Groff's Natural Foods. Groff's was owned by Virgil Groff and offered vitamins and all natural foods to the discerning consumer. Groff stands at the entrance of his new store at 11th & Market. The store was formerly located in the same building, but moved to the space on the corner previously occupied by Frank's Jewelers. It was rebuilt with a new brick front, new flooring and lighting, window displays and entrances. Displayed in the windows are 100% pure honey and green Papaya juice for digestion. The interior color scheme was sunshine yellow and chlorophyll green. The oldest health food store in Tacoma, it was founded in 1928 as Thomson's Natural Food Store. Groff purchased the store in 1943 and expanded and modernized three times. The new store had a 3 1/2 ton walk in refrigerator to keep fresh natural foods and whole grains, also raw carrots for the juice extractor at the Juice Bar. Virg Groff was an energetic man who played handball and performed with the Tacoma Little Theatre. He claimed his success and energy came from "shots" of wheat germ and carrot juice consumed throughout the day. (TNT 2/19/1956, pg. A-5)

Groff's Natural Foods (Tacoma); Nutrition--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exterior Tradewell supermarket. This is the 6th & Union Tradewell store, one of four in the local area, on August 18, 1960. Built of Roman brick and featuring plate glass and Van de Kamps bakery, the north end supermarket opened in May, 1953. It would be destroyed by fire on September 16, 1963, and subsequently demolished. Photograph ordered by Tradewell Stores, Inc., Seattle. TPL-9439

Tradewell Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Supermarkets--Tacoma--1960-1970;

ca. 1957. Interior- Thriftway supermarket. A customer would not need to linger in lines for any length of time as the new Villa Thriftway came equipped with at least eleven check-out stands. At least one stand was expressly for quick check-out with six items or less. Customers were asked to place items on the movable belt with the prices up for faster service. Scales were provided at each stand so that produce could be weighed. Boxes of cigarettes were readily available on top of each cash register. The new 22,000 square foot supermarket was located in the Villa Plaza shopping center in Lakewood at the site of the former Visitation Villa. Photograph ordered by Associated Grocers, Inc. (TNT 4-2-57, B-7)

Villa Thriftway Food Stores (Lakewood); Supermarkets; Cash registers;

ca. 1957. Exterior- Thriftway. The Villa Thriftway supermarket would open for business in April, 1957. The store's name is in large neon letters on the building's porch roof. The overhanging porch would also protect customers from the elements as they entered or exited the store. Following an architectural trend, enormous windows are positioned at the supermarket's front. Located in Lakewood's new Villa Plaza Shopping Center, the 22,000 square foot store was built to order for a Thriftway market. It cost approximately $200,000. The shopping center boasted of plenty of parking; there was room for 4000 cars. Photograph ordered by Associated Grocers, Inc. (TNT 4-2-57, B-7)

Villa Thriftway Food Stores (Lakewood); Supermarkets; Electric signs--Lakewood;

George and Mary Demich opened this "mom and pop" neighborhood grocery store in 1914 at the corner of North 45th and Orchard Street. The North 45th Street Grocery & Meat Market was ideally located on a streetcar line. Advertisements for Medosweet Ice Cream and Ghirardelli's Chocolate are prominently displayed in this 1934 photograph of the Demichs. The neighborhood market closed after George's death in 1958 and was demolished a few years later.

Gig Harbor grocery store at 3409 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, as photographed in November of 1936. The Stanich Grocery, a Red & White Store, is on the right side of the two-lane road. Martin and Katherine (Kathie) Stanich were early Yugoslav settlers in Gig Harbor. Mr. Stanich was a retired fisherman who had sailed the northwest waters for 52 years. The Stanichs were natives of Austria who had lived in Gig Harbor since 1909. Martin Stanich would pass away at age 90 in September of 1950 and his wife, Katherine, in January of 1964 at age 86. TPL-682, BU-13762

Interior of Hogan's 8th grocery store, at 98th & Pacific Ave., for its Grand Opening March 9-11, 1951. All of the Hogan Grocery Stores were owned by Walter Hogan, who also owned Western Grocery Co., a wholesale grocery outlet for retailers. This store offered Southeast Tacoma and the surrounding rural areas a complete assortment of groceries, meats, produce and dairy. The store had 5600 sq. ft. of merchandising floor space and a color scheme of chartreuse green and wine. The flooring was wine, red and brown. Mirrored produce cases reflected the jewel tones of the fruits and vegetables. The highlight of the opening was the giving away of four barrels of groceries. (TNT 3/8/1951, pg. C-4)

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hogan's Fine Foods (Tacoma); Farm produce--Tacoma;

In November of 1951, local coffee roaster Wood Coffee Company had an aisle-long display of their one and two pound coffee cans at the Big Bear grocery store in Tacoma's Stadium District. Big Bear was celebrating its redecoration with specials such as Wood's Coffee for 75 cents a pound or two pounds for $1.49. The Wood Coffee Co., located at 1517 Commerce St., was founded by John Wood, Sr., in 1905. Three years after John Wood, Sr. died, in 1951, the Wood Coffee Co. was sold to the Mello-Cup Coffee Co. of Seattle. (TNT 11-7-51, p. 11- ad for Big Bear)

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Wood Coffee Co. (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Produce is displayed along the windows at the A-G Food Store at 56th and Yakima (also South 56th and Park). A-G Food Stores were celebrating the opening of two new stores, this one and another at 72nd and South Oakes. Two long shelving units run the length of the store through the middle and more shelves line the walls along the left and at the rear. Two check-out counters are seen with scales located next to the cash registers. The meat counter is seen in the foreground. (TNT, 10/12/1951, p.A-2)

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; A-G Food Store (Tacoma); Cash registers; Scales;

Cutting a 1,000 pound cake at Big Bear Store, Big Bear Store, Don Taylor. A five-tier cake stands next to a towering display of cake mix inside the Big Bear Store on February 17, 1949. A teddy bear sits on top of the enormous cake made with Swans Down Instant cake mix. The Big Bear grocery store was celebrating its first anniversary with many promotions including free Wood's coffee and slices of this enormous cake. The cake was 5-ft. by 8-ft. at its base and rose to a height of over 5 1/2 feet. Even more enticing to shoppers was the chance to win valuable prizes--inside the cake were encapsuled prize slips which entitled winners to a $400 television set, free coffee makers and free shopping bags full of groceries from Big Bear. The store was managed by Don Taylor. (TNT Ad - 2-17-1949, p. 5; TNT 2-17-1949, p. 25, article only)

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cakes--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Cutting a 1,000 pound cake at Big Bear Store, Big Bear Store, Don Taylor. Two young men stand with the enormous cake made with Swans Down Instant cake mix and Medosweet milk created especially for the first anniversary of the Big Bear grocery store on February 17, 1949. The cake was 5' x 8' at the base and stood over 5 1/2 feet high. It took over 120 pounds of icing to cover the cake. Inside the cake were prize slips in capsules which entitled the winner(s) to a $400 television, free coffee makers and shopping bags full of groceries. The woman shopper has already decided to try the cake mix as she holds a box in her hand and has another box in her cart. (TNT Ad - 2-17-1949, p. 5; TNT 2-17-1949, p. 25-article only)

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cakes--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The Frank Thomas, Sr., family established their small grocery store in University Place 46 years ago. The Thomas brothers, Al, Frank and Joe, grew up helping their mother run the business, working every day including Sundays. They opened up an ultra-modern full scale supermarket in September, 1951, as a Red & White Food Store in University Place. Their two full page ads on September 12, 1951, offered prizes, free balloons and merry-go-round rides for children, and free coffee and cake for all customers. View of showcase of fresh refrigerated fruits and vegetables including squash, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. Red Tokay grapes were listed in the ads at two pounds for 25 cents; Danver yellow onions at 3 pounds for 10 cents. Stacks of Coca Cola bottles are positioned next to the display counter and there are several elaborate floral arrangements on the shelf above the produce. Photograph commissioned by Consolidated Service, Seattle. (TNT 9-12-51, A-6, A-10, A-11)

Thomas Bros. Foodliner (University Place); Grocery stores--University Place--1950-1960; Merchandise displays; Food--University Place--1950-1960;

American Wholesale Grocers. Nighttime view of exterior of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. The supermarket shares the same strip mall with Devereaux Realty, Ruth's Cafe, a beauty and barber shop and a drycleaning plant. The entrance to the grocery store is to the right. The variety section may have had its own entrance to the left of the brick wall. Each IGA was independently owned and operated, but affiliated with IGA, the second largest retail food outlet in the country. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

American Wholesale Grocers. Exterior of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. A planter box and flagstone paving lead to the entrance of the store. The 20,000 square foot building was built of concrete block and roman brick with large plate glass windows across the north side. A large modernistic marquee extended over the northwest corner and a raised planting area with flowering and evergreen shrubs included two oriental trees that extended through the roof. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

The Park 'N Shop Supermarket. The Park 'N Shop was owned by John Bussanich and Otto Marth. It had a distinctive dome style roof, a corner entrance and lots of parking. A refrigerated trailer outside holds ice. A delivery truck for Archway cookies is parked outside. At the forefront of one stop shopping, the store offered drugs, dry goods, groceries, meat, vegetables and prescriptions. This aided the busy housewife whose stops in earlier times would have included the butcher, green grocer and pharmacy.

Park- N- Shop (Parkland); Supermarkets; Grocery stores--Parkland--1950-1960;

The sign for Highland Hills (originally Highland Hill) Shopping Center. The parking lot was still under construction; the Grand Opening was scheduled for December of 1956. The shopping center was built to serve the growing population of the West End, including University Place and Fircrest. Located on 6th Ave. near Peal, the center would be convenient to these areas. The first tenant was the Big Bear Store, which opened in 1955. The center would house 21 stores in a modern layout with a pedestrian mall in the center and 5 acres of customer parking. The angled roofline created visual interest. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg. C-17)

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Supermarkets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs; Highland Hills Shopping Center (Tacoma); Highland Hill Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma;

The newest and largest supermarket in the Puyallup Valley celebrated its grand opening on May 19, 1954. The Piggly-Wiggly, located at 10th & East Main in Puyallup, was the first Piggly-Wiggly built in the past 22 years in the Pacific Northwest. Owned and operated by veteran groceryman, C.A. ("Chic") Hogan, the 10,600 square foot store was made of Roman brick with huge glass front windows. It was built by Strom Construction. Hundreds of gifts ranging from TV sets, bikes, corn poppers to three lively cocker spaniel puppies would be awarded. The new Piggly-Wiggly was one of 800 stores in the chain operating in 38 states, Alaska and Hawaii. It was noted that food cost savings would be achieved due to the supermarket's vast purchasing power. (TNT 5-18-54, B-1) TPL-9808

Piggy-Wiggly (Puyallup); Supermarkets; Grocery stores--Puyallup--1950-1960;

Sib's Thriftway. The 52nd Thriftway store to open in Washington and Oregon was on No. 26th & Pearl in the Westgate addition. Sib Carstensen was the operator. The store was one of the largest supermarkets in the Northwest. The market sold food, magazines, comic books, housewares, greeting cards and some drugs. It featured a 1,000 car parking lot with 10 feet available between parked cars. The store was the crown jewel of the Westgate Suburban Shopping Center. When all of the stores in the center were complete, they would represent an investment of over one million dollars. The market opened with a three day Grand Opening, with free orchids, coffee & cookies and rides on the merry-go-round ponies for the kiddies. (TNT 9/2/1953, pg. C-1)

Sib's Thriftway (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The new South 56th and Pacific Tradewell supermarket carried a wide variety of coffees in 1953. A coffee aficionado could either grind his own coffee beans, with a machine provided by the store, or buy a pre-packaged, already ground can. View of long row of coffees includes Folgers, Chase and Sanborn, Postum and Tradewell's own brands. Photograph ordered by Tradewell, Inc., Seattle.

Tradewell Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Supermarkets; Coffee--Tacoma; Grinding machines;

Nalley's display at the new Safeway store at 84th and Pacific included Tang salad dressing at 49 cents per quart; shoestring potatoes, 2 cans for 31 cents; Banquet Dill pickles, 43 cents for 24 ounces; Lumberjack Syrup, and spaghetti with meat, 28 cents per can.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery Stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nalleys, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products

Display of Crescent spices at Manleys food fair at Fircrest. Crescent Manufacturing Co.

Grocery stores--Fircrest--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Fircrest; Spices; Manley's Food Fair (Fircrest);

Two men complete the display of Trend soap at the Midland Thriftway Market (Thriftway Food Stores) by adding a sign announcing, the "Largest Trend display in the World." The store was located at 5402 South Tacoma Way. Ordered by the Purex Corporation.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Thriftway Food Stores (Tacoma);

A display of Del Monte canned fruit, green beans and tomato catsup has been created at the end of one of the aisles at the Big Bear Store in Tacoma. Large cans of Del Monte peaches were 25 cents each and pineapple was four for 98 cents. Del Monte advertised an upcoming "All-Star Revue" to be seen on NBC-TV.

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Food--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Thriftway supermarket in the new Villa Plaza Shopping Center. Several Del Monte products on sale including six bottles of ketchup for $1.00, seven cans of canned corn for $1.00 and tomato sauce at 13 cans for $1.00. Thriftway advertised "Where Every Customer Is Important!" The Villa Thriftway, managed by Kenneth Gies, was a member of Associated Grocers. It had its own bakery and seafood market in addition to regular departments. Villa Plaza officials had planned a one-stop shopping designation for their Lakewood shopping center to include grocery, pharmacy, clothing, banking and automotive needs to attract the growing number of suburbanites. 50 acres of free parking proved a powerful lure for thousands of shoppers. (TNT 8-7-57, B8,9-alt. photograph)

Villa Thriftway Food Stores (Lakewood); Grocery stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Albertson's Food Centers were starting to expand in the Tacoma/Pierce County communities. There were two Albertson's outside city limits: one in the Lakewood Square shopping center and the other in University Place. View of Lakewood Square's Albertson's Food Center also shows the trend of placing supermarkets in shopping centers; customers could then combine grocery shopping with additional browsings and parking would not be a problem. A Montgomery Ward outlet and a Singers store can be spotted close by. Albertson's followed the practice of posting specials on the storefront windows with apple pies selling for 49 cents, chickens at 33 cents a pound, TV dinners for 59 cents, and pork roasts for 29 cents a pound. Sepia photograph ordered by Loveless Brothers, Inc. , investment brokers, of Olympia.

Albertsons Food Center (Lakewood); Supermarkets; Signs (Notices);

The staff of this Safeway store probably had a lot of fun dressing up for the supermarket's "Country Carnival Days" promotion on June 30, 1958. The men wore bow ties and striped vests topped off with jaunty derbys while the women checkers, in bonnets, wore "buttons and bows." There is even an old-fashioned policeman with truncheon handy to keep order. Photograph ordered by the Retail Clerks Union.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Publicity photographs;

Topper Supermarket. By the 1960's, supermarkets were offering not only groceries but also department store shopping as ladies blouses, men's shirts, underwear and socks could readily be purchased while also searching for tonight's dinner. View of Topper Supermarket, an I.G.A. store, shows a "soft goods" selection next to the ice cream section. Although the supermarket in this January 27, 1960, photograph is listed with a Tacoma location, it is believed that the Topper IGA was located in Fife at 1406 54th Ave. E. and owned by Daniel & LeRoy Herron. It was built on the site of the old Century Ballroom and destroyed by fire on January 4, 1964. Ordered by The James Co.

Supermarkets--Fife; Topper Supermarket (Fife);

View of Manley's parking lot taken from across the street. Cars fill the parking lot of Manley's Supermarket on Steilacoom Blvd. on a clear August, 1960, day. They were probably drawn to the supermarket due to the many sales including 10 lb. of C & H sugar for 89 cents, bag of potatoes for 45 cents or bananas at 10 cents. The store's "Chefs Hat" also featured barbecue and a delicatessen. Manley's had celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 1960, at the brand new Thunderbird Shopping Center. The supermarket along with the adjoining Ludwig Pharmacy would be the first occupants of the shopping center, located on a 48-acre tract of land which once housed an airport and golf course. The site, at Hipkins & Steilacoom Blvd., was chosen because of the potential economic growth in that area of the county. The 15,000 square foot supermarket was a concrete block and glass structure heated by natural gas. (TNT 8-23-60, p. 5)

Manley's Supermarket (Lakewood); Supermarkets--Lakewood; Parking lots--Lakewood; Signs (Notices);

Exterior of open stall Grocery Store. Clerk and woman customer flank display of Kraft Cheese. Large chunk of cheese marked "Wisconsin Swiss, Guess Weight and Win a Basket of Groceries". (Tacoma South Herald or East Side News)

Business Enterprises - Stores - Grocery Stores - Tacoma Advertising - Contests and Promotions

Rosalie Wale, who owned the Arctic Dairy at 534 Fourth St. in Bremerton with her husband, was photographed making ice cream in their store with the help of a special ice cream freezer. Mrs. Wale balanced her day between taking care of her home and helping her husband in his business. She was featured in the Bremerton Sun's August 12, 1936 "Around the Clock" feature, an appropriate title because her work day began before 8 am and finished after 9 or 10 at night. Mrs. Wale, the former Rosalie Greathouse, was born in Anacortes and attended high school in Mount Vernon. (Bremerton Sun 8-12-1936, pg. 1)

Grocery stores--Bremerton--1930-1940; Exhibitions--Bremerton--1930-1940; Wale, Rosalie; Arctic Dairy (Bremerton); Ice cream & ices;