Lest anyone worry, my favorite Cala Foods location in San Francisco (previously featured here and here) is apparently still a Cala Foods location, per this recent photo snapped by the photographer I love. This store was one of the only ones not sold by Kroger a few months back. Therefore it has not been converted into a Delano’s IGA. And I’m very glad, although I’m not exactly certain what the future holds for 1095 Hyde Street.
The photo above was emailed to be by my husband, who’s working in San Francisco this week. So it happens on Monday. After more than sixty years as one of the most recognized names in San Francisco grocery retailing, most Cala Foods and Bell Market stores will become Delano’s IGA. Sounds vaguely like the name of a feed store, doesn’t it?
When I first moved to San Francisco, Cala stores were exactly how I’d always imagined “urban” supermarkets would be: small, old, and almost comically overpriced. Despite the fact that shopping there regularly would have bankrupted me, I always liked visiting their stores. In fact, the Cala store at 1095 Hyde Street (featured earlier here and here) was the first supermarket I ever visited in California, and it remains one of my favorite stores ever.
The Cala Foods location at California and Hyde in San Francisco, from the 1967 film Petulia.
This stunning bit of supermarket architecture and design has been featured on my front page before, but I thought a couple of vintage photos showing the original interior and unaltered facade might be nice too.
The store is still open, at least for now. It’s been remodeled and slightly enlarged, but both were done fairly well. Kroger is trying to sell off the entire chain, so I suppose you could describe this one as somewhat endangered.
I was way too happy with this picture and I felt compelled to throw it up on the front page here. It’s the Cala Foods location at 1095 Hyde Street in San Francisco, built in the late 1950s.
It’s a beautiful store, and it was in fact the first supermarket I entered on my very first visit to California way back in 1991. It’s located at the base of Nob Hill, and it’s always packed. It must be fairly successful even despite the fact that it’s frequented by a very pedestrian clientele and probably has a rather small average transaction.
I wonder what will happen to it when the end arrives (probably soon) for Cala Foods and Bell Markets…
Thanks to everyone who confirmed my suspicion that the Camden SC store pictured here was in fact a former Colonial…
I’m off to San Francisco for a couple of days. No, now that you ask, I HAVEN’T missed my former home since departing in June. But I will be glad for a chance to shoot pictures of the remaining Cala and Bell stores, because I’m pretty danged sure they won’t be there next time I visit. Or not under those names, at least…
