Jim Jamail And Sons Food Market At 3114 Kirby Dr.

[JLWM8609]

Does anyone remember Jamail's Grocery Store? I think it was on Kirby. My brother used to work there in the late 80s/early 90s when he was a student at Lamar.

[Reefmonkey]

I was born in '76, lived out in the suburbs, but remember almost any time my mother had an excuse to take us into town for a doctor's appointment, or was planning a big party, she would stop at Jamail's on Kirby. Long before Central Market, Trader Joe's, or even Rice Epicurean, Jamail's was pretty much the only high end grocery store with specialty items in Houston. I remember first getting Jelly Belly jelly beans there in the early 80s, when they became a fad because then newly elected President Reagan was partial to them. I also remember it being a real treat to get a coke from the coke machine while my mom shopped. They came in the little 8 oz glass bottles, and cost no more than 15 cents, may have been as low as 5 cents, and you returned the bottle before you left the store. I just remember at a time when a can of coke cost 50 cents from a machine, marveling at how cheap the coke bottles were there.

 

Anyone else have any specific memories of the place, or some photos of the interior?

[IronTiger]

There was a thread on the HAIF that had a few pictures.

[JLWM8609]

My older brother worked there when he was a student at Lamar HS.

[Subdude]

Here you go:

 

[Specwriter]

I've mentioned in other threads how outstanding the service and quality of the produce was. Central Market and Whole Foods don't come close to offering the customer service one would experience at Jamail's.

[Earlydays]

I've mentioned in other threads how outstanding the service and quality of the produce was. Central Market and Whole Foods don't come close to offering the customer service one would experience at Jamail's.

 

Being local and family owned was a big part of it......

 

[Texmex1]

They are still around! (In Horseshoe Bay)

 

http://www.facebook.com/JamailsHSB

[IronTiger]

Being local and family owned was a big part of it......

 

Or maybe because the owner genuinely cared. The "locally owned is better" argument is bunk, because it depends on the operating philosophy not on the fact that it's local or family owned. Raise of hands: who prefers Food Town and other Gerland's brands over H-E-B or Kroger? Or better example: does the fact that the Walton family controls Wal-Mart make it a better store?

[Specwriter]

Being local and family owned was a big part of it......

 

I agree. Randall's too had exceptional service in the early days.

[IronTiger]

I agree. Randall's too had exceptional service in the early days.

That's probably why Jamail's sold its Woodlands stores to Randall's in the early 1990s.

[Earlydays]

Or maybe because the owner genuinely cared. The "locally owned is better" argument is bunk, because it depends on the operating philosophy not on the fact that it's local or family owned. Raise of hands: who prefers Food Town and other Gerland's brands over H-E-B or Kroger? Or better example: does the fact that the Walton family controls Wal-Mart make it a better store?

 

I think you miss the point. Local and family owned for me means just that, in a local community, family owned and run, with typically one location.. Operating philosophy is a part of it, but I contend that a local family owned and run business is more likely to focus on personal customer service than a multi-location, corporate entity....of course exceptions prove the rule.

Family control of Wal-Mart, or BMW, or Mars candy, etc. is besides the point.

 

[IronTiger]

I think you miss the point. Local and family owned for me means just that, in a local community, family owned and run, with typically one location.. Operating philosophy is a part of it, but I contend that a local family owned and run business is more likely to focus on personal customer service than a multi-location, corporate entity....of course exceptions prove the rule.

Family control of Wal-Mart, or BMW, or Mars candy, etc. is besides the point.

Jamail's had at least 2 stores in The Woodlands, probably a few more scattered.

[Gemayel]

@IronTiger I am the son/grandson/great grandson of the family owned/operated local Jamail store. We only had one location at any given time. There were no stores in The Woodlands. If there were, it was not the original/same Jamail family that first started the business. 

[Gemayel]

Thank you so much @Reefmonkey for sharing your memories. It means a lot that people still remember what a great grocery store is all about. The Jamail Family thanks you for being a part of the tradition. 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

^^^ heh, i know that dude.. 

[Highrise Tower]

Joe Jamail shows off the produce section at the family's store at 3114 Kirby, which operated from 1959 to 1988.

[Dave W]

They would select the produce for you.