Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today, I have some sad news. An “Upper Kirby” landmark, the Antique Pavilion, and surrounding businesses will soon be demolished as part of a redevelopment of the block. Before we talk about the building’s future, let’s first discuss its past. The current structure at 2311 Westheimer was initially built by Randall’s in 1965. This location was not built by the Randall’s you’re probably thinking about, but …
Read moreMonth: January 2023
A tour of Weingarten’s in 1969 at Rummel Creek
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re setting the time machine to 1968 to take a look at the brand-new Rummel Creek Weingarten’s. A store we’ve seen before on HHR, but never in its original form. Before we go any further, I need to shout out Pleasant Family Shopping, who was able to hook me up with these photos and a few others already on HHR. If you haven’t already followed him …
Read more
Walgreens carved a tiny store out of this old Eckerd
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail! Today we’re checking out an old Eckerd that is now hosting a tiny Walgreens along with a few other tenants. The history of 12620 FM 1960 is a bit odd. The corner originally hosted John Eagle Honda, opting to move closer to the highway, leaving this corner for redevelopment. Despite hosting two drug stores, the building has spent most of its life vacant. As an Eckerd …
Read more
Gordon Food Stores Houston arrival is imminent
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re pausing from the norm to discuss a hot topic, the arrival of GFS or Gordon Food Stores in Houston. GFS is a food service store open to the public. Although GFS is a specialty chain, it does mark the arrival of the first new national grocery chain in Houston The Fresh Market failed to plant itself ten years ago. The move into Houston represents …
Read more
A closed remnant of Gerland’s you’ve never heard of, Ziegler’s Foods
Howdy folks, and welcome to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re doing something we haven’t done in a while and looking at an abandoned retailer, a former grocery store Ziegler’s Foods, located at 2308 FM 517 Rd E, Dickinson, TX 77539. The empty store has a fascinating backstory and unclear future, so let’s jump right in. The building now used by Ziegler’s came into use, likely sometime around the 1950s, initially as Klecka’s Food Market. The …
Read more
Bed Bath & Bankruptcy 2019 vs 2023
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re taking a look at the Bed Bath & Beyond at 10515 Katy Fwy. Specifically, we’ll compare photos of the store between 2019 and 2023. To give some background, the 2019 photos were from a planned post which was never completed, and focused on one portion of the store. My desire to return to BB&B was spurred by their recent warnings of the pending bankruptcy. …
Read more
Retail News: Ben Bridge Jewelers rumored to leave Houston
Demolition Watch: McDonald’s on Main Street, could we be getting an automated location?
Howdy, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail! Today we’re covering a topic that has had social media in a frenzy. The infamous Main Street McDonald’s is coming down. If you’ve never humbled yourself with a visit to the lowliest burger joint this side of the Pecos, well, you may be out of luck! For those unaware, the McDonald’s at 2017 Main Street has quite a reputation. Situated just between the Greyhound Bus Station and …
Read more
A Warm Greenhouse Welcome to the Year of Kroger here at HHR!
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is a guest submission from HHR’s good friend Anonymous in Houston with the photos taken by Mike Happy New Year and welcome to 2023, Houston Historic Retail readers! We have many interesting things planned for this year. One of our goals for the year is to cover some of the most interesting Kroger stores in the Houston area. With that in mind, we plan on posting one Kroger post a month …
Read more
Retail News: Foodarama adds new location with Texas City Food King on their roster
Local grocery chain Foodarama opened a new location last week at 915 North 6th St in Texas City. The store was purchased directly from the previous operator Food King and was not closed for the changeover. This newest Foodarama represents the first new location of an independent Houston grocery chain since 2015, when Pyburn’s opened its third location. As of this article, Foodarama has eight locations throughout the Houston area. Other independent grocery chains in …
Read more
Recent Comments