Weingarten's Grocery Stores

[Earlydays]

Weren't the Randall's originally Rice Supermarkets, or did Randall's just acquire the Rice chain??

[IronTiger]

No, RIce Epicurean is a separate chain.

[plumber2]

The two Galveston Weingartens stores are still standing. The location on 25th St. became a Gerland's, then Arlans until hurricane Ike. The building is now vacant. The other store on Broadway at 59th St. is now a Big Lot's.

There was one A&P on 23th St., now a funeral home.

The Henke and Pilot is still standing on Ave U, now a Goodwill store. Kroger operated out of this building for awhile until it built a larger store across the parking lot (now an Academy). Kroger also had a store on 4th St. in the back of the former Port Holiday Mall, now part of UTMB.

Piggly Wiggly had four stores in Galveston when it acquired a local family chain (Evans). All of these buildings are still standing. The one on Broadway is an auto parts store, the one on 45th at Ave S is vacant, and the one on Stewart at 69th street is now some kind of community church. The last one on University Blvd. at Market St. is still operating as an Arlan's.

Lewis and Coker had a store next to K Mart on Stewart Rd. now part of Marshall's.

Safeway had a store on 61st St. at Stewart Rd., became an HEB Pantry, now a private school.

Randall's is still operating a decent store on 61st. St.

Kroger now has the lion's share of business with it's massive store on the Seawall.

Walmart and Target service the remaining amount of business, with a few independents picking up scraps.

HEB abandoned the island, and it's plans for a larger store, after hurricane Ike.

[ChannelTwoNews]

The one in Rosenberg was located at 2516 Avenue H, and anchored the Plaza Shopping Center. That center was built in the late 60s on the site of the former Rosenberg High School which had been demolished just prior to construction, since Lamar High had opened nearby and was larger and more modern.

It featured some of the hallmarks of the other stores mentioned. A large peaked roof and expansive windows on the parking lot are the design points that come to mind immediately. I can't say that I have any experiences at the store as a Weingarten's since I wasn't around yet... but I do know that either in the late 70s or early 80s, it became a Budget Chopper location within the Brookshire Brothers' chain. I used to always go there with my grandma when she'd get groceries since that was one of her two favorite places to go, more due to location than anything else, since it was within a mile of her house. Years after it had become a Budget Chopper, she'd still refer to it as Weingartens. In her home, I think there's at least an old paper or plastic bag with the "red dot" logo on it. There may or may not be some spices on her rack with some labels from the store as well. Might be worth checking.

I think the store closed in the late 90s or early 2000s, and has since become a 99 cents only location. Most of the building's original modern elements are hidden behind stucco now.

[IronTiger]

Did it convert to a Grand Union? Grand Union was the parent company of Weingarten's in the early 1980s (after the parent company sold out), and it was famous for its "red dot" in the 1980s.

[TV2EBoogaloo]

Handy Andy.....that was it thanks

[yams69]

It featured some of the hallmarks of the other stores mentioned. A large peaked roof and expansive windows on the parking lot are the design points that come to mind immediately.

That's what I remember about our local Weingarten's (on the northeast corner of the intersection of Long Point and Wirt, in Spring Branch).

Gerland's FTW, though. Our local store was on the north side of Long Point, between Ridgecrest and Pech. It's amazing how miniscule it was compared to a typical supermarket these days, and yet I still remember it as having everything we needed. That Gerland's is the archetypal grocery store for me.

[hbcu]

They had several in South park also....even one that has a street named after it....

[Bill Lins]

Was there an A&P on South Post Oak near Bellfort? There is a brick building there that always reminded me of an A&P.

I believe you are correct.

[marketingwiz]

Back in the early 1980s, I worked as an

ad agency

account supervisor who handled the regional Weingarten grocery store account (Texas, Okla and La). Among my many tasks was to produce the weekly television commercials which were in a "donut" format, meaning the beginning and ending stayed the same and I dropped in whatever products were being featured that week in the middle. That required me to actually secure the featured items for videotaping which became a huge and ongoing problem. I literally could

NEVER

find the products Weingarten wanted to promote in their TV spots

AT

a Weingarten's store. I had to go to Randall's or Kroger to secure those items. Ironic much? Additionally, Weingarten stores were nasty, stinky and dirty, as were their employees. The meat area smelled rancid, there was always dried blood on the meat shelves and the dairy case consistently smelled of spoiled milk. (The Weingarten in the Heights on Studewood past 11th St. was absolutely the worst.) And the checkers were the most awful and incompetent people I've ever seen. They could literally kill your appetite and some of them you didn't want touching your groceries. If the reek of B.O. wasn't enough, then perhaps a shopper might enjoy the bleeding and crusty sores I saw on more than one employee's forearm. An order of shingles to go, anyone? I don't fault anyone for their skin condition, but for heaven's sake, COVER IT UP!!!! (The cheesy red polyester checker jackets were cut off at the elbow.) But even better, as a young, naive and upcoming ad gal, I felt that our client should be informed of the store's numerous shortcomings. BIG mistake. It was like calling his baby ugly and he did not give a whit that the very products he wanted to feature could not be found in the store he wanted to promote. Old man Minnich, their 'marketing director,' taught me a 'life lesson' I never forgot. Thankfully, Weingarten finally bit the dust back in the early 90's I believe, and Mr. Minnich lost his job. And yes, the slogan was "When you see the red dot, you'll save a lot." It was voiced over by an elderly gentleman whose dentures whistled when he spoke, but they refused to allow me to have it rerecorded because he was one of Minnich's cronies. Pure genius.

Edited June 9, 2011 by marketingwiz

[chicocasanova]

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 going to a Weingarten's in Gulfgate Shopping City. The was a toy store just down from it.

[Riomar]

I have very vague memories of shopping on a few occasions at the one off of Dunlavy. I do remember loving the stained glass lights. If you are not sure which one I am talking about it is where the Fiesta is now (and the new HEB--way off topic, but what does that stand for?). It became a Safeway and then an Appletree before it was Fiesta. I do remember being exited when we were going to go there, not sure why though. Maybe because it was different and kinda a rare treat. Most of our groceries was either at the small corner grocers (forgot the name, old style type grocer on the corner of Jack and West Alabama across from where the Arcadian Bakery is now. The grocer is now long gone) or the Montrose Kroger's. This Weingarten's must have post dated 1955 as it is not listed.

[mkultra25]

(and the new HEB--way off topic, but what does that stand for?)

The initials of Howard E. Butt, the son of the company founder:

http://www.heb.com/s...history/3000002

Most of our groceries was either at the small corner grocers (forgot the name, old style type grocer on the corner of Jack and West Alabama across from where the Arcadian Bakery is now. The grocer is now long gone)

Pasternak's. I miss that place, it was still open when I first moved into the area in the early 80s. Can't remember the business that moved in after they closed, but eventually they went out of business too and the original building was razed.

Edited October 27, 2011 by mkultra25

[Riomar]

Yep that is it. I lived right down the street. It was a florist after that. The florists moved over by Memorial City Mall. I saw them when trying out a burger joint over in the area (forgot the name of both, hehe. I can ask my mother tomorrow for the name of the florists). I miss that little grocers it was a neat place. Also thank you on the name of HEB (and yep it made me giggle).

[blue92]

When I was a kid growing up off S.Main in Knollwood Village in the mid 50s my mom's favorite grocery store was Weingarten's at the intersection of Stella Link & S.Braseswood. I always liked going with her because there was a toy store behind the grocery store that while mom shopped for groceries I would play with the toys. I also bought a lot of model cars in the toy store.

The other grocery store we had in the area we used when we didn't want to drive all the way over the Weingarten's we'd shop a Ward's grocery store on Buffalo Speedway a block south pf Linkwood Dr.

Also does anyone on here remember Richmond Grocery store on Richmond and I think Loretto Dr.? I remember they were the 1st 24 hour grocery store back in the early 70s.

Edited October 29, 2011 by blue92

[acamarillo]

When I was a kid growing up off S.Main in Knollwood Village in the mid 50s my mom's favorite grocery store was Weingarten's at the intersection of Stella Link & S.Braseswood. I always liked going with her because there was a toy store behind the grocery store that while mom shopped for groceries I would play with the toys. I also bought a lot of model cars in the toy store.

The other grocery store we had in the area we used when we didn't want to drive all the way over the Weingarten's we'd shop a Ward's grocery store on Buffalo Speedway a block south pf Linkwood Dr.

Also does anyone on here remember Richmond Grocery store on Richmond and I think Loretto Dr.? I remember they were the 1st 24 hour grocery store back in the early 70s.

Freaky Foods!

[sinister1]

Does anyone have a photo of Weingarten's grocery store showing their sign?

Here's a picture from around 1930, this is off of Quitman and Fulton where Fiesta is now, it was remolded sometime after to what it looks like now but I don't know when. Fiesta bought the building like in the mid 70's or early 80's (don't remember) when the original Fiesta off of Fulton was burned down during the Moody Park Riots.

[sinister1]

Here's a picture from around 1930, this is off of Quitman and Fulton where Fiesta is now, it was remolded sometime after to what it looks like now but I don't know when. Fiesta bought the building like in the mid 70's or early 80's (don't remember) when the original Fiesta off of Fulton was burned down during the Moody Park Riots.

Here is a later photo of the newer building from the 70's

[sinister1]

Here is a later photo of the newer building from the 70's

Here it is today.

[sinister1]

I remember going to a Weingarten's in Gulfgate Shopping City. The was a toy store just down from it.

Holy Crap, the one on North main is an Oriley's Auto parts now. The building looks like it's from the 30's or 40s.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=3600+n+main,+Houston,+TX&hl=en&ll=29.790789,-95.37294&spn=0.006202,0.006539&sll=29.791103,-95.372656&layer=c&cbp=13,38.13,,0,0&cbll=29.790789,-95.37294&hnear=3600+N+Main+St,+Houston,+Texas+77009&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=0&iwloc=A&panoid=qNXqXmTsq4EET22lyuJvQQ

[sinister1]

Holy Crap, the one on North main is an Oriley's Auto parts now. The building looks like it's from the 30's or 40s.

http://maps.google.c...sq4EET22lyuJvQQ

Here's the one on Washington Ave. Looks like Oriley's bought this one too some time back, it's some kind of Sushi place now.

[sinister1]

Does anyone have pictures of the old Weingarten's on Yale?

[IronTiger]

I made a topic about Weingarten's (as the older one was buried at the time). Can they merged?

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24280-weingartens/page__hl__weingarten's

[NenaE]

Here's the one on Washington Ave. Looks like Oriley's bought this one too some time back, it's some kind of Sushi place now.

I love that bldg. on Wash. Ave. with the black tiles, that really needs to be preserved. What was originally next to it, looks like another store connected.

[sinister1]

I love that bldg. on Wash. Ave. with the black tiles, that really needs to be preserved. What was originally next to it, looks like another store connected.

It was an Eckerds drug store back in the until like the early 90's ;-)

[Ross]

I love that bldg. on Wash. Ave. with the black tiles, that really needs to be preserved. What was originally next to it, looks like another store connected.

The entire building was the Weingartens, according to a friend who delivered soft drinks there 30+ years ago. Ther'es a full size basement underneath the building, as well.

[px4man]

I grew up in Westbury 1958-1965, and watched the Weingartens next to Westbury Square being built. My mom used to send me to the store to get her a carton of Chesterfield's for $2.00 and they had the two water fountains and the two sets of bathrooms in the front of the store that were the way of the times back then. I'm not sure what it is now. I remember finding several cases of out of date wine in the dumpster behind Weingartens that ended up getting me in a lot of trouble. Had a lot of fun at Westbury Square also. I remember filling up a balloon with dish detergent and sneeking it into the fountain next to Rumpleheimers and breaking it under the water, and seeing it mentioned in the Houston Press the next day.

I better shut up!

[sinister1]

I grew up in Westbury 1958-1965, and watched the Weingartens next to Westbury Square being built. My mom used to send me to the store to get her a carton of Chesterfield's for $2.00 and they had the two water fountains and the two sets of bathrooms in the front of the store that were the way of the times back then. I'm not sure what it is now. I remember finding several cases of out of date wine in the dumpster behind Weingartens that ended up getting me in a lot of trouble. Had a lot of fun at Westbury Square also. I remember filling up a balloon with dish detergent and sneeking it into the fountain next to Rumpleheimers and breaking it under the water, and seeing it mentioned in the Houston Press the next day.

I better shut up!

Cool, do you have any photos you could share px4man?

[Snigley]

While I realize this is an old thread, hopefully someone can help me. Prior to my parents meeting, my father worked at Weingarten's #7. He's in the enclosed photo that promoted some type of sale. The photo was taken in 1945, but I believe the store was older than that. My question is does anyone know where Weingarten's No. 7 was located. I'd be very happy to find out where he actually worked.

[NenaE]

Oh, wow...that is such a cool picture of an old Weingarten's.I know that a member has previously posted addresses for no'd Wirngartens, from an old directory. I'll hunt for you. Welcome to HAIF Snigley, and thanks for sharing your photo!