This is a list of all known chain grocery addresses in Grand Rapids between 1925 and 2015, 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. Grand Rapids is, of course, the hometown of Meijer.
Location list through 1960 courtesy of Andrew Turnbull.
Access and download the location spreadsheet via Google Sheets.
Store tags:
- A&P
- D&W
- Eberhard’s
- Family Fare
- IGA
- Kroger
- Meijer
- Red & White
- C. Thomas
Bagger Joe
October 17, 2019 at 6:47pmI grew up in the Jenison area in the 90s and have a few random comments that may or may not be helpful…
The original D&W stood at 4050 Chicago Drive SW, Grandville which is now a grill pub. The location originally opened as an IGA in the early 40s. Some time in the early 60s, the owners, Sid DeVries and Roy Woodrick, decided to form their own company, D&W. As the business grew and became successful, they built and re-located into a brand new store at 4960 44th Street SW, Grandville either in the very late 60s or early 70s. Though expanded and remodeled a few different times,the store still stands today; however, it was re-branded to Family Fare after (but not immediately after) D&W was bought out by Spartan Stores (now SpartanNash).
In the late 1960s, D&W assumed operation of a grocery store located at 1965 Baldwin Street in Jenison (on your list – can confirm it has been Family Fare since the mid-00s). I worked at this store under both the D&W and Family Fare brands and was told it originally opened in the early 60s as a grocery store under a different banner but I don’t know what for certain; either Shop-Rite (most likely) and/or A&P. I do recall that when the store was being refreshed after the Spartan(Nash) buyout of D&W, they replaced shelving on the wall. When they pulled the old shelving down it was surprising to see that the original painted brick wall was still there. It looked very 60’s. I want to say the colors were red, orange, and yellow.
Kroger had a location at 450 Baldwin Street, Jenison. I believe it closed some time in the 60s. I have a local history book from the early 70s which features businesses open at the time of publishing and there is no mention of it. The building, which is still there, has been a local bicycle shop for decades.
Jenison also had an Eberhards but I don’t know the exact address. It comprised a good portion of the plaza (since renovated numerous times) comprising 7485 – 7565 Cottonwood Drive, most likely the middle or northern end of the plaza given the building footprint. The address back then would’ve been different as that stretch of road didn’t always cross the railroad tracks. Prior to its extension this section of road south of Baldwin was called School Street on account of the old Jenison Christian School being located on the site where the old Shop ‘N Save is now at 7500 Cottonwood Drive (the school was demolished to construct a Handy Andy home improvement store in the early 90s but the chain went bust not too long after the store opened). Eberhards probably closed in the late 60s or early 70s; possibly as a result of Meijer building one of their earliest supper centers immediately west of them at 550 Baldwin in the early 70s. The Eberhards plaza also contained the location of the local jewelr Jurgens and Holtvulwer (sp?).
At it’s peak, D&W Food Center (prior to buying bought out) operated approximately 27 stores. They went as far south as Three Rivers, Kalamazoo, and Stevensville and as far north as Fremont. West to east they covered from Lake Michigan (Muskegon, Grand Haven, Holland, St. Joseph) to Rockford, Cascade, and Caledonia. The locations in the Lansing area and northern Michigan were not opened until after the acquisition by Spartan(Nash).