The Real Randall's #1

[IronTiger]

A while back, I started researching old Randalls locations more closely. It's fascinating...some really questionable locations in their history (mostly early 1990s--did you know that there was a Fiesta near FM 1960 and US-59 that Randalls bought but only ran for a few years?) but the mystery of Randalls #1 is still out there. Randalls began with renaming two Minimax stores with a third opening off Katy Freeway soon after (unsurprisingly, none operate as grocery stores today). From at least 1974 as per city directory to shortly after 2001, Randalls #1 was at 11071 Northwest Freeway. Problem was, Randalls did not recycle store numbers, but the strip center there did not exist in 1966 (the freeway definitely didn't, and it faces NW Freeway, not Hempstead Hwy.). An old article mentions it was really at "43rd and Mangum", which I think they meant 34th and Mangum, and there is indeed a small grocery store there. HCAD is no help here, but if my calculations are correct, was there actually a Minimax here prior to 1966 and a Randalls for a few years afterward?

[gnu]

There was a Randall's at 43rd and Mangum.  It was in the wedge north of 43rd between Mangum and the RR tracks. The building is still extant and evidently it is now a school called the Mangum Education Center (according to google maps).

 

The old school Randall's post sign was still in the parking lot in the early 2000s (I have a photo of it somewhere).

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.8337611,-95.4620966,622m/data=!3m1!1e3

Edited January 25, 2017 by gnu
added map link

[gnu]

So not sure this helps you or if you already have it or not but I looked it up in my city directories for 1966 and 1976.

1976 it lists 4615 Mangum as Randall's with Mgr Randall Onstead.

1966 it is NOT listed as a Randall's but as the Mangum Minimax.

 

Here is the rest of the information on Randall's from those two years.

1976: Randall's Food Stores (no store numbers listed)

5550 North Frwy (Billy Young, mgr)  This is PLAZA MINIMAX in 1966. Structure built 1960 per HCAD.

9448 Long Point (Harold Westbrook, mgr) Nothing at this address in 1966

11621 Katy Frwy (Cletia Rogers, mgr) Nothing here is 1966 either

4615 Mangum (Randall Onstead, mgr) This is MANGUM MINIMAX in 1966. Structure built 1956 per HCAD.

(also had another listing at the same Mangum address as "super market" instead of "food stores" with Joseph R. Alexander as manager)

 

1966: Randall's Super Markets (Robert Onstead)

No.1: 7528 South Park

No.2: Not listed

No.3: 10810 South Post Oak

No.4: 6019 Bellfort

No.5: 5714 Bissonnet

No.6: Not listed

No.7: Not listed

No.8: 1633 S. Voss

No.9: 6811 Bellfort

 

The 1966 listings are the Randall's Super Value Markets since the new Randall's Food Market was only founded in July of 1966.  According to Robert Onstead's obituary, they sold the original chain in 1962 to Hubbard out of El Paso.  They changed the name to Food Mart and then Piggly Wiggly.  Interesting that in 1966 it still shows up as Randall's Super Markets.

Edited January 25, 2017 by gnu
addendum

[IronTiger]

41 minutes ago, gnu said:

So not sure this helps you or if you already have it or not but I looked it up in my city directories for 1966 and 1976.

1976 it lists 4615 Mangum as Randall's with Mgr Randall Onstead.

1966 it is NOT listed as a Randall's but as the Mangum Minimax.

 

Here is the rest of the information on Randall's from those two years.

1976: Randall's Food Stores (no store numbers listed)

5550 North Frwy (Billy Young, mgr)  This is PLAZA MINIMAX in 1966

9448 Long Point (Harold Westbrook, mgr) Nothing at this address in 1966

11621 Katy Frwy (Cletia Rogers, mgr)

4615 Mangum (Randall Onstead, mgr) This is MANGUM MINIMAX in 1966

(also had another listing at the same Mangum address as "super market" instead of "food stores" with Joseph R. Alexander as manager)

 

1966: Randall's Super Markets (Robert Onstead)

No.1: 7528 South Park

No.2: Not listed

No.3: 10810 South Post Oak

No.4: 6019 Bellfort

No.5: 5714 Bissonnet

No.6: Not listed

No.7: Not listed

No.8: 1633 S. Voss

No.9: 6811 Bellfort

 

So I was curious why none of the store locations matched between the two decades and it looks like the 1966 listings are probably the Randall's Super Value Markets since the new Randall's Food Market was only founded in July of 1966.  According to Robert Onstead's obituary, they sold the original chain in 1962 to Hubbard out of El Paso.  They changed the name to Food Mart and then Piggly Wiggly.  Interesting that in 1966 it still shows up as Randall's Super Markets.

 

Your 1976 directory sounds right. The phone book (1974 I think) had the "new" address, which was about when the NW Plaza strip center opened. They must have moved about that time. In any case, those do line up. The second Minimax was #2 at 5550 North Freeway, and the third store that Randalls did open was on Katy Freeway. Long Point was #4, I drove by the store often and you can tell it has a larger awning than the stores around it. Half of it (left half I believe) is a restaurant called Seoul Garden, and it probably closed in the late 1980s when the store further down Blalock opened (#39, now Super H Mart). So in any case, it was indeed at 43rd and Mangum and not a misprint. Interesting!

 

But if there is a misprint there, AND the Randalls "Super Valu" stores (I thought they were in Pasadena...?) then maybe it is somewhat out of date.

 

I've yet to find Randalls #5 and #9, which were not listed with the 1976 stores. Maybe they weren't in the Houston phone book coverage at all. As I was telling SpaceGhost, the pre-Safeway numbering (for the Houston-area stores) was all chronological, so #1-#10 were before 1980, #11-14 are former Handy Andy stores, #15-#49 were all progressing through the 1980s, #50-62 were all early 1990s stores (New Generation stores and/or stores that did really badly and closed within a few years), #63-65 were former AppleTree stores, and the ones heading into the 70s were late 1990s ones before Safeway bought them and switched the numbering system.

[gnu]

Maybe they didn't officially rebrand the old Randall's Super Valu stores until they had to, which would have been 1966.

Along the lines of Randalls #5 and #9 maybe the missing Super Valu locations are in Pasadena (as you suggested).

 

Wonder where you could find 5 and 9.  Old newspaper ad with all locations?

 

 

[IronTiger]

1 minute ago, gnu said:

Maybe they didn't officially rebrand the old Randall's Super Valu stores until they had to, which would have been 1966.

Along the lines of Randalls #5 and #9 maybe the missing Super Valu locations are in Pasadena (as you suggested).

 

Wonder where you could find 5 and 9.  Old newspaper ad with all locations?

 

 

My theory is #5 and #9 weren't in the Houston area directly. I'm forming a theory that #5 was in Rosenberg (an old Randalls was in the strip center pre-1980s, and the strip center was built in 1970 per FBCAD) and #9 was similar (possibly an older store in Galveston that pre-dated its current location).

[gnu]

Do you have 11821 Wilcrest? Maybe that wasn't in Houston City Limits in the 70's?

[IronTiger]

3 hours ago, gnu said:

Do you have 11821 Wilcrest? Maybe that wasn't in Houston City Limits in the 70's?

That was listed. It is #7.

Edited January 25, 2017 by IronTiger

[blue92]

I lived in Houston in 1998-2001 and shopped at the Randall's  on Hwy6 and 529 at least twice a week. If Randall's are gone what replaced them?

[IronTiger]

6 hours ago, blue92 said:

I lived in Houston in 1998-2001 and shopped at the Randall's  on Hwy6 and 529 at least twice a week. If Randall's are gone what replaced them?

Sprouts, Goody Goody Liquor, and Five Below. But that's #20 and opened in the early to mid 1980s. We're talking about stores much earlier than that.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

my first job was at #7 in 1980, Wilcrest and 59

[matty1979]

I've heard from numerous people that the first Randall's was at Kirkwood and I-10 which is now Charlottes Saddlery. 

[IronTiger]

On 1/28/2017 at 4:11 PM, matty1979 said:

I've heard from numerous people that the first Randall's was at Kirkwood and I-10 which is now Charlottes Saddlery. 

First Randalls that opened as a Randalls and not converted from a Minimax (store #3).

[MikeRichardson]

Here is an Excel spreadsheet I started several years ago and last updated in 2013, now uploaded to Google Sheets.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17uR-1xMjZAEQ6tTHY_M0olNGik0fzP3wweplL-KmPnM/edit?usp=sharing

 

Randalls Store History (Houston Metro Area)

 

I'd like to add editors to this sheet, anyone else interested in this sort of stuff. Looks like we could really fill in 1-10 with the information on this thread.

 

Also, anyone can comment on the sheet without being an editor. That way one of the editors could incorporate that information.

 

Please PM me if you want to be added as an editor, I will need your Google username (usually a gmail.com address).

[IronTiger]

14 hours ago, MikeRichardson said:

Here is an Excel spreadsheet I started several years ago and last updated in 2013, now uploaded to Google Sheets.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17uR-1xMjZAEQ6tTHY_M0olNGik0fzP3wweplL-KmPnM/edit?usp=sharing

 

Randalls Store History (Houston Metro Area)

 

I'd like to add editors to this sheet, anyone else interested in this sort of stuff. Looks like we could really fill in 1-10 with the information on this thread.

 

Also, anyone can comment on the sheet without being an editor. That way one of the editors could incorporate that information.

 

Please PM me if you want to be added as an editor, I will need your Google username (usually a gmail.com address).

But...I had already started my own version hosted on my own site (linked in my quote) that has a lot more information. I'm missing 5, 9, 16, 44-46, and the exact address for 55. I don't know where I read that 55 was in fact Humble, probably a newspaper or yellow pages, but that begs the question of why I don't have the address. Chronologically it fits, all the numbering of Randalls is subsequent up until they were bought by Safeway. (Look at the numbering, notice how they start accelerating in the 1980s starting with #11 in 1980 and going up to #48 by the end of the decade, then dries up by 1994, so much so that they skip 1995, and only open about five more before being sold to Safeway).

 

http://www.carbon-izer.com/retail/albertsons/randalls.html

 

 

[Firebird65]

I made a few changes to #8 on your spreadsheet. I used to have the exact opening date and the grand opening ad for Randall's #8, but didn't keep it as it didn't relate to my research. It didn't help that it was a very poor-quality pdf. There was also a "planted" story in each newspaper talking about the store and giving the name of the first manager. 

 

I found the Randall's grand opening ad while looking for the opening date of the Deauville Theatre. The Randalls either opened the week before or the week after the cinema in July 1975.

[MikeRichardson]

17 hours ago, IronTiger said:

But...I had already started my own version hosted on my own site (linked in my quote) that has a lot more information. I'm missing 5, 9, 16, 44-46, and the exact address for 55. I don't know where I read that 55 was in fact Humble, probably a newspaper or yellow pages, but that begs the question of why I don't have the address. Chronologically it fits, all the numbering of Randalls is subsequent up until they were bought by Safeway. (Look at the numbering, notice how they start accelerating in the 1980s starting with #11 in 1980 and going up to #48 by the end of the decade, then dries up by 1994, so much so that they skip 1995, and only open about five more before being sold to Safeway).

 

http://www.carbon-izer.com/retail/albertsons/randalls.html

 

 

 

Your is on a static site. Mine is on a Google Sheet and so it could be collaborative. Also I did start mine several years ago but just didn't share it until now.

 

The informaton is public domain; use it on your site if you like.

 

 

10 hours ago, Firebird65 said:

I made a few changes to #8 on your spreadsheet. I used to have the exact opening date and the grand opening ad for Randall's #8, but didn't keep it as it didn't relate to my research. It didn't help that it was a very poor-quality pdf. There was also a "planted" story in each newspaper talking about the store and giving the name of the first manager. 

 

I found the Randall's grand opening ad while looking for the opening date of the Deauville Theatre. The Randalls either opened the week before or the week after the cinema in July 1975.

 

For some reason I don't see any edit, also, you should only be able to comment unless I add you as an editor.

 

Is Deauville Theatre related to Deauville Malls at all?

 

Also, here are pics I took of store #35 when it was closing. http://www.mikerichardson.name/tidbits/randalls/

 

I also have some pics of store #22 before the partial remodel. This is an interesting store because it's in a sort of poor neighborhood but does good business.

Edited December 10, 2017 by MikeRichardson

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

#7 was at Wilcrest and 59

11815 Wilcrest Dr, Houston, TX 77031

built to be a Randall's (and a TG&Y), it's now Offive Depot
 

 

#9 was at Bellaire and Hwy 6
6806 Highway 6 S, STE C, Houston, TX 77083
was built for Randall's, is now harbor freight tools.


my first job at 16 was a bag stuffer at #7, we had our joint xmas party with #9

[Firebird65]

On 12/10/2017 at 5:31 AM, MikeRichardson said:

Is Deauville Theatre related to Deauville Malls at all?

 

 

Couldn't tell you. No idea.

 

Deauville is a somewhat unique name. Seems reasonable to me they could well be related. Wouldn't surprise me. 

[IronTiger]

On 12/10/2017 at 0:33 PM, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

#7 was at Wilcrest and 59

11815 Wilcrest Dr, Houston, TX 77031

built to be a Randall's (and a TG&Y), it's now Offive Depot
 

 

#9 was at Bellaire and Hwy 6
6806 Highway 6 S, STE C, Houston, TX 77083
was built for Randall's, is now harbor freight tools.


my first job at 16 was a bag stuffer at #7, we had our joint xmas party with #9

According to the records I have 6806 Highway 6 was #15 which closed in 2005, and probably opened (just on style of numbering) in 1980.

[Ronmac1]

On 1/28/2017 at 4:11 PM, matty1979 said:

I've heard from numerous people that the first Randall's was at Kirkwood and I-10 which is now Charlottes Saddlery. 

The store at Kirkwood and I-10 was #3.  I worked there from 1973 to1980 with Cletis Rogers as the store manager. I had also heard that #3 was the first store built by Randall’s.  I believe it opened in 1968 and closed permanently in 1998. 
 

Nova Medical Centers now occupies the Randall’s space. 

Edited December 29, 2019 by Ronmac1
Change date listed in text

[Ronmac1]

On 11/28/2019 at 6:54 PM, Ronmac1 said:

The store at Kirkwood and I-10 was #3.  I worked there from 1973 to1980 with Cletis Rogers as the store manager. I had also heard that #3 was the first store built by Randall’s.  I believe it opened in 1968 and closed permanently in 1998. 
 

Nova Medical Centers now occupies the Randall’s space. 

 

[Downtown JuJuB]

On 1/25/2017 at 9:12 AM, gnu said:

There was a Randall's at 43rd and Mangum.  It was in the wedge north of 43rd between Mangum and the RR tracks. The building is still extant and evidently it is now a school called the Mangum Education Center (according to google maps).

 

The old school Randall's post sign was still in the parking lot in the early 2000s (I have a photo of it somewhere).

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.8337611,-95.4620966,622m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

[Downtown JuJuB]

When the original Randall’s on 43rd @ Mangum closed to move to the freeway, a local family took over the space on Mangum and turned it into a grocery called Russell’s. The owner was Jerry Russell.  Not sure how long that store remained open.  I grew up in the neighborhood and my mom shopped there (perhaps it was Minimax then.). I remember the TG&Y next door, and the carousel/hobby horse outside of the store.  Great memories!