Category: Grocery

Posts Relating to Grocery Stores

Unlike almost every other Randall's this store only feature one set of doors

Randall’s Weslayan Remodel brings up traces of a Weingartens past

Howdy folks, and welcome back to HHR. Over these past few weeks, we’ve discussed the slow dissolution of Randalls throughout the Houston area. As of this post, we’re down to 15 Houston area stores and only a couple more over in Austin. As sad as this is, there was a point where Randalls was king of Houston, and as could pretty much do whatever they wanted. By the early 80s, Randalls was becoming a dominant …

Read more
The in wall clock is still kicking, although the time wasn't right!

Eagle Discount Supermarket’s decor is still flying under the radar!

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. We take a lot of time to investigate retail remnants, bits, and pieces of former stores left behind, they’re always interesting to find. Whether it’s an old drive-thru post still in use by Burger King, or the arches of a Safeway store proudly fronting a Fiesta. Finding these retail remnants is almost like finding bits of a story. One of the reasons I so greatly enjoy …

Read more

Final Days at Randall’s as Sugar Land location closes this Saturday

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re finally bringing the Randall’s Sugar Land saga to a close, as the store prepares to shut down permanently this Saturday, June 4th, 2022. For those who have been keeping track so far, HHR broke the news back in Mid-April that the Sugar Land store was slated to close by the summer (Thanks to an anonymous tip!). By May the going out of business sale …

Read more

The best Food Town I’ve ever been to: The Grocery Palace

Howdy folks, and welcome to Houston Historic Retail! Today we’re taking a look at a grocery store I’ve been waiting to bring to you for a while! This store is the second in my “best” category, calling back to the original Foodarama post.  This doesn’t mean it’s giving an outright superlative ranking as this chain’s “nicest” location. Rather, it’s the best that I have visited thus far. Today’s Food Town is located at 2770 North …

Read more
Still don't believe this store was associated with Grand Union? Here's your sign!

This former Weingarten still uses Grand Union decor 40 years later!

Howdy and welcome to Houston Historic Retail. Today, we’re driving to Texas City to visit a former Weingarten, largely still wearing its Grand Union era decor! This store is located at 915 6th St, Texas City, TX 77590, and originally opened in 1952. While the store has seen some expansions over the years, much of the original store is still in use. The Weingarten locations of the 1950s used what some consider to be a …

Read more

Retail News: National Grocer Lands former Belden’s Spot in Braeswood Square

Update 6/13: The new grocer has been confirmed as GFS. In early 2020 Belden’s in Braeswood Square closed their doors, after nearly 70 years of continuous operations closing a long chapter in Houston grocer. While official publications haven’t said exactly who will take this new spot, it is known that Braeswood Square, will once again be host to a national grocery tenant for the first time in 35 years! Belden’s initially started off as a …

Read more

Randall’s Going Out of Business Sale in Sugar Land and Why This Time It’s a Little Bit Different

Howdy folks, and welcome to Houston Historic Retail. Let me offer you a short introduction, as many people will likely find this via Google or Facebook (normal readers just play along). The following is a “Photo Essay”. It’s not meant to answer exactly why the Randall’s in Sugar Land is closing. However, it should offer some insight into how Randall’s got into the shape it is today. If you have an interest in this type …

Read more
Welcome to Tomball in 1965! (Captured from the Texas Archive of the Moving Image)

A Tour of Tomball Retail in 2000 and 1965

Editor’s Note: Today’s post is a guest submission from HHR’s good friend Anonymous in Houston Loyal Houston Historic Retail readers may recall that a few weeks ago, we published a blog post showing screenshots from a YouTube video published by Dan Starr and filmed by his wife Amy that showed Tomball’s retail scene in the year 1998. Well, Dan has come through once again as he recently uploaded some video footage taken by Amy and …

Read more
This entry facade was a recent add under Fiesta, Gerland's had a simply flush door capped with a small concrete arch

Fishing Tackle Unlimited closing means the end for this historic former Sugar Land Grocery Store

Fishing Tackle Unlimited, the Fishing Superstore, located just outside the entrance to the Sugar Creek Neighborhood, has recently closed. While I’m not sure exactly when the store shut down, it seems to have been sometime in early April of this year. Fishing Tackle Unlimited is hardly the first tenant here, but it has done a great job of preserving the history of an important building in the area. For many years, this was one of …

Read more
The building on the far left, was originally a local drug store "Fisher's Pharmacy"

Could Houston’s oldest Safeway locations date back to the 1950s?

Howdy folks, welcome back to HHR. Today we’re dipping out of Houston proper for the quick drive over to central Pasadena, no not to make fun of the Sears Hometown in the old mainline store there, (that update will be coming soon). Rather, we’re checking out a building I have passed up many times when it was masquerading as a Value Village. However, after a new business popped up inside I took the chance to …

Read more