Search found 90 matches

by TheQuestioner
13 May 2008 04:21
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Covina Ralphs (Former Alpha Beta) to close May 18
Replies: 13
Views: 6646

Re: Covina Ralphs (Former Alpha Beta) to close May 18

From the looks of it, I was not missing much when it came to interesting decor with those mid 90's Alpha Betas. I wonder what the stores looked like in the 60's when they had the red exterior tiles. Those tiles were so cool. Thanks for the tips on interior photography. I have followed most of these ...
by TheQuestioner
13 May 2008 03:21
Forum: History: Drugstore Chains
Topic: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn
Replies: 10
Views: 13329

Re: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

I knew of Drug Emporium when I lived on the east coast, they took over some Dart Drug stores after they had been Fantles and F+M (and lasted about as long as those two did) I recall there being a discussion about Drug Barn on one of these retail boards a couple of years ago, and I think it was said ...
by TheQuestioner
13 May 2008 03:05
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Rite Aid Castro Valley/Lee Bros. Value World
Replies: 12
Views: 7805

Re: Rite Aid in Castro Valley CA

Hey Charles, thanks for the info anf the great illustration! I think I have hear of Lee Bros. in passing on this site, but I know almost nothing about them. Purity and Brentwood are the "long lost" local chains I hear about most on these boards. When did the supermarket chain begin? When d...
by TheQuestioner
12 May 2008 03:41
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Rite Aid Castro Valley/Lee Bros. Value World
Replies: 12
Views: 7805

Rite Aid Castro Valley/Lee Bros. Value World

I am not a Bay Area native, so I am hoping one of the many folks from around here on this board can fill me in on a store that has piqued my curiosity. There is an absolutely HUGE Rite-Aid in Castro Valley, at 3848 Castro Valley Blvd. I have been there a couple of times and am always blown away at t...
by TheQuestioner
12 May 2008 02:47
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Covina Ralphs (Former Alpha Beta) to close May 18
Replies: 13
Views: 6646

Re: Covina Ralphs (Former Alpha Beta) to close May 18

Thanks for the plentiful photos of the interior and exterior! Did anyone hassle you while inside? I have taken photos inside of supermarkets and stores, and about half the time I get some clerk or manager bugging me to stop photographing or leave the store. I try to be discreet but they catch on som...
by TheQuestioner
26 Dec 2007 00:23
Forum: History: USA Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Road Trip Photos
Replies: 7
Views: 4573

Re: Road Trip Photos

I can help clear up the mystery store on Kenilworth. I knew I had read about this a while ago somewhere, at first I thought it was on this board. On the dcgrocery site there is a somewhat hidden section called Name That Store with photos of unknown former supermarkets. This one has an interesting ba...
by TheQuestioner
15 Jun 2007 03:11
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Mayfair: 1970 San Francisco Bay Area Locations
Replies: 17
Views: 17394

The former Mayfair location listed as "San Lorenzo - Paseo Grande at Hesperian Blvd." is most likely the abandoned-looking building right on that corner, it has a rounded roof like many older supermarkets. However, there is a large parking lot right in front of it that is faced by a liquor...
by TheQuestioner
16 May 2007 15:19
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Hink's Department Store - Berkeley CA
Replies: 1
Views: 3689

Hink's Department Store - Berkeley CA

I recently learned that there was a department store in Berkeley, CA called Hink's. I get the impression that it was somewhat famous among the locals, at least back when it was in operation. I cannot find very much information on it, aside from the fact that the downtown Berkely location was convert...
by TheQuestioner
18 Apr 2007 18:11
Forum: History: Restaurant Chains
Topic: Gene Compton's Cafeteria
Replies: 5
Views: 7014

Gene Compton's Cafateria

Since there are a lot of SF Bay Area people frequenting this board, I'm hoping someone will have some info on this restaurant. In 1966 there was a riot at a place called Gene Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco. This was due to police harrasment of gay and transgendered people who frequented this r...
by TheQuestioner
15 Feb 2007 19:08
Forum: History: Drugstore Chains
Topic: Miscellaneous Drugstore Chain Discussion
Replies: 25
Views: 19749

I read that Rea and Derrick was part of Peoples' by the late 80's, and was therefore absorbed into CVS when they bought Peoples. There was a chain called Whelan Drug that I have seen in many photos from the 1940s-1960's. I am pretty sure they were around even before that. I haven't been able to find...
by TheQuestioner
14 Feb 2007 20:15
Forum: History: Drugstore Chains
Topic: White Cross
Replies: 10
Views: 12671

Drug Fair was acquired by Gray Drug of Cleveland (which was owned by Sherwin-Williams) in the 70s and then the whole operation was bought by Rite-Aid in the 80s. Gray operated discount stores for many years and their drug stores tended to sell a little bit of everything, which was pretty common unt...
by TheQuestioner
13 Feb 2007 17:43
Forum: History: Restaurant Chains
Topic: Farrell's Ice Cream
Replies: 4
Views: 5029

Also, what about Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor There is still one Farrell's in Canyon Country at 21516 Golden Triangle Road, Santa Clarita. Their web site has a history of the chain at http://www.farrellsusa.com/story.html According to that there were as many as 130 stores but most locations closed by...
by TheQuestioner
01 Feb 2007 19:11
Forum: History: Specialty Retail Chains
Topic: Toy Chains
Replies: 18
Views: 25188

Re: Toy Chains

Who remembers these former toy store chains that once rivaled Toys R Us?: Child World Children's Palace Lionel Kiddie City (Lionel) Play World I am pretty sure that Children's Palace was the same chain as Child World. I think they used that name in areas where they were expanding that had never hea...
by TheQuestioner
01 Feb 2007 19:06
Forum: History: Restaurant Chains
Topic: The first Chuck E. Cheese's in San Jose, California
Replies: 13
Views: 17084

The Garden Grove location I remember was still there the last time I went by a couple of years ago. I drove by there the other day and it is still there. Does anyone know when the Garden Grove location opened? It looked like this was the same physical location they had in 1984, which was the last t...
by TheQuestioner
24 Jan 2007 15:55
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Zody's
Replies: 88
Views: 72221

I have read detailed explanations for the rise and fall of Farrell's, a similar chain The Daly City Farrell's location (at the Serramonte Mall outlot near I-280) is now a Toons ice cream parlor. The Sacramento location (in a shopping center now converted to mostly police offices) on Freeport Boulev...