Weingarten's Grocery Stores

[readam]

After seeing that list from 1955 I remember going to the "Village" Weingartens on University and the "Montclair Center" Weingartens on Bissonet and Weslayan before the "Bellaire" Weingartens was built near the intersection of Bellaire and Bissonet. The Montclair center store had one of those circular donut machines that you could look and see the donuts dropped, turned and finished. Pretty neat for a young kid to be mesmerized. They also had those old fashioned "Flip card" movie machines that flipped through hundreds of cards to show you a "moving picture" show. They expanded out farther to Maplewodd near Braeswood and Chimney Rock and points west and south. The only problem my parents and later I had with the stores was that they always seemed to have had a very limited amount of checkout stands open at any one time...it took too long to check out. If I remember from talking to colleagues from Louisiana they had Weingartens in Lafayette as well.

Edited December 23, 2007 by readam

[plumber2]

The Weingartens in Galveston was on 25th St. It is now operating as an Arlans, but basically unchanged fom it's mid 60's appearance.

[eileen]

I used to be able to pay my utility bills at Weingarten's service window. Very convenient. You don't get that kind of service in a grocery store any more.

[memebag]

I used to be able to pay my utility bills at Weingarten's service window. Very convenient. You don't get that kind of service in a grocery store any more.

Last time I checked (a couple of years ago, I think) the Kroger on S. Post Oak did that.

[Sharpstown Bill]

I remember an ill fated "Elvis Tribute" @the Capittan in Jan 1978--they show a movie and one or two impersonators and charged a fortune to get in

[jwphillips2]

I still have a full can of "JW" brand coffee.

[Vertigo58]

I used to be able to pay my utility bills at Weingarten's service window. Very convenient. You don't get that kind of service in a grocery store any more.

It also costs too much now for this service. In those days there were no alternatives but to pay in person or via mail.

The courtesy booth for the Weingartens on Telephone Rd was right next to the big glass windows with several bubblegum machines, tall weight scale and soda pop machines. We could see all the traffic passing down Telephone Road as mom stood in line waiting to pay up. It's so clear still, strange.

This specific store was smack in the middle of the hustle & bustle of the neighborhood so you always saw friends, neighbors, schoolmates. Very small town feel then.

[northbeaumont]

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

I didn't know that Kroger was big in Houston. Today's Chronicle says that Wal-Mart Supercenter has surpassed Kroger in market-share. I thought that Randall's and H.E.B. Pantry were the two most popular supermarkets in Houston.

[jetbeetle]

The one I remember in Pasadena was next to Montgomery Wards on Spencer and South Houston - it was even attached to the Montgomery Wards store so you could walk through an area of the store and into Weingartens. I used to go there with my gandmother all the time. -- Just a little more on the store's location - the Mamma's Cafe featured in Urban Cowboy where Bud and Sissy rolled around in the mud together then Bug asked her to marry him was right outside the store. If you look when Sissy is hitchhiking - you can see the Ward's sign in the bg.

[cosmic08]

Does anyone know how I can obtain a pic of the Weingarten store that was on Yale?

[Otis Fantastic]

I live up in DC, and the Washington Nationals logo 'W' looks very similar to the old Weingarten's 'W'. Pretty much everytime I go see them play, I constantly tell people they stole the 'W' from Weingartens. I miss Houston, is that odd?

[NenaE]

It mortifies me to admit I can't visualize a Weingarten's in Pasadena, but I'm sure there was one. For some reason, my memories keep coming back to a location in a shopping center on South Shaver at Southmore, directly across Shaver from the Sears store. I could be wrong though. I frequently am. Anybody with a better memory than mine? The floor is still open.

Think I've mentioned this on another thread, The Weingartens was by the Sears, west of it, you are right. I also recall a Weiners clothing store, with deep display case windows as you entered (seemed like an old store in the late 60-early 70's) on the south side. There was an Oshmans, later, on the east side (Weingartens bldg.) There was also a White's or other auto tire store that also sold things like bicycles, as well, on the west side. These stores were all connected.

The Abel's drug store was across the street, South. Never went in there.

Weingarten's always seemed so huge to me, the Gulfgate one comes to mind.

Edited October 13, 2008 by NenaE

[PapillionWyngs]

There was a location on Park Place Blvd., as well as a very large one in Gulfgate.

I wonder why they aren't mentioned?

[NenaE]

There was a location on Park Place Blvd., as well as a very large one in Gulfgate.

I wonder why they aren't mentioned?

There was also one at S. 75th & Lawndale, across from the Capri Theater, southwest of Mason Park.

[Vertigo58]

There was a location on Park Place Blvd., as well as a very large one in Gulfgate.

I wonder why they aren't mentioned?

Do you recall the intersection of the one on Park Place was??? That really has my mind racing.

I only knew of the very, very convenient one we had on Telephone Rd and Mulford st? near the Stephen F Austin High School. It was a bit of a local teen hangout for Jackson Jr High and Austin kids too. We knew almost every cashier & manager there. I can still picture their faces at the time.

I could always count on the newstand to have my latest issues of Mad Magazine & National Lampoon.

They always sold tickets or lucky numbers rather for the "Let's Go To The Races" (Dick Gottlieb?) snippet they would do after the news at night. If the horse with your lucky # won you WON too like in $$$. This was way before Texas Lotto folks circa 1966-70? Wow more kiddie flashbacks.

Edited October 14, 2008 by Vertigo58

[Dan the Man]

The building for the Telephone Road store is still standing (looks a little like the one in the photo in post #68). The building now houses government offices, if I remember correctly.

[Vertigo58]

The building for the Telephone Road store is still standing (looks a little like the one in the photo in post #68). The building now houses government offices, if I remember correctly.

Yes, it is discussed in another topic with great pics of its grand opening in the 1940's? Presently a depressing remuddled mess serves as either an HPD or HISD admin site. Gated like a prison until Ike smashed it down. We knew a girl named Becky that worked in the "Courtesy Booth" as the letters said above. She had one of those then stylish mid 70's Toni Tenille hairdos so it had to have closed shortly after so that would have been around 1978. It was so safe to walk from home to go buy a candy bar or little knick knacks light enough to carry home. No one and I mean no one ever thought of sneaking off with a shopping cart.

The loading area in back was excellent for us kids riding bikes up the ramp and flying off like in mid air just like our idol, Evel Kneivil!

Edited October 15, 2008 by Vertigo58

[carol802]

After seeing that list from 1955 I remember going to the "Village" Weingartens on University and the "Montclair Center" Weingartens on Bissonet and Weslayan before the "Bellaire" Weingartens was built near the intersection of Bellaire and Bissonet. The Montclair center store had one of those circular donut machines that you could look and see the donuts dropped, turned and finished. Pretty neat for a young kid to be mesmerized. They also had those old fashioned "Flip card" movie machines that flipped through hundreds of cards to show you a "moving picture" show. They expanded out farther to Maplewodd near Braeswood and Chimney Rock and points west and south. The only problem my parents and later I had with the stores was that they always seemed to have had a very limited amount of checkout stands open at any one time...it took too long to check out. If I remember from talking to colleagues from Louisiana they had Weingartens in Lafayette as well.

[carol802]

I worked at the Weingarten's on Stella Link just south of Braeswood 1969-1971. I had grown up 5-18 down Stella Link & Willowbend & shopped there with my parents most of my life.

Before moving to that area we had lived off Drake Street & Weslyan & shopped at the one at Montclair.

I just about died in that parking lot! I was 4 & my mom was going to the store & was leaving us kids home with my dad. I wanted to go with my mom so I snuck out to the old station wagon & hid in the back under a blanket. Planned on springing up & yelling peekaboo when we got there. I started thinking about it & decided it wasn't a good idea so I stayed under the blanket.

It was summertime. It was freaking hot & I was in a locked car & too young to figure out how to unlock the doors or roll down the windows.

My mom found me almost dead. When I had fully recovered she tore my behind up.

Edited December 3, 2008 by carol802

[scrubba]

Well....... I guess that means that the Weingartens store I used to shop at up on Little york road off North freeway is gone now too. I wonder if the Bowling alley is still there ? Damn , I'm really getting old I used to buy cold cut for the guys there cause we had Van accessories to make as I owned a business just behind the shopping center.

Ed Shaver, scrubba

[moni]

I didn't know that Kroger was big in Houston. Today's Chronicle says that Wal-Mart Supercenter has surpassed Kroger in market-share. I thought that Randall's and H.E.B. Pantry were the two most popular supermarkets in Houston.

Years ago several of the Kroger stores in Houston changed to Henke-Pelot, but I can't find that information any place.

[mkultra25]

Well....... I guess that means that the Weingartens store I used to shop at up on Little york road off North freeway is gone now too. I wonder if the Bowling alley is still there ? Damn , I'm really getting old I used to buy cold cut for the guys there cause we had Van accessories to make as I owned a business just behind the shopping center.

Ed Shaver, scrubba

Big Texan Lanes is long gone, and that Weingarten's has been gone for even longer. I bet you probably remember when there used to be a Grant's in that shopping center, before the bowling alley was there, as well as a Wyatt's Cafeteria.

I spent a lot of time in all those places when I was growing up. What was the business you owned there?

[silverartfox]

Years ago several of the Kroger stores in Houston changed to Henke-Pelot, but I can't find that information any place.

Actually, Henke & Pillot was a Houston grocery chain established in the early 1900's. Kroger, a national company. bought them out several decades ago.

[OldHouseLover]

Remember the opening of Gulfgate Shopping Center & the Weingarten Grocery new store? Here's a letter fromJoe Weingarden, Chairman of Weingarten's to area residents inviting families to eperience their "most beautiful, largest, new store". Walk down "memory lane". I'm still not very tech savvy, but thought someone might enjoy this bit of East End history.

Edited July 20, 2009 by OldHouseLover

[sevfiv]

"Fairyland shopping mart"

Thanks for posting this!

[OldHouseLover]

Letter found in East End estate @ 20 yrs ago. Found it again last week. Written Sept 1956. I've posted the letter in Historic Houston under heading 1956 Gulfgate Shopping City & Weingartens Grocery. It's a folksy, interesting invitation to see the first shopping center in Houston. I think Northline followed a couple of yrs later. Anyone remember this opening?

[NenaE]

Yeah, thnx for posting this...one of my fav subjects, nice to see the date.

[JLWM8609]

This thread is worthless without pics!

Do you have a scanner so we can view the letter?

[NenaE]

This thread is worthless without pics!

Do you have a scanner so we can view the letter?

It's found under the same title, but under "Historic Houston" (as stated in the first post).

Edited July 22, 2009 by NenaE

[capt. kirk]

Letter found in East End estate @ 20 yrs ago. Found it again last week. Written Sept 1956. I've posted the letter in Historic Houston under heading 1956 Gulfgate Shopping City & Weingartens Grocery. It's a folksy, interesting invitation to see the first shopping center in Houston. I think Northline followed a couple of yrs later. Anyone remember this opening?

according the houston archives, gulfgate opened sept 20, 1956...the first open air mall....(palm center was actually the first one, hcc is there now on griggs rd)....77 stores with 5,500 parking spaces, 802,770 square feet.....150,000 were there for the grand opening. gulfgate was torn down in 2002 and rebuilt as gulfgate center.

after palm center came gulfgate, then northline, then almeada and northwest......but don't forget meyerland and westbury square.....memorial city, town and country(completely demolished)......greenspoint somewhere in the mix.....then the mall near n.a.s.a......willowbrook comes somewhere in here.........there was shaprstown in the early 70's and was just recently renamed according to the area of town...........also a mall near 59 beltway area, since diminished and may not be there.......then katy mills...........first colony but have no idea the year.........katy mills is the newest...........GALLERIA is by far the biggest and most expensive