Kroger Family Centers

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wnetmacman
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by wnetmacman »

I found another one -

Victoria, TX - N. Navarro St. Currently serving as a home to their parks department and several smaller stores.

This brings the total to 19.
Scott Greer
wnetmacman
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by wnetmacman »

I found another one today, courtesy of Google Maps:
http://goo.gl/maps/fxnm6

It's in Austin, TX; W. Ben White at S. 1st. The offramp for Ben White took up an awful lot of the parking lot, because according to Historic Aerials, this store had a huge lot when it opened (and at least to 1986). The grocery end is taken up by Chuck E. Cheese. The signature Kroger vent/refrigeration section gives that away.

This brings my total to 20.
Scott Greer
pseudo3d
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by pseudo3d »

Someone (Scott, maybe?) posted on PFS about a Family Center in Bryan, TX. Sorry, no, that was not the case.
wnetmacman
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by wnetmacman »

Since you seem not to believe anything I show you, here's the indisputable evidence I gave you there too:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8 ... 42,5251829

It's an ad from The Victoria (Texas) Advocate. Look in column three, third listing down. This is the EXACT store you don't believe me on. It's one thing to dispute when you have little proof. When you have CONCRETE EVIDENCE that shoots down your 'theory', it's not kosher to tell someone they're wrong.
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Scott Greer
pseudo3d
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by pseudo3d »

This 2004 guide to Bryan grocery stores distinctly has the Greenhouse exterior (notice roof and other decor elements), and opened in 1977. (It moved out sometime circa 2007 for a new store on the bypass) Besides, according to Pleasant Family Shopping, "Family Center" was used on some stores after the early 1970s but without the general merchandise selection. In the 1990s, another Kroger in College Station used the "Family Center" name for an adjoining "Family Video Center", but that had opened later: it wasn't even part of the original store, because it was on a different level than Kroger entirely.
wnetmacman
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by wnetmacman »

Besides, according to Pleasant Family Shopping, "Family Center" was used on some stores after the early 1970s but without the general merchandise selection.
The Houston division (Kroger Texas) actually kept the full general merchandise section in the Family Center stores until those stores started getting the Food & Drug remodels in 1983. In those remodels, Kroger added two things to these stores typically; the Kroger logo sign (which what you show in that 2004 guide has) and either a large Box facade or a faux mini-greenhouse facade. One thing about Bryan's mini-greenhouse facade which totally rules it out as original, is that in a TRUE greenhouse, you can see ALL THE WAY into the store. You can't do that. Also, in 1977, Kroger would have been spelled out on a modular panel sign on the front of the store, not the logo sign. That was a greenhouse addition, and Kroger didn't begin building those until the Bauhaus remodels of 1982 and later.
Scott Greer
pseudo3d
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by pseudo3d »

I thought the fact that it appeared to be a Greenhouse in '77 would prove it wasn't. Guess I was right...

So, even though that photo is black and white, do you suppose those darkish panels to the left of the store were direct relics of the Family Center era?

By the way, NONE of the Kroger stores in the region (except maybe a handful in Houston) have that logo anymore. There was a store in Conroe that had converted from an Albertsons after the Kroger name became "block-lettered" that had the older logo, but became a "block letter" Kroger a few years later.
krogerclerk
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by krogerclerk »

The greenhouse appears to be an addition to the store. The first greenhouse Kroger stores opened in late 1979 and early 198 and the first generation of that design had support pylons that were level with the facade on each end of the greenhouse. The store seems a bit tall for a superstore design, so it could have been one of the last Family Center locations to be built. Houston division seemed to be the division which operated the largest number of these stores.
wnetmacman
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by wnetmacman »

Looks like the Cape Girardeau, MO, store will be gone shortly, if not already:

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1969407.html

Seems that the owners are more interested in the money. Don't blame them.

Also, Longview, TX (the store I'm most familiar with), will be getting a massive $2.2 million remodel as well, with polished concrete floors:

http://www.news-journal.com/business/lo ... c8105.html

One down, one still keeps on going.
Scott Greer
KrogerTexas
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by KrogerTexas »

Kroger Family Centers originated in the Valley and were very prominent before the Valley stores were sold (and that is a story in itself). There was a family center in Bryan, Texas - not the greenhouse store with the video attached, that store is actually in College Station. The Bryan store was located about a mile or so down the road, and was in an old JC Penney building, so it did not have the typical look of a Kroger store. It has since been torn down. Conroe also had a family center (now a Hobby Lobby) across from the new Signature Store on the north loop of 336. Family Centers were the Walmart's before their time. The ones in Texas sold clothes, tools, equipment, mowers, guns, ammo, shoes, paint, hardware etc.
pseudo3d
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by pseudo3d »

The College Station store was built in the early 1980s and was never a Family Center...while it did have a "Family Center Video" (see ad that I posted on one of my blogs), that was apparently built on later.

Meanwhile, there was one Kroger in Bryan that jumped around locations.

The first at Villa Maria and Texas Avenue is now a Hastings and was part of the original Manor East Mall complex. It was next to the Montgomery Ward but never attached. At the other end of the mall was Britt's, later JCPenney (although redeveloped, the building now exists serving Bealls and Jo-Ann Fabrics).

In the mid-1970s, the Kroger moved up to Post Office Street and Texas Avenue, which moved out in the mid-2000s. I wrote about it here but neglected the 1985 ad where it discussed sporting goods and clothing (yes, even in 1985). This was the one and only Kroger in Bryan that was a Family Center.

Finally, it moved to a Signature store on Earl Rudder Freeway and Boonville Road.
pseudo3d
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by pseudo3d »

I found mention of a Kroger in Conroe that was 70k square feet, opened in the late 1970s...was that the Family Center location?!
wnetmacman
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by wnetmacman »

pseudo3d wrote:I found mention of a Kroger in Conroe that was 70k square feet, opened in the late 1970s...was that the Family Center location?!
I passed through Conroe a few weeks ago. The Hobby Lobby on I-45 was this Kroger. At the time it was built, Kroger was only building two kinds of stores: Supercenters, which rarely exceeded 40k SF, and Family Centers. This store was a late adaptation, where the front canopy supports were of tilt wall rounded design; the only two I've seen like this are Conroe and Lake Charles (still Kroger).
Scott Greer
KrogerTexas
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by KrogerTexas »

The old Kroger Family Center in Conroe (now a Hobby Lobby) was opened in 1972, in October if I remember right. When it opened it was over 100,000 square feet. In later years a section of it was sub divided and the Little Ceasers, Hair Place and a couple other shops were cut into the north wall. That left about 90,000 feet of store. I worked for a couple of years at this store. It still had paint, nails, hammers and a lot of hardware, the clothing, guns etc. were all gone. We still did sell lawnmowers however. It had the very old Kroger oval for a sign until it blew out one day and was replaced. I don't think it ever had the Kroger cube sign. It was closed when the new Signature store was built across the road.
KrogerTexas
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Re: Kroger Family Centers

Post by KrogerTexas »

The Kroger greenhouse in College Station was numbered as a Family Center. The two store's in Bryan/College Station were 997 and 998. 900 numbers were Family Centers (at least in Texas). It might have been planned as one and numbered as such, then build at a greenhouse store instead. The replacement Bryan store and the new one in College Station both are a 300 numbered store.
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