Buffalo Chain Grocery/Supermarket Locations, 1925-2005

This is a list of all known chain grocery addresses in Buffalo and its inner suburbs between 1925 and 2005, compiled from city directories, telephone books, and other sources. It is generated through a live Google Spreadsheet so it reflects the latest information I have.

Notes:

  • “Buffalo” covers Buffalo, Amherst, Lackawanna, Cheektowaga, Depew, and West Seneca. These municipalities (generally) maintain a common street numbering scheme so the addresses are sorted by street rather than municipality. Other suburbs have their own pages.
  • In 1939, major portions of Elk Street, Abbott Road, and Triangle Street were incorporated into a extended South Park Avenue. I have attempted to align period addresses with the current number and street as closely as possible, but a few may be slightly off, particularly the former Triangle Street addresses.
  • Danahy-Faxon and Nu-Way were under the same ownership (Nu-Way was Danahy-Faxon’s supermarket operation) and were purchased by American Stores in 1946. In 1961, the stores were rebranded as Acme.
  • The Flickinger stores led to the Red & White co-op/franchise and later to Super Duper stores. In 1942, the Red & White stores were listed under their individual owners and therefore could not be identified for inclusion in this list.
  • Loblaws also owned the Star Food and Bells chains in the 1960s and 1970s; the Bells banner replaced Loblaws in 1975. Loblaws also seems to have owned the Food Arena stores but I have not confirmed this.
  • Tops Friendly Markets would arrive in about 1961 after starting out in Niagara Falls and also owned the B-Kwik stores.
  • Michael Rizzo’s The Glory Days of Buffalo Shopping is an excellent resource on all aspects of retail history in Buffalo.

Store tags:

  • A&P
  • Acme
  • Bells
  • Danahy-Faxon/Nu-Way/Thrift
  • Federal
  • IGA
  • Loblaws/Star
  • Mohican
  • Red & White/Super Duper
  • Tops/B-Kwik
Updated on 26 November 2022

One thought on “Buffalo Chain Grocery/Supermarket Locations, 1925-2005

  1. amy

    September 26, 2020 at 11:55am

    Hi. How do you see other locations? Unable to find the “southtowns” tab.

    Permalink  ⋅ Reply
    • Author
  2. Adam K

    February 27, 2024 at 8:13am

    6363 Main Street was the old Tops HQ; there was never a grocery store there.

    Permalink  ⋅ Reply

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