Let me break this one into three.
First, Kroger left Lafayette around the same time they left Opelousas (1st gen center Greenhouse) and Baton Rouge,roughly 1984.
pseudo3d wrote:I recently discovered a list of grocery stores in Lafayette from the 1990s which revealed that there had been three Delchamps in Lafayette LA at one time. That's not too surprising...one of them was on Ambassador Caffery, which became a Bed Bath & Beyond after closure, and one was at 120 James Comeaux Rd.
So in Lafayette, Delchamps actually operated in 5 different locations, but never more than 3 concurrently. The Ambassador Caffrey store initially opened next to a then Kmart at 3557 Ambassador Caffrey. That store is now Big Lots. When Delchamps went to the SuperMarket push (as opposed to the Super Store model), they moved down to a then new center immediately adjacent (and connected) to Ambassador Row called Courtyards at Ambassador Row. *That* store is now Bed, Bath and Beyond.
120 James Comeaux Road was also built next to a smaller 7000-series Kmart, but later on, in 1980. Kmart outlasted this store by 2 years. It was originally built as a Super Store, but was later expanded to a SuperMarket. There was a definitive ceiling drop in this building, which was vacant for 10 years, but is now occupied by a private vocational school and a technology company.
pseudo3d wrote:A third store existed at 200 West Willow Street in a former Kroger Greenhouse, and not a first generation one (where the "greenhouse" was in the center and the walls curved in slightly toward it), one built in the early 1980s at about 45,000 square feet. What year did Kroger pull out of Lafayette, and why didn't this go to A&P like the Baton Rouge stores did? Was this the only store? (There appears that there was an older Kroger downtown, but this was replaced by the Greenhouse)
200 West Willow was indeed the final Kroger built in Lafayette. I don't have a build date, but it was closed by 1984. Canal Villere may have operated in this store for a while, then Delchamps moved their first generation store from around the corner at 2007 NW Evangeline Thruway. That store opened in the late 70's with Woolco, which itself became Wal-Mart upon Woolco's closure. The store remained Delchamps until 1998-1999, when it was closed. It is now a church.
Other Lafayette Kroger stores:
Initially opened as a smaller Henke's Family Center, 454 Heymann Blvd. It was later operated by National as a Canal Villere, which became Piggly Wiggly. That store closed, and was sold to a local operator in around 2004-05. It is known as Champagne's Market.
Possibly also opened as a standard Henke's was 102 Heymann Blvd. It was built as a standalone store in the late 60's. In 1976, a shopping center was built around it, with a Piccadilly Cafeteria covering the front entrance. A superstore was built at the back of the center at that time. Most of the original store is occupied by Dollar Tree. The superstore is Harbor Freight Tools and a golf shop.
And finally, the Kroger Family Center downtown at Jefferson and Cypress, which was closed for the Willow store.
A&P had already left Lafayette by the time Kroger pulled out.
I would really loooooooove to see that publication you got. I can shed a whole lot of light on all of them.