed like an Indian, with feathers on its cheese head, moccasin-type shoes, animal skin pants with tassels, a bow in the left hand and a tomahawk in the right hand.

De Falco's locations were:
(1) Point Loma – 1666 Rosecrans at Lowell
(2) Clairemont Quad Shopping Center
(3) North Clairemont – 3994 Clairemont Mesa Drive
(4) Federal & Euclid – 1655 Euclid
(5) El Cajon – 391 North Magnolia

Does anyone know what became of De Falco's? Perhaps it merged with another chain?

Re: De Falco's-San Diego Area-1959

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 19:12
by klkla
Jason B. wrote:De Falco's apparently was a small grocery store chain in the San Diego area in the late 1950s. The San Diego Union of November 12, 1959 featured an ad for "De Falco's Five Store CHEESE SALE Extravaganza." The store slogan was "FINE FOODS SINCE 1910."

The main cheese featured was "Redskin Cheddar" for 69 cents per pound. De Falco's resorted to just about every 1950s stereotype of a Native American -- the ad depicted a cheese wedge dressed like an Indian, with feathers on its cheese head, moccasin-type shoes, animal skin pants with tassels, a bow in the left hand and a tomahawk in the right hand.

De Falco's locations were:
(1) Point Loma – 1666 Rosecrans at Lowell
(2) Clairemont Quad Shopping Center
(3) North Clairemont – 3994 Clairemont Mesa Drive
(4) Federal & Euclid – 1655 Euclid
(5) El Cajon – 391 North Magnolia

Does anyone know what became of De Falco's? Perhaps it merged with another chain?
De Falco's was bought out by Vons. We used to shop at store in Point Loma as a kid.

Re: De Falco's-San Diego Area-1959

Posted: 13 Feb 2011 09:04
by submariner
1666 Rosecrans was indeed a Vons, but closed just over a year ago. Vacant.

Clairemont Quad Shopping Center: hard to track this down, It's now Clairemont Village Shopping Center (3015 Clairemont Drive). Looks like a store named Kiel's, a 2-store grocery chain.

3994 Clairemont Mesa Drive: the center is either completely rebuilt or heavily remodeled. 3994 resolves to a Michael's store.

1655 Euclid: Big Lots

391 North Magnolia El Cajon: Demolished. Unsure what's there now.

Re: De Falco's-San Diego Area-1959

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 13:37
by Dan Whelan
In addition to the stores listed, DeFalco's also had stores in Escondido, (Broadway?), Spring Valley, (Jamacha & Sweetwater), Pacific Beach, (Vons), and Mission Valley Bon Vivant, (West of Mission Center and way ahead of it's time). Founder Louie DeFalco had passed away in the early 60's. Firm was sold to Food Giant from Los Angeles but they kept the DeFalco's name in San Diego. Food Giant was bought by Vornado, (still in RE business). Vornado wanted the Food Giants' Unimart's. These stores were similar to today's WalMart with both expanded GM and full grocery selection. They turned the Unimarts into Two Guys. Lasted a couple of years, then sold the most of the Grocery stores to Vons and most of the Two Guys to White Front, I think some went to Zodi's.
Dan

Re: De Falco's-San Diego Area-1959

Posted: 18 Feb 2018 23:10
by klkla
Dan Whelan wrote:In addition to the stores listed, DeFalco's also had stores in Escondido, (Broadway?), Spring Valley, (Jamacha & Sweetwater), Pacific Beach, (Vons), and Mission Valley Bon Vivant, (West of Mission Center and way ahead of it's time). Founder Louie DeFalco had passed away in the early 60's. Firm was sold to Food Giant from Los Angeles but they kept the DeFalco's name in San Diego. Food Giant was bought by Vornado, (still in RE business). Vornado wanted the Food Giants' Unimart's. These stores were similar to today's WalMart with both expanded GM and full grocery selection. They turned the Unimarts into Two Guys. Lasted a couple of years, then sold the most of the Grocery stores to Vons and most of the Two Guys to White Front, I think some went to Zodi's.
Dan
Thanks for that information. DeFalco's was already gone by the time I moved to San Diego but people that shopped and worked at the Vons in Point Loma often lamented about it's demise and referred to it as "De Falco Food Giant". I always wondered what the connection was.

Re: De Falco's-San Diego Area-1959

Posted: 25 Feb 2018 13:06
by rvwalton
The Point Loma location is now a Ralphs. Cute little store.