Pennsylvania chain with distinctive store designs. Overexpansion and aggressive competition drove the chain out of business in the mid-1970s. Not affiliated with Penn Traffic, current owner of Big Bear.
The following article is from Philadelphia Magazine, circa 1978, and contains an extensive history of Penn Fruit, particularly its final years. Alas, I cannot remember who sent me the article, nor do I have the specific date/issue of the magazine.
jr23
March 23, 2019 at 7:33pmarticle quite good i have the mag from back then. my dad and i delivered fresh french bread to them. one big downfall was the joint bread ,roll and cake bakery they joint owned with horn and hardart.they were starting to decline penn bought pantry pride and overextended. they were the largest supermarkets store size in the 1960s in philadelphia
Bob S.
October 10, 2020 at 9:09amThanks for reproducing the whole article, it’s great to have a detailed history from someone who was so closely involved with the business.. The article is from the July, 1977 Philadelphia Magazine.