txn4art Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 I shop there weekly, usually during the day. The clientele varies -- sometimes ordinary in appearance and behavior, sometimes not. These are incidents I observed during recent months: A middle-aged woman stopped in the cookie aisle, opened a package and stuffed her mouth full of sandwich cookies until her cheeks bulged out. She then carefully rolled up the package with the remaining cookies and hid it behind other items on the shelf. She looked at me and continued her shopping. A couple of 20-something men felt compelled to stop their cart and kiss lovingly in the middle of every aisle. They happened to be ahead of me at checkout and entered the debit card pin number with their hands clasped It took three tries with all those fingers getting in the way. While waiting in line at checkout, the guy ahead of me complained to the cashier (also male) that his feet still hurt from the heels he wore for a performance two days prior. The cashier agreed that heels were torture but necessary. I chimed in and suggested several things to make their shoes more comfortable. The guys hadn't thought of them and appreciated the information. Yogurt is in two places at Disco Kroger. Premium Greek and organic yogurt is on the wall in the produce department; all other yogurt is in the dairy case between fruit juice and eggs.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 (edited) I shop there weekly, usually during the day. The clientele varies -- sometimes ordinary in appearance and behavior, sometimes not. These are incidents I observed during recent months:A middle-aged woman stopped in the cookie aisle, opened a package and stuffed her mouth full of sandwich cookies until her cheeks bulged out. She then carefully rolled up the package with the remaining cookies and hid it behind other items on the shelf. She looked at me and continued her shopping.A couple of 20-something men felt compelled to stop their cart and kiss lovingly in the middle of every aisle. They happened to be ahead of me at checkout and entered the debit card pin number with their hands clasped It took three tries with all those fingers getting in the way.While waiting in line at checkout, the guy ahead of me complained to the cashier (also male) that his feet still hurt from the heels he wore for a performance two days prior. The cashier agreed that heels were torture but necessary. I chimed in and suggested several things to make their shoes more comfortable. The guys hadn't thought of them and appreciated the information.Yogurt is in two places at Disco Kroger. Premium Greek and organic yogurt is on the wall in the produce department; all other yogurt is in the dairy case between fruit juice and eggs..I think the "other yogurt" was with the fruit juice and eggs, north side opposite from the deli an aisle away from the frozen fruit-less frozen foods section. That was the one I was talking about, there was some Yoplait but not much. No kid yogurts from what I could tell. Edited May 17, 2015 by IronTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 A couple of 20-something men felt compelled to stop their cart and kiss lovingly in the middle of every aisle. They happened to be ahead of me at checkout and entered the debit card pin number with their hands clasped It took three tries with all those fingers getting in the way.There's a time and a place for everything. Sadly, the time often occurs when you are in the wrong place... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Good story about my history at Disco Kroger. This is from 1996, I had been in a long distance relationship for sometime and the signs that the relationship just wasn't going to survive were obvious to us both. So, we were doing some shopping at Kroget on one of his trips here when things were coming to a head and just needed to be settled. He pressed for closure. I asked him if he wanted me to break-up with him right there and then in the juice aisle. He looked at me, thought for a moment and said, "No. Take me to cold cuts." We went to the deli and declared it over...then went to JR's for $1 drinks. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Good story about my history at Disco Kroger. This is from 1996, I had been in a long distance relationship for sometime and the signs that the relationship just wasn't going to survive were obvious to us both. So, we were doing some shopping at Kroget on one of his trips here when things were coming to a head and just needed to be settled. He pressed for closure. I asked him if he wanted me to break-up with him right there and then in the juice aisle. He looked at me, thought for a moment and said, "No. Take me to cold cuts." We went to the deli and declared it over...then went to JR's for $1 drinks.That was probably two renovations ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 True that. I seem to recall tile on the floors. And I paid with a check. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Hey man, I say do what you do if that makes you happy.Who are we to judge? Never heard of this Kroger though lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Who are we to judge? Never heard of this Kroger though lol I've heard about "Disco Kroger" for years, thanks mostly to the HAIF. There's crazier people than described above. True that. I seem to recall tile on the floors. And I paid with a check. :-) There was tile on the floor, which seems to be removed from the last renovation...this is going to sound incredibly nerdy, but based on what I know of this store and Kroger stores, this opened as a "Superstore" Kroger, looking a bit like this, with pebble-encrusted wall "tiles" (these still exist on the side of the building). Houston Press claims it opened in 1978 which is probably what HCAD says, but HCAD is often inaccurate, because by the time the late 1970s were in, Kroger was starting to build "Greenhouse" stores not unlike (nay, very much like initially) the "Kombat Kroger". (The wallpaper uncovered at the "Disco Kroger" as chronicled at Swamplot seems long out of fashion by 1978). At some point in the 1980s, the facade was altered at this Kroger to resemble more of the "Greenhouse" facade (these types of things were very "in" at Kroger at this era), and then in the 2000s (that's the second renovation), the store became a "Signature" store but didn't get those amenities that Signature stores had (like a Starbucks coffee shop) and amounted to little more than another facade restructuring and an interior face-lift, which takes us to the more extensive third renovation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west20th Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 really-eye-raising characters, there wasn't any transvestites, crackheads, or drunks (or any combination thereof, at least what I could tell). There is no reason to lump Transvestites (Transgender) in with crackheads and drunks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 (edited) I visited the Montrose "Disco" Kroger at 9 pm on a Friday night, and despite getting a renovation............ it didn't look too different from most Krogers I've seen. "Despite getting a renovation... It didnt look too different from most Krogers I've seen." Really ? Did you think Krogers Corporate Mother Ship would renovate to make it look more different ?Did you think Krogers Corporate Mother Ship was like "Gee, this Krogers has a cute quirky nickname.. we should surely take this into consideration when we remodel it "Did you think it got its name becasue of the renovations ? I'm dumbfounded at your train of thought.If you wanted to experience Disco Kroger for not just the people, but the architecture.. then it should have been fairly obvious to you that you were making your first visit over half a decade too late. P.S. You have "visit every grocery store brand in the US" on your bucket list don't you ? Edited May 18, 2015 by Highway6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Irontiger.. Since you are such the grocery/department store connoisseur, I have a joke for you. Q: How do you fit an Elephant into a SafeWay bag ? A: You take the 'S' off of 'Safe' and the 'F' out of 'Way'. *Drum Riff*.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 (edited) There is no reason to lump Transvestites (Transgender) in with crackheads and drunks.Transvestites and transgender are not the same thing, which is why I didn't lump them together.P.S. You have "visit every grocery store brand in the US" on your bucket list don't you ?Uhh...maybe? Edited May 18, 2015 by IronTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 (edited) Old Montrose is dying. All the fourplexes and tiny apartment complexes are being replaced with $800K townhomes. Spaces that used to be Blockbuster Video and a pawn shop are now both Mattress Firms. Edited May 18, 2015 by kylejack 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west20th Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Transvestites and transgender are not the same thing, which is why I didn't lump them together. That is still no reason to equate them to crackheads and drunks. Sorry that there were no crackheads and drunks there to amuse you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 As a drunken crackhead transvestite, I take no offense to Tiger's statement. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 (edited) That is still no reason to equate them to crackheads and drunks. Sorry that there were no crackheads and drunks there to amuse you.Who said I was equating them? Are drunks and crackheads equal? Edited May 18, 2015 by IronTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txn4art Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Old Montrose is dying. All the fourplexes and tiny apartment complexes are being replaced with $800K townhomes. Spaces that used to be Blockbuster Video and a pawn shop are now both Mattress Firms. True, but one still has interesting experiences at Disco Kroger, among other places in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west20th Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Who said I was equating them? Are drunks and crackheads equal?They were equated as "eye-raising characters". Maybe we can rent a bus for the "eye-raising characters" to go to the College Station PigglyWiggly to gawk at the rednecks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 (edited) They were equated as "eye-raising characters". Maybe we can rent a bus for the "eye-raising characters" to go to the College Station PigglyWiggly to gawk at the rednecks. Geez it wasn't supposed to be an offensive comment...we haven't had a Piggly Wiggly in at least twenty years...and that would be "eye-raising" as compared to "uninteresting" (I'm pretty sure that gay pride parades are definitely supposed to be the former--the whole horse incident arguably wouldn't have happened if there wasn't a guy in a chicken suit to gawk at) If you want to go people-watching "on the other side", go right ahead, I'm not offended. Don't get your hopes up. Edited May 18, 2015 by IronTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 (edited) They were equated as "eye-raising characters". Maybe we can rent a bus for the "eye-raising characters" to go to the College Station PigglyWiggly to gawk at the rednecks. I see no reason to be offended. As a teenager I would intentionally drive to Montrose from the burbs to see such characters at the Hollywood Cafe. Same reason I frequent some bars in the hopes I'll see some rubber balloon animal mask people. Or going to the Ren Fest. Or even the ice skating rink at the Galleria. You'd be surprised how many people fall.I also feel like I should mention #'s. Edited May 18, 2015 by Montrose1100 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trymahjong Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Old Montrose is dying. All the fourplexes and tiny apartment complexes are being replaced with $800K townhomes. Spaces that used to be Blockbuster Video and a pawn shop are now both Mattress Firms. Don't forget the mattress firm going into the Tejas Boots/Hollywood convenience store location Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 New Houstorian shirt. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Old Montrose is dying. All the fourplexes and tiny apartment complexes are being replaced with $800K townhomes. Spaces that used to be Blockbuster Video and a pawn shop are now both Mattress Firms. Old Montrose has been dying for more than 25 years, and 25 years ago grizzled Montrose veterans were uttering the same sentiments about an even older Montrose. I'm sure everyone that's lived there for any length of time has their own personal landmark events signifying that things were no longer as they once were. What really stands out to me is the increasing dilution of gay and alternative culture and the ascendance of foodie culture, exemplified by Charlie's Coffee Shop and Mary's being replaced by Hay Merchant and Blacksmith. I'm surprised that the now-90-year-old bungalow that I lived in back in the day is still standing, but I see that HCAD currently has it appraised at almost $520K, so I'm guessing that the rent's probably a bit higher now than the $500/month I used to pay. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I also feel like I should mention #'s. A youngster working for my wife asked if she had been to that cool club on Westheimer called "Hashtag 2" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 (edited) True that. I seem to recall tile on the floors. And I paid with a check. :-) you paid with a what? A youngster working for my wife asked if she had been to that cool club on Westheimer called "Hashtag 2" ha, I call it hashtags from time to time, it confuses the hell out of people. though, when I call it that, I'm being funny. when 'the kids' call it that, they are being entirely serious, that makes me sad. There's articles all over the internet about people who only know the 'save icon' as a 'save icon' the fact that it is supposed to look like a floppy disk is lost on them. I suppose the introspective ones wonder 'why does the save icon look like that?'. Edited May 28, 2015 by samagon 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 you paid with a what? ha, I call it hashtags from time to time, it confuses the hell out of people. though, when I call it that, I'm being funny. when 'the kids' call it that, they are being entirely serious, that makes me sad. There's articles all over the internet about people who only know the 'save icon' as a 'save icon' the fact that it is supposed to look like a floppy disk is lost on them. I suppose the introspective ones wonder 'why does the save icon look like that?'. If they don't remember 3.5 disks then these would really throw them for a loop... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 If they don't remember 3.5 disks then these would really throw them for a loop... Or, to go even further... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 I'm still saving my floppies in case they make a comeback. If they don't remember 3.5 disks then these would really throw them for a loop... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Or, to go even further... Yep, back in the day a 5MB hard drive wasn't something you put in your pocket: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 A youngster working for my wife asked if she had been to that cool club on Westheimer called "Hashtag 2" That story made my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 (edited) This was announced this morning: https://abc13.com/business/kroger-to-close-montrose-location/7860073/ I imagine Kroger had a plan in place for the property prior to this announcement, it’s a great piece of property. Has anybody heard anything? Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. will shut down its location in the 3300 block of Montrose Boulevard after 17 years in mid-January, the company said. The location had been losing money for some time, according to a statement from the company. "We never want to close any of our stores," Kroger officials said in a statement. "However, to keep prices low for our customers across the city we cannot continue to operate a store that has lost money for a sustained period of time." Edited November 11, 2020 by H-Town 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 Oh snap. There's so much real estate available on that side of the street now! Will be interesting to see what happens. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatguysly Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 RIP Disco Kroger. I loved walking there to get my groceries. It was the only time in my life I was able to feel the city was walkable. Hopefully, they do something great with this property because it is prime real estate. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutchcity94 Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 Show me a Central Market !! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 9 minutes ago, clutchcity94 said: Show me a Central Market !! I think I read somewhere that HEB said no more CMs in Houston This could be an interesting location for one, though. Looks like this Kroger is about 1/2 the size of our CM and the lot is about 1/3 of the size. Surely there's no chance of Target opening another store here, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC2HTX Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 Just now, wilcal said: I think I read somewhere that HEB said no more CMs in Houston Surely there's no chance of Target opening another store here, right? Correct and correct. I doubt another grocer opens here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutchcity94 Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 9 minutes ago, LBC2HTX said: Correct and correct. I doubt another grocer opens here. Do you think it’ll be another residential high rise? Or some sort of mixed use development? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 10 minutes ago, LBC2HTX said: Correct and correct. I doubt another grocer opens here. Agreed. Given the high land value, I have to think a higher-density vertical development is most probable. It will really depend on whether Kroger is selling the site or not, and you would think the rumor mill would have been churning if they had a buyer in tow already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pm91 Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 I've asked this question in the Westmont thread... wonder if they're related Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 2 hours ago, H-Town said: This was announced this morning: https://abc13.com/business/kroger-to-close-montrose-location/7860073/ I imagine Kroger had a plan in place for the property prior to this announcement, it’s a great piece of property. Has anybody heard anything? Looks like someone pointed out to Channel 13 that Disco Kroger had been there for a lot longer than the 17 years mentioned in the original quote... they updated their story. I feel sorry for whoever came up with that original time line - they missed out on so much of the discolicious fabulosity that preceded the remodeling. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 (edited) 42 minutes ago, mollusk said: Looks like someone pointed out to Channel 13 that Disco Kroger had been there for a lot longer than the 17 years mentioned in the original quote... they updated their story. I feel sorry for whoever came up with that original time line - they missed out on so much of the discolicious fabulosity that preceded the remodeling. I was wondering about that... I hadn't done the math yet, but upon reading that 17 years bit, I immediately thought that couldn't be right. How do our "journalists" manage to get so many simple facts wrong? I wonder where they came up with that 17 years? Edited November 11, 2020 by Houston19514 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 I know we all have very fond memories here but this is actually really great for the area. Westmont will kick off soon, and we can only speculate what will happen here. Montrose is becoming next level. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted November 11, 2020 Share Posted November 11, 2020 3 hours ago, Houston19514 said: I was wondering about that... I hadn't done the math yet, but upon reading that 17 years bit, I immediately thought that couldn't be right. How do our "journalists" manage to get so many simple facts wrong? I wonder where they came up with that 17 years? They're young, and need to get off our lawns. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EspersonBuildings Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 (edited) Yes, yes, yes! I'm glad I'm not the only one who scratched my head when I saw "more than 17 years" I just thought huh? My very first apartment was in Montrose back in 1983 and I remember it then being called "disco Kroger" Not exactly sure how long it's been there but for sure "MORE THAN 35 YEARS" would be more accurate! " Edited November 12, 2020 by EspersonBuildings added more info 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X.R. Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 10 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said: I know we all have very fond memories here but this is actually really great for the area. Westmont will kick off soon, and we can only speculate what will happen here. Montrose is becoming next level. Sorta sad to see it go, I had some weird but funny stuff happen to me at that store. As an actual place to do all my grocery shopping it was... OK. Convenience I'd give that Kroger a 10/10, but for actual food stuffs I preferred the fiesta on 59. I know people love that old Kroger but in the last year or so I'd gotten some sorta crappy produce like apples and garlic and avocados that were mostly over-ripe/going bad. Meat kinda sucks, is a bit expensive too. Buuuut, its convenient and not crowded so I go/went there often. This plus that other lot with the half price and mattress firm...if someone bought the whole thing they could make a very cohesive development that would become the place that Montrose revolves around. I hope a grocer stays in this area, an Aldi would be perfect. Affordable and usually a small footprint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 that lot with half price is already closing and being redeveloped...(along with the Jack in The Box being demolished this month) look for that to start happening in 2021...there is a thread in going up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted November 12, 2020 Author Share Posted November 12, 2020 First, 17 years was WAY off the mark. I sent a typo/correction email to ABC13 via their FB page, and the age was immediately deleted. Not exactly sure when this Kroger opened; when I started shopping there in 1981. I'm told that it was only a couple of years old. I've also heard that the Montrose Softball League used to play their games on that lot when it was vacant. I'm going to miss it for both sentimental and practical reasons. I t's easily accessible by two different bus lines, both of which run frequently. The same cannot be said about the Montrose HEB, now that the Alabama line has been discontinued. And the bus that serves W Gray and the River Oaks Kroger runs only every half hour. It is within walking distance for a significant portion of Montrose. A neighborhood isn't "pedestrian friendly" unless there are destinations to lure out of their houses and cars. It's been a good meeting place, where encountering neighbors and friends make shopping more of a pleasure than a chore. I know several long-time employees by name, which builds a sense of community. Some people have commented on their high prices, but the thrifty shopper can find some great Manager's Specials in the produce, deli, and meat departments. There's also a selection of discontinued or damaged items that have been heavily discounted. Snooty Kroger on W. Gray can't (and probably doesn't want to) compete. Some people seem to believe that increased property values and new development automatically equal improvement. Although Disco Kroger is no longer glamorous, I think the contributions that it has made should be recognized. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 From a search of the County Clerk records, Kroger leased the property effective May 19, 1977, then bought it in 1985.I also discovered that Kroger did much of their real estate stuff through an entity named Topvalco. The things you can find in property records... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 49 minutes ago, Ross said: From a search of the County Clerk records, Kroger leased the property effective May 19, 1977, then bought it in 1985.I also discovered that Kroger did much of their real estate stuff through an entity named Topvalco. The things you can find in property records... That makes sense. The original footprint of the building was quite a lot smaller than it is now (perhaps 2/3 or 3/4 its present size), and Kroger didn't occupy the entire block. Eventually the few remaining houses facing on Hawthorne (and maybe Yoakum?) were demolished to expand parking, and the building was significantly enlarged. IIRC this would have been sometime in the mid to late 80's. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed_Tx Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 77 sounds about right. Kroger had a major expansion in town around that time. My brother's first job was at a Kroger in Stafford in '79 right after he turned 16, the store was new then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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