Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re heading back down Highway 6 to the small town of Santa Fe. You may remember our last stop focused on a former Minimax that HEB had purchased and continues to run essentially as a Pantry Foods store, lacking service departments. This Arlan’s nee Big Chief we’re looking at today is actually a larger store than HEB, and more importantly, features service departments (deli, bakery, …
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My name is Mike and I am the founder of the Houston Historic Retail! I have been running this site since 2015. For more information check out the About page!
Faith in Ollie’s Bargain Outlet restored!
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today, we’re visiting the Ollie’s in the former Babie’s ‘R Us at across from Baybrook Mall. The last time we saw the inside of this store, it was the short-lived Dick’s Warehouse Sale. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has since remodeled the building, removing most remaining traces of BRU, except for the flooring. They have also embiggened the floor space, adding room for mattresses and box springs. This …
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Sprouts ‘R Us ten years with Houston’s newest natural grocer
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail! Today we’re taking a look at a grocer never before featured on HHR, Sprouts Farmers Market. For those not in the know, Sprouts is a natural grocer, a little bit different from Whole Foods. First entering Texas in 2005, Sprout’s stores are smaller than the competition and have almost no focus on non-grocery selection, with exception of a small assortment of HBA products. This “laser focus” …
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What happens when a Houston Garden Center, packs up and moves?
Howdy, and welcome to HHR! Today, we’re looking at what happens when a Houston Garden Center location decides to move. If you’ve lived in Houston long enough, it’s probably something you’ve seen, but if you’re like me, you probably haven’t ever thought about how it all goes down. First off, though, let’s start off with a brief history. HGC is not a terribly old chain, only emerging around 1994, and reestablishing itself after merging the …
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Antique Pavilion in 1960s Randall’s to soon come down
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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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. …
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