In August of 1941, the residents of the Fern Hill neighborhood welcomed the opening of Bob's Market Center at the corner of 84th and Park Ave. The modern grocery store was operated by two familiar faces, Robert Steidel (meats) and Robert Munz (groceries). Both men had previously been associated with other Fern Hill Groceries. Robert Steidel had been raised in Fern Hill and was the son of Alex Steidel, who owned the Market Center store on 72nd and Pacific. (T. Times 8/1/1941, pg. 2)

Bob's Market Center (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Reed Fixtures had moved into a larger building in 1946. They took over a fifty by ninety foot government surplus warehouse located on Center Street. They specialized in business fixtures, display cases and other commercial fixtures. Interior view of grocery store with new Reed fixtures, which included: food shelves, fruit bins, and fixtures for frozen foods.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Reed's Cabinet & Fixture (Tacoma);

Younglove Grocery Company was founded by E. A. Younglove in 1907. In 1935 they moved into a new more spacious location, at this location they were better equipped to handle the grocery wholesale demands in this area. Interior view of Younglove Grocery Company's wholesale cash and carry store, large sacks of flour, Quaker Corn Meal, Windex and Kellogg's Bran Flakes are just some of the groceries available in large quantities. A man is checking out with a cart full of grocery items. TPL-8654

Supermarkets--Tacoma; Discounts; Food--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Mercantile facilities--Tacoma; Younglove Grocery Co. (Tacoma);

McKinley Thriftway Store, Younglove Grocery Company. McKinley Food Market is on the ground floor of this three story building. The Porter Apartments are located on the top two floors. The folding doors on two of the front panels of the market are open showing boxes of produce and cold cases. This newly remodeled grocery store will open August 24, 1945, and serve the South Tacoma Way area. Motto on sign: "Every Day Low Prices".

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; McKinley Thriftway Store; McKinley Food Market; Younglove Grocery Co. (Tacoma); Commercial buildings;

The McKinley Food Market, at the corner of So. 35th and McKinley Ave., joined the Thriftway Store group in August of 1945. They occupied the first floor of the Porter Apartments building. The McKinley Market was owned by Arthur Hooker, manager of the grocery section, and Sumner More, who was in charge of the meat department. The store had been recently remodeled. Thriftway Food Stores was a new and expanding group of supermarkets sponsored by the Younglove Grocery Company of Tacoma, with stores in Tacoma and in the Bremerton area, home-owned and home-operated. The Younglove Grocery Company was sold to Associated Grocers Co-op of Seattle in 1948. (TNT 8/30/1945 p.26 & 8/18/1948 p.1)

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; McKinley Thriftway Store; McKinley Food Market; Younglove Grocery Co. (Tacoma); Commercial buildings;

Geiger's Central Market, fixtures for Reed's Cabinets & Fixtures. Interior of the grocery store. Six members of the staff stand to the left and a large bouquet stands behind them. The shelves are full of produce and the shopping carts are standing ready. John B. Geiger will be opening his first store after having been in the meat industry since he was 17 years old. A grand opening will be held August 9, 1946.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Geiger's Central Market (Tacoma);

Geiger's Central Market, fixtures for Reed's Cabinets & Fixtures. Interior of the grocery store. Three members of the staff stand by the front check out stand. The signs painted on the windows read Pioneer Grocery and above is Liptons. The shelves offer cookies and crackers and the produce aisle is against the far wall.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pioneer Grocery (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Canned foods;

New West Coast Grocery Company building at Chehalis, DFPA, Mrs. Leik. West Coast Grocery has built another building using reinforced concrete for their operations, this one in Chehalis. Two large garage doors cover the loading dock when not in use and light can enter from large windows close to the roof.

West Coast Grocery Co. (Chehalis); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Reinforced concrete construction--Chehalis--1940-1950;

New West Coast Grocery Company building at Tacoma, DFPA, Mrs. Leik. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, the exterior of this building shows the use of plywood in concrete construction. The walls were built using plywood and structural lumber as molds with iron rebar to strengthen the poured concrete. Openings were left for windows to be installed.

West Coast Grocery Co. (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Storehouses--Tacoma;

A display of Nestles' prooducts at the Big Bear store including Nestle's instant cocoa, Nestle's Quick, Nestle's cookie mix, and Nestle's chocolate morsels. Ordered by Nalley's, Henry Willis.

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Food--Tacoma--1950-1960; Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Candy racks in front of the cash registers at Sib's Thriftway are loaded with Nalley's candies, tempting everyone to try them. Ordered by Nalley's, Mrs. Hildreth.

Sib's Thriftway (Tacoma); Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Candy--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Interior view of grocery store. Rows of assorted candies, chips, cold remedies and laundry products fill this portion of an unidentified grocery store in a late fall, 1951, photograph. The grocer seems to have made maximum use of a limited space in order to put as many different products out as possible for customers to purchase. A Toledo brand scale stands by to weigh any item necessary.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Scales;

Dairy cases at Big Bear Store. Medosweet Dairy has been spelled out in neon around the clock above the case and Blue Bonnet Margarine has a large sign above stacks of their margarine. A sign suggests, "Entertain the California Way, with Wine and Cheese". Dairy Gold Butter and Velveeta Cheese have large displays. Hunks of cheese and milk in cartons are also included. Ordered by Paramount Products, Seattle.

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dairy products; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The vegetable case at Ed Greiner A-G Food Store No. 6 is filled with fresh produce. Mirrors have been placed at the back of the cases to enhance the displays of lettuce, carrots, cabage, cauliflower, celery and peppers. Two men stand on the right wearing long aprons. Ordered by Carl Rhodes Sales Company, Seattle.

A-G Food Store No. 6 (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Vegetables--Tacoma; Showcases; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Fixture displays at Sib's Thriftway, 1215 So. Union Ave., showing personal care products including Colgate, Pepsodent & Ipana tooth paste. The grocery store was owned by Sib L. Carstensen. Groceries line the shelves on either side of the personal product display. What appears to be a butcher shop can be seen at the right rear of the picture. Two unidentified men stand by the display and a fire extinguisher hangs prominently on the post.

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

Thomas Grocery Company, store interior. Aisle of canned foods and bagged "Red and White" coffee. September of 1951 saw the grand opening of the Thomas Bros. Foodliner in University Place. Al, Frank and Joe Thomas had been in the grocery business since they assisted their family, the Frank Thomas Srs., as youngsters. This supermarket stood nearly at the location of the old family store. It was considered a very modern business, offering customers the convenience of pre-packaged meats, high-speed conveyor checkstands and refrigerated produce. A wide selection of foods was available for the discerning shopper.

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

Fruit and vegetable display equipment at Market Street Thriftway. The display cases are filled with fall vegetables: cabbage, carrots, celery, followed by parsnips later on. Oranges and apples are behind the two men wearing green aprons. Small pumpkins sit along the top of the cases. Ordered by Washington Equipment and Sales Company, Seattle. ALBUM 15.

Market Street Thriftway (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Showcases; Fruit--Tacoma; Vegetables--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exterior view of Hogan's Grocery Store, South 12th and "K" Street. Architect Emanuel J. Bresemann designed this building for Pick n Take Market in 1931. (T. Times)

Grocery Stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hogan's Fine Foods (Tacoma);

The building at 1202 Martin Luther King Jr. Way has had a number of tenants over the years. When it was built in 1931, it was home to the Pay 'n Takit Store. In June of 1943, Walter Hogan opened Hogan's Fine Foods. In recent years, it was home to Evergreen State College. (T.N.T., 6/4/43, p.8) TPL-3796.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hogan's Fine Foods (Tacoma);

This view of the South Tacoma Business District was taken from just north of South 54th Street looking south on South Tacoma Way. To the left can be seen: (l to r) the Washington Electric Company, 5235 So. Tacoma Way; Herman Dier's furniture store, 5239 So. Tacoma Way; and the Crabb Drug Company, 5243 So. Tacoma Way. The buildings on the west side of the street include (center to r): the Safeway Store, 5402 So. Tacoma Way; John W. Bowlby's Richfield gas station, 5248 So. Tacoma Way; Steve's Tavern, 5238 So. Tacoma Way; and the West Coast Grocery, 5236 So. Tacoma Way. A stoplight hangs over the center of the street at the corner of South 54th and South Tacoma Way.

Grocery Stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--South Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma);

Interior of Safeway Store on Market Street in Downtown Tacoma.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior of Safeway Store on South Tacoma Way as photographed on September 28, 1942. Taken at night, two ceiling lights highlight the produce/fruit displays.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Safeway Store at 1108 South K Street in Mottau Building, Russell and Lance, Architects, 1934. Elaborate Art Deco style building with Virolite detailing.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A view of the produce department and apple display at the Tacoma Big Bear Store. An unidentified shopper and Produce Manager Steve Turlis stand between the rows of displayed produce. Large amounts of fresh produce are mounded into the display bins. Bananas, rhubarb, lemons, are shown, but apples are the featured fruit. Posters hang on the walls and from banners. Large sacks and cases of apples stand open in the foreground. Ordered by the Washington State Apple Commission, Jack Sharp.

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fruit; Vegetables--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Apples--Tacoma; Advertising--Tacoma--1950-1960; Turlis, Steve;

The Patty Ann Bakery at the Thriftway Park 'N Shop, formerly the Park 'N Shop. Two bakery assistants in clean white uniforms pose, one holding freshly baked bread. The lighted glass display cabinets hold luscious looking cakes, doughnuts, cookies and pastries. Smiling jack o' lantern cutouts decorate the shelves, along with a palm tree look alike coming out of the planter box behind one woman's head.

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

The Highland Hills Big Bear store at 5915 6th Avenue, near Pearl Street, opened in 1955 to serve the growing West end, including the areas of University Place and Fircrest. The Big Bear was the first tenant of the Highland Hills Shopping Center, which had its Grand Opening in December of 1956. When completed, the shopping center had 21 stores with a pedestrian mall in the center and five acres of parking.

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Supermarkets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs;

Sib's Thriftway, at 5739 North 26th Street, was built in 1953 by Sib Carstensen and was the first store in the newly named "Westgate" area of Tacoma. Sib's, with its large, sweeping arched roof advertised itself as "Tacoma's first supermarket". The Sib's store, which later became the Westgate Mark-It Store, was demolished around 1988. TPL-9761

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

Tradewell opened another new supermarket in Tacoma in 1953; the 56th and Pacific Tradewell celebrated its grand opening in early February, 1953. Ample parking was provided for customers at this busy Southend location. Van de Kamps Bakery was also a part of the supermarket. W.A. Bolduc was the store manager; the modern Roman brick structure had been designed by Skoog Architects of Seattle and built by Bona Fide Construction Co. of Tacoma. It contained 11,000 square feet of sales place. A sampling of signs indicated that 2 lbs. of coffee could be purchased for $1.49, salad dressing for 29 cents and delicious pot roast for 39 cents a pound. Photograph ordered by Tradewell, Inc., Seattle. (TNT 2-3-53, p. 4-5)

Tradewell Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Supermarkets; Signs (Notices);

At approximately 4:45 a.m. on July 7, 1953, the worst fire in Tacoma in more than four years swept through the Safeway Grocery Company store at 208 South 82nd Street. More than six engine companies reported to the "2-11" class fire. The store sustained over $260,000 in damage: $112,000 for the ruined brick, wood and concrete structure, $83,000 in equipment and $65,000 in ruined food. Fire Chief Harold Fisk said that the firemen were hampered by unexpected low water pressure in the Fern Hill district fire hydrants from which hose lines were run. (TNT 7/7/1953, pg. 1)

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

Exterior shopping center. Lakewood was already a thriving community by 1954 as residents were starting to move from crowded urban areas to more open land in the suburbs. The Lakewood Thriftway supermarket was located in a small shopping center along with a Texaco gas station and Hamlin Cleaners. Built by the March Building Co., it was a concrete block contemporary styled building with a parking lot that would hold 300 cars. The supermarket would hold its grand opening October 7-9, 1954, with free entertainment and gifts for customers, including a performance by Cherokee Jack, merry-go-round and pony rides for children, free orchids, coffee, cake and ice cream plus free groceries. Lakewood Thriftway would offer soft background music played while the customers shopped and seven ultra-modern checkout stands. View of empty parking lot of shopping center with Texaco station to the left foreground and the dry cleaners and Thriftway to the rear. Photograph ordered by the Condon Co., Inc., possibly for advertising purposes. (TNT 10-6-54, B-5)

Thriftway Food Stores (Lakewood); Grocery stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Automobile service stations--Lakewood--1950-1960; Hamlin Cleaners (Lakewood); Condon Co., Inc. (Tacoma);