Author: Mike

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!
If the actual Sears Hometown store is in the back of the building, how does one use the mall entrance to get to the store? Well, this is something that has to be seen to believe! Yes, Sears used tarps and old fixtures to create a hallway leading shoppers to the Sears Hometown store without allowing them to wander into the closed parts of the building! The blue light clearly turned on in someone's mind! That's not just smart, that's Kmart...err...Sears smart!

Sears Willowbrook, Grand Opening Weekend! The latest on Fast Eddie’s Sears schemes

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail! Today we’re going to revisit the Willowbrook Sears location which you might have seen earlier at HHR in this post about the history of Willowbrook Mall or in this post about the Spirit Halloween store that opened in the Willowbrook Sears after it closed in 2020. Je of the Louisiana & Texas Retail Blog also has some photos of this Sears back when it was open …

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Check out this “Shell” of a Luby’s that still sells fried chicken

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail! Today, we’re taking a look at something unusual! A former Luby’s at 108 W Greens Rd, Houston, TX 77067 that is still selling Fried Chicken, but is also a Shell Station! This isn’t some kind of Krispy Krunchy situation, we’re talking a real Fried Chicken restaurant here. An actual Church’s operates out of the kitchen and to-go portion of this former Luby’s, while the Shell occupies …

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These doors immediately past the redone section, provide a final glimpse into the mall

Deauville Mall Spring, One of Houston’s first Dead Malls

Howdy fans and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today you’re in for a treat, I took my first visit to one of the Deauville Fashion Malls. For those not in the know, the Deauville Fashion Malls were a failed concept by local property developer the Deauville Corporation, an apartment and shopping center builder. Essentially the idea was born out of a desire to get into developing malls, but after a failed attempt at building …

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This store featured a 'Grocery Bag' logo with the Sellers Bros bag mascot above the entrance

Sellers Bros C-Stores the only branch left for this Grocery family tree

Howdy retail fans, and welcome! Today I have to start off with some delayed “breaking news” Longtime Houston grocery chain Sellers Bros. has been sold! Yes, it’s true, in a quiet move sometime towards the end of 2019, the Sellers family sold their grocery operations to Rafael Ortega, owner of La Michoacana Markets. As of yet, no public announcement has been made of the sale, however, Sellers Bros offices have closed, and all paperwork refers …

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The arched entrance Randalls is the version I'm most familiar with, using it at their Rosenberg store.

Randallsarama still the nicest grocery store in Inwood

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. If you’re one of our more recent fans and have yet to check out a Randallsarama, consider giving my 2021 visit to one a look. I’ll be making some references to it in this post, and it’s also the birth of the HHR Dictionary, with other entries like Krogerstons popping up more recently. Foodarama is no stranger to former Randall’s locations, they seem to flock to …

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Wienerschnitzel did a great job covering up the former Twistee Treat Cone

Wienerschnitzel’s tiny Houston return

Howdy folks, and welcome back to HHR aka Houston’s Hotdog Rankings. Today I have to start off with a confession, I like Wienerschnitzel probably more than any other hot dog chain around. I’ve tried a good few of them as well. Including, A&W, Dogs n Suds, Nathans Famous, Skyline Chili, and of course on multiple occasions local chain James Coney Island. Now to add some confusion to the process, if you’d have asked me 10 …

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The gray paint is a new feature. This store was originally unpainted red brick, as can be seen in the photos at the bottom of the page.

Return to Food Town: Revisiting the former Kosher Albertsons in Meyerland

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR! Today, we’re looking at a Lewis Food Town in a Former Albertsons. Located at 9725 Fondren Rd, Houston, TX 77096 I’d call it an Alberstown doesn’t really roll off the tongue, sounds more like an actual town to me. In my mind, Food Town is a store without much context or connotation. If you asked me to “picture a generic Food Town”, I’d have a hard time describing …

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The new signage was the first update, likely due to the length of time required to get sign permits

Raceway to 7-Eleven the saga continues

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today, we’re taking another look at what has become the agonizingly slow transformation of Houston’s Raceway stations in 7-Eleven stores. In early 2021 the Raceway/Racetrac affiliation in Houston came to an abrupt end after over 25 years. Initially, the first stores opened were company-owned Racetrac locations. These gas stations specialized in discount private label gasoline, supplemented by streamlined C-Store operations. With locations featuring a small Made …

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What going on at West Oaks Mall in 2022? A slow death examined

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re returning to West Oaks Mall, a location that holds a space near and dear in my heart as “my mall” during my teenage years. Anyone living in Houston for more than a bit knows that West Oaks is a riches to rags story. Starting off as an ambitious high-end shopping mall, serving a predicted luxury clientele that never really developed in this part of …

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The Babies 'R Us cart corals were left behind at most stores

Dick’s Warehouse Sale, Grand Opening, Now Closing! With special appearance by Babies ‘R Us!

Howdy folks, welcome back! A few months ago in February, Dick’s Sporting Good’s announced they were planning on expanding a new concept to Houston with Dick’s Warehouse Sale. The location opened in Friendswood on February 17, 2021. According to the original press release, which has since been deleted by Dick’s, the stores were intended to be “temporary pop-up shop” experiences, with discounts up to 70%. I had known about the new store for quite some …

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