While doing research for some long-promised updates on the site, I ran across this ad from 1941 that lists six new “deluxe drive-in” Safeway stores in Spokane, Washington, along with a list of all then-extant stores in the city. It gives a great picture of Safeway’s presence in one city at the time, as well as providing a glimpse into the state of the chain in general.
By 1940, Safeway had moved decisively into the “supermarket” era after a somewhat conservative start. New stores at the time averaged 6000-6500 square feet and boasted tiled meat and produce departments and employee showers. These stores were also among the first to feature parking lots as a standard amenity, usually to the side of the store and approximately the same square footage as well. Safeway had been building some stores with parking lots as early as the late 1920s, but they were far from universal. In fact, in 1940, Safeway was operating hundreds of older units in taxpayer strips or on the first floors of apartment or commercial buildings, most of which were a fraction of the size of the new supermarkets and some of which dated from the 1920s and had originally operated under any number of other brands. The Spokane stores, for example, had largely started under the Piggly Wiggly, MacMarr, or Pay’n Takit names, all of which had different points of entry into the Safeway corporate structure.
A surprising number of Safeway’s class of 1941 are still standing in Spokane, including a very ornate former Pay”n Takit store like the one shown above. Here’s the list:
New “Deluxe Drive-in” stores:
- Division and Garland
- 3rd and Sherman
- South Monroe at 10th (could not locate the store near this intersection)
- Broadway and Walnut
- 3rd and Cedar
- N. Monroe at Jackson
Existing stores:
- 514 S. Washington St.
- 727 W. Garland Av.
- 814 W. Riverside Av.
- 1704 N. Monroe St.
- 5005 N. Market St.
- 3002 Grand Av.
- 2022 E. Sprague Av. (this is a very ornate former Pay’n Takit)
- 3315 Northwest Blvd.
- Division at Sinto
- Hamilton and Mission (interestingly enough, there’s still a Safeway at this intersection, albeit not a 70-plus year old one)
