Search found 206 matches

by Jason B.
07 Aug 2008 05:14
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Alpha Beta Locations-San Francisco Bay Area-1968
Replies: 0
Views: 2698

Alpha Beta Locations-San Francisco Bay Area-1968

The Alpha Beta supermarket chain had seven locations in the San Francisco Bay Area in December 1968, according to contemporary newspaper advertisements: (1) 1881 Ygnacio Road in Walnut Creek (closed in 2006; now Sports Basement), (2) 460 Diablo Road in Danville (closed in 2006; now vacant?), (3) 143...
by Jason B.
03 Aug 2008 19:13
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Safeway Store Brands
Replies: 37
Views: 27592

Safeway Lucerne Yogurt-Downsizing Containers

Has anyone noticed that the Safeway Lucerne brand is in the process of downsizing its single-serve plastic yogurt containers? They have been 8 ounces for as long as I can remember. Now they're being replaced with 6-ounce containers (the net weight that Yoplait has used for many years). July 2008 was...
by Jason B.
23 Jul 2008 01:22
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Rapp's Chain-1959 Moscow World's Fair-St. Louis Area?
Replies: 4
Views: 5200

Rapp's Chain-1959 Moscow World's Fair-St. Louis Area?

Thousands of citizens of the Soviet Union saw images of American supermarkets at the 1959 World's Fair in Moscow. (This exposition is perhaps most famous for the "Kitchen Debate" between Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon.) One image was of the exterior o...
by Jason B.
14 Jul 2008 03:40
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Milpitas, Calif.-777 E. Capitol Ave.-Northwood Plaza
Replies: 2
Views: 2237

Milpitas, Calif.-777 E. Capitol Ave.-Northwood Plaza

On July 12th, I passed the "Lucky 7 Super Market" (Asian theme) at Northwood Plaza shopping center at 777 East Capitol Avenue in Milpitas, Calif. It has a gable roof reminiscent of a late 1950s or 1960s Safeway or Lucky. Does anyone know if this building was once a chain supermarket? It's ...
by Jason B.
28 Jun 2008 02:48
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Earliest Albertson's in S.F. Bay Area?
Replies: 4
Views: 2854

Earliest Albertson's in S.F. Bay Area?

I recently flipped through a telephone book for Southern Alameda County from the late 1960s. It had a listing for an Albertson's store at 39177 State Street in Fremont. Was that Albertson's the first in the San Francisco Bay Area? I have no idea if the building was constructed for Albertson's or if ...
by Jason B.
13 Jun 2008 13:57
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Marina Style Active Safeways in Berkeley to be demolished
Replies: 20
Views: 11778

Re: Marina Style Active Safeways in Berkeley to be demolished

The design for the replacement of the College Avenue Safeway in Oakland near the Berkeley-Oakland city boundary continues to evolve. A community meeting will be held on June 19, 2008. The existing store and the service station at the intersection of College & Claremont avenues would be demolishe...
by Jason B.
03 Jun 2008 02:43
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Pittsburg, Calif.-Central Avenue-1950s/60s Safeway & Lucky
Replies: 5
Views: 4331

Pittsburg, Calif.-Central Avenue-1950s/60s Safeway & Lucky

Vintage grocery store aficionados in the San Francisco Bay Area should check out the former Lucky and Safeway buildings on Central Avenue near Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg. The grocery stores apparently closed long ago, but their former identities are apparent. Curiously, both are now small-scale ma...
by Jason B.
13 Apr 2008 03:37
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s
Replies: 28
Views: 26230

Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

The following is information that I gleaned about Montgomery Ward locations in southern California in the 1960s and '70s from the archive of the Los Angeles Times : (1) In Feb. 1961, the 9th Ward's store in California was under construction in Panorama City. (2) August 1961 - Ward's now open in Miss...
by Jason B.
09 Apr 2008 04:07
Forum: History: Outside the USA and Canada
Topic: The Real "Alpha Beta": Supermarket Chain in Greece
Replies: 1
Views: 10712

The Real "Alpha Beta": Supermarket Chain in Greece

"Alpha Beta" was a supermarket chain in the United States in 20th century. Its name was derived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet. In the 21st century, an "Alfa-Beta" supermarket chain is operating in Greece (pronounced "Alfa Veeta" in Greek). It is forma...
by Jason B.
24 Mar 2008 05:56
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Livermore, Calif-1963-"88 Super Mart"
Replies: 1
Views: 2147

Livermore, Calif-1963-"88 Super Mart"

The "Livermore Herald and News" edition of 10/9/1963 had extensive coverage of a new supermarket in Livermore, Calif. The "88 Super Mart" apparently was part of a small chain owned by Henry Bacci of Stockton. (He also owned the Better Buy Market in Stockton and planned more 88 Su...
by Jason B.
17 Mar 2008 02:44
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Lucky-Castro Valley, Calif.-3443 Castro Valley Blvd.
Replies: 2
Views: 2177

Lucky-Castro Valley, Calif.-3443 Castro Valley Blvd.

Does anyone know the history of the Lucky store (today Store #704) at 3443 Castro Valley Boulevard in Castro Valley, Calif.? It is in the shopping center at the southwest corner of Castro Valley Boulevard and Redwood Road; a Safeway store is located in the shopping center at the northwest corner. A ...
by Jason B.
23 Feb 2008 02:04
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Extinct Supermarket Merchandise
Replies: 177
Views: 94165

Re: Extinct Supermarket Merchandise

Oscar Mayer seems to be reducing the variety of luncheon meats in its product line. "New England Brand Sausage" was commonly found on supermarket shelves in the 1980s; now it appears to be gone.

I'm sure the Campbell's soup line, for example, has also changed its varieties over the years.
by Jason B.
31 Jan 2008 18:34
Forum: History: USA California
Topic: Northern California-Fresh & Easy/Tesco Locations-2009
Replies: 3
Views: 3361

Northern California-Fresh & Easy/Tesco Locations-2009

On 1/30/08, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Stores (a division of the U.K.-based Tesco supermarket chain) announced 18 locations for its first stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, to open in 2009. They will be of small size (approximately 10,000 square feet) compared to the 50,000 to 70,000 square fe...
by Jason B.
18 Jan 2008 01:48
Forum: History: Shopping Centers
Topic: MB Center Broadway and West MacArthur Blvd. Oakland, CA
Replies: 10
Views: 17940

Re: MB Center Broadway and West MacArthur Blvd. Oakland, CA

I posted a version of the following on this website (California section) in May 2007: The MacArthur/Broadway Center (no longer a full retail center as of mid-2000s) in Oakland was built in the mid-1960s by Edmond E. Herrscher, a Mayfair supermarket chain board member. One of the first supermarkets i...
by Jason B.
10 Jan 2008 06:18
Forum: History: USA Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Weis-Logan Valley Mall-Altoona, Penn.-U.S. Supreme Court
Replies: 3
Views: 3951

Re: Weis-Logan Valley Mall-Altoona, Penn.-U.S. Supreme Court

Here are some quotes from the Supreme Court opinion involving picketing at the Weis supermarket that opened at Logan Valley Mall near Altoona, Penn. in December 1965. It apparently was Store No. 40. It had a covered porch -- I'm uncertain as to whether that was a common feature of Pennsylvania super...