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Weingarten's Grocery Stores


doug

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Walk into Sears on main, Larry's Art's, Peek inside of El Capitan in Pasadena near the door. You'll "smell it." :) It just smells old that's all :)

Just an FYI here. I notice a lot of people here on the HAIF refer to that art deco movie house in Pasadena as "El Capitan". That's not quite correct. It was never called that. It was just the "Capitan". They never used the Spanish article "El" in front of the name. I speak with a little authority on this because I grew up in Pasadena, and I even lived three blocks from the theater on Pomeroy Street. I had an intimate familiarity with that place. Memorieees...pressed between the pages da da daaa...

Check any photograph of it. Here's a couple. http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasTheaters/...tan-Theatre.htm

Edited by FilioScotia
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Just an FYI here. I notice a lot of people here on the HAIF refer to that art deco movie house in Pasadena as "El Capitan". That's not quite correct. It was never called that. It was just the "Capitan". They never used the Spanish article "El" in front of the name. I speak with a little authority on this because I grew up in Pasadena, and I even lived three blocks from the theater on Pomeroy Street. I had an intimate familiarity with that place. Memoreeeeees.

Check any photograph of it. Here's a couple. http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasTheaters/...tan-Theatre.htm

It makes more sense for me (being hispanic) to say "El." The name is spanish "El" just naturally takes it's spot :)
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It makes more sense for me (being hispanic) to say "El." The name is spanish "El" just naturally takes it's spot :)

I agree, but a lot of people here are saying "THE EL Capitan". Which is repetitive, needless and unnecessarily redundant.

Just the same, the theater's name on its signage and in common usage was "Capitan". Not "El Capitan".

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I agree, but a lot of people here are saying "THE EL Capitan". Which is repetitive, needless and unnecessarily redundant.

Just the same, the theater's name on its signage and in common usage was "Capitan". Not "El Capitan".

Plus, they're two different theaters. The El Capitan is in Hollywood and is owned by Disney:

El Capitan

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Wow... It's come to this? We know what theatre were refering to. :wacko:

Wasn't intending to suggest anyone didn't know which theater was being discussed, just posted the link for anyone who may not have been aware of the Pasadena Capitan's more famous Hollywood namesake. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

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I agree, but a lot of people here are saying "THE EL Capitan". Which is repetitive, needless and unnecessarily redundant.

Just the same, the theater's name on its signage and in common usage was "Capitan". Not "El Capitan".

Why do you always stir up trouble? If you haven't noticed, Houston has a lot of Spanish heritage. There are ways to express your opinion without insulting others. Be nice, for goodness sake FilioScotia! This is an educational and productive forum for nice people. Without courtesy to others this cannot work!

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Why do you always stir up trouble? If you haven't noticed, Houston has a lot of Spanish heritage. There are ways to express your opinion without insulting others. Be nice, for goodness sake FilioScotia! This is an educational and productive forum for nice people. Without courtesy to others this cannot work!

Please explain how my posting was insulting? Or discourteous? Or stirring up trouble? The theater in Pasadena was called the "Capitan". Not "El Capitan". It's a small difference to be sure, but it's still different, and that's not an opinion. It's a fact. Look at the sign on the theater. In stating the facts, I made a verbal joke about redundancy, and it's clear that you didn't get it. You seem to be the one who's looking for something to be insulted about.

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I was looking through my Monday July 28 1969 Houston Post paper and read this.

A Salute To Our Three Astronauts from Weingartens

Your heroic and historic action has earned you the admiration of all the civilized world

WELCOME HOME - WELL DONE

They offer a 11 x 14 free color picture July 28, 29, 30 only. at all Weingartens stores

Edited by Marty
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I was looking through my Monday July 28 1969 Houston Post paper and read this.

A Salute To Our Three Astronauts from Weingartens

Your heroic and historic action has earned you the admiration of all the civilized world

WELCOME HOME - WELL DONE

They offer a 11 x 14 free color picture July 28, 29, 30 only. at all Weingartens stores

I remember that! Wow! In fact, if my memory serves me right, Weingartens provided color pictures for many space adventures following the first. I had 2 or 3 of those pictures at one time. The catch was that you could only obtain the pictures in the papers at Weingartens. Does anyone still have any of those?

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Wednesday. July 30 1969

Weingarten's Store Robbed of $35,000

Two gunmen robbed the Weingarten's grocery at 9420 Cullen Tuesday morning and took an estimated $35,000. It was the second robbery of the store within 11 days, police said.

BTW enviromain theres a 6 5/8 X 4 5/8 Astronuat picture that other Post paper.

Edited by Marty
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  • 1 month later...
Wednesday. July 30 1969

Weingarten's Store Robbed of $35,000

Two gunmen robbed the Weingarten's grocery at 9420 Cullen Tuesday morning and took an estimated $35,000. It was the second robbery of the store within 11 days, police said.

BTW enviromain theres a 6 5/8 X 4 5/8 Astronuat picture that other Post paper.

This is amazing!

When I 1st saw your message I thought it was referencing a robbery I was actually in approximately 1967-68? However; it was in Denver Harbor off Lyons Avenue. I was only about 7 yrs old went with my mom so she could would buy groceries. We were walking through (not sure why I recall produce section) listening to the manager announce daily specials as they did then, when all of a sudden we heard a man's muffled voice sounded like he was pleading/whimpering on the intercom. Everyone froze in the aisles looking around. Apparently, the manager was being threatened with a gun and maybe beaten "live". There was alot of commotion, other ladies near us gathering some crying, then after a while several men were walking around telling everyone that it was all over. We didnt know what until we were walking out and there police everywhere and it seemed as if though at least 1 was being placed in the back of a cop car. It must have locked in my mind because as a kid we would see this stuff on TV but shocked to see it live. That was one of the last events that convinced us to move out of the area! It went downhill ever since.

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My mom worked at the Weingarten's deli in Deer Park for a short time when I was a kid. I don't really remember what the store looked like (I was four), but eventually it became a Gerland's, and now it's a Food Town. There was one in La Porte, too. It became a Safeway, then a short-lived Apple Tree. Now it's one of the last (or might be THE last) "Food Fair" stores that still has the Gerland's name on it.

Speaking of Able Drugs, there was one in Deer Park/La Porte infront of San Jacinto College, and another one in Pasadena on Spencer Hwy (between Burke & Strawberry). That one (the one in Pasadena), I remember also had a soda fountain well into either the late 1980's or early 1990's (I don't remember which). The one is Deer Park is a nail shop, while the one in Pasadena is now a Ci-Ci's Pizza.

Oh, and I know what you mean about Larry's Arts. That place gives me the creeps. They too used to have soda fountain. They made good milk shakes... not as good as Able.

I remember Weingarten's "store brand" products were "Food Club." Now, Wal-Mart has "Great Value", H.E.B. Pantry has "Hill County Fare", etc. They're probably all the same thing with their label on them.

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in 1955:

general offices:

600 lockwood dr

personnel offices:

808 prairie av

stores:

808 prairie av

1601 taft av

5100 harrisburg blvd

2001 yale

1420 richmond av

1802 polk av

3600 n main

3114 smith

1118 broadway

1100 quitman

2512 university blvd

4800 washington av

1102 telephone rd

6002 lyons

4100 almeda

4000 bissonnet

10901 market

8826 jensen dr

4431 griggs rd

south shaver and southmore, pasadena

bakery and food plant:

534 lockwood dr

poultry and sea food dept:

4711 navigation blvd

home centers:

4800 washington av

1102 telephone rd

808 Prairie is now the Houston Chronicle printing building. The Weingartens building was torn down in the early 60's to make room for this expansion. Then The Chronicle connnected all the buildings facing Texas Ave and remodeled them creating the "one building" look it now has. Some where stuck in the middle of these buildings was a movie theatre. The upper office floors meander around the top of this building mostly unnoticed by the current employees.

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  • 4 months later...
e_bb_0470_pub.jpg

This building is simply to die for. I presume, in the grand Houston tradition, that it has been torn down. Where was it?

This looks very much like the building which is still standing on the southwest corner of Washington and Durham (4800 Washington location?). It may have been a standard Weingartens store design.

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This looks very much like the building which is still standing on the southwest corner of Washington and Durham (4800 Washington location?). It may have been a standard Weingartens store design.

The endangereddeco site you posted the other day lists it as store no. 14 (1100 quitman location)

as i proposed earlier in the thread ;) (post 15)

but you are correct...it does look similar to the washington/durham bldg.

http://www.endangereddeco.org/1930s/weingarten.html

weingarten2.jpg

weingarten3.jpg

Edited by gnu
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weingarten3.jpg

This must be the former Weingarten on Telephone Road/Baird street right? Near East End? Sure looks like it. What has to be one of the worse remuddles ever. Sorry but thats IMO and I'm sure all of my old neighbors AGREE that remember how cool it was then. It finally closed around 1980? Remained vacant for years. The store was so convenient and they still have not replaced one here since. Walked through them doors thousands of times it was another focal point of the neighborhood. There was even a basement on far right under flags for employees quite rare for Houston I thought. :) The huge parking lot is still directly behind this bldg. Untouched to this day.

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in 1955:

general offices:

600 lockwood dr

personnel offices:

808 prairie av

stores:

808 prairie av

1601 taft av

5100 harrisburg blvd

2001 yale

1420 richmond av

1802 polk av

3600 n main

3114 smith

1118 broadway

1100 quitman

2512 university blvd

4800 washington av

1102 telephone rd

6002 lyons

4100 almeda

4000 bissonnet

10901 market

8826 jensen dr

4431 griggs rd

south shaver and southmore, pasadena

bakery and food plant:

534 lockwood dr

poultry and sea food dept:

4711 navigation blvd

home centers:

4800 washington av

1102 telephone rd

I remember the first time I went to Astroworld back in 1969, there was a replica of the first Weingarten's store. I think the sign on it said that it opened in 1901.

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My grandfather used to drive 18 wheelers for Weingarten's. He drove them until he was 69 years old, so that was around the 1981-1982 timeframe. Before that, he did some other work for Weingartens. My uncles worked in the stores too, I know for sure one worked at the Almeda Rd. location where the post office now sits, and my grandfather and other uncles at the N. Main location that's now an auto parts store.

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  • 1 month later...
I found a Weingarten's token while metal detecting at Ellington Field a few years ago, which reminded me there was a Weingarten's at Edgebrook and I-45 that became a Minimax, and now I don't recall what it is.

i believe it was where the Fiesta is now.

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The Weingarten name seems to be entangled with a lot of scandal in recent years.

They own the company that wants to tear down River Oaks And Alabama Theaters.

Son in law who help developer Greenway Plaza went to prison for bank fraud, Grand daughter went to jail for Enron fraud. Nothing like greed among the super rich!

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The Weingarten name seems to be entangled with a lot of scandal in recent years.

They own the company that wants to tear down River Oaks And Alabama Theaters.

Son in law who help developer Greenway Plaza went to prison for bank fraud, Grand daughter went to jail for Enron fraud. Nothing like greed among the super rich!

Don't you remember "Social Darwinism" in history class? Or that movie where the guy said: "Greed is Good"?

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  • 5 months later...
e_bb_0470_pub.jpg

This building is simply to die for. I presume, in the grand Houston tradition, that it has been torn down. Where was it?

I remember the speakers in Weingarten's would always play the same song. I'm thinking it was called "Desafinado." Maybe I'm wrong. Someone out there might know the name of that song.

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