One of the great features of Alpha Beta supermarkets from the early 50's through the 70's was the company's practice of showing the town's name on the face of the local stores. If there were multiple Alpha Beta markets in the same town, the name would often reflect the area of town, street or shopping center in which the store was located. It's suprising to me that over the years, no other retail chain (to my knowledge at least) has picked up on this fairly inexpensive way to help strengthen the identity bond with their local communities.
These 1957 photos are from the pre-Acme ownership era, and show the Covina store (opened in 1953) and the newer La Puente store.
Outstanding site! I drove for Alpha Beta 1970-1982. I put some of my Alpha Beta truck photos on Hank's truck pictures.
ReplyDeleteJohn - Thanks very much! I take that you were based out of the La Habra facility. I've seen Hank's excellent site before - I need to get a link set up.
ReplyDeleteSafeway grocery stores have the names of the area/city on the front of the market, above the door, also. Or at least they used to.
ReplyDeleteBrad - That's interesting, I hadn't seen that on Safeway stores, but they were a huge, widespread chain. Any particular area you remember the city names from?
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting these photos. I lived in West Covina till I was 12 and I remember shopping at both of these Alpha Betas. I distinctly remember the town names on the outside as well. This was prior to 1972 (when we moved away)
ReplyDeleteMelanie - Thanks for sharing your Alpha Beta memories, it's definitely a chain that people remember fondly. And I still think the town names on the stores were a great idea!
ReplyDeleteIm curious as to the location of the old La Puente store. It resembles the old "JAX" market on Azusa and Valley Blvd or the Stater Brothers on Amar Rd. and Valinda. Any ideas as to the location it used to be at???
ReplyDeleteArt - It is the one at Azusa and Valley (17305 E. Valley). I looked at the Windows Live Local (Bing) "bird's eye" map view, and it looks like the zig-zag sign structure is still there!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, seeing these photos brings a tear to my eyes. I used to walk to the Covina Alpha Beta and "The Owl" drugstore. (I think there was a liquor store in between the two stores.) I walked there almost every day with my friends. We would buy candy, gum, paper dolls and other cheap trash you now buy in the dollar stores.
ReplyDeleteOne time when I was about 9-10 years old, I realized that I had forgotten to lock my bike while I was standing in line waiting to pay for some stuff in the Alpha Beta. I ran outside without realizing the stuff was still in my arms, to see if my bike was still there. One of the employees followed me out and sat me up in the big window facing out toward the store,lecturing me and trying to get me to admit to stealing. I had to wait until a family member could come to pick me up. I will never forget that humiliation and had a lot of resentment toward that store after that! (I refused to shop there or go in there, I was so furious. No, I hadn't stolen anything, but they wouldn't believe me.)
Other than that, lots of fond memories of those idyllic days in the 50's. :D
Anonymous - Thank for sharing your memories of the Covina store here - even the one about your unpleasant experience - at least you had the truth on your side!
ReplyDeleteHi Dave, thanks for posting my little story: "anonymous" directly above you. That Alpha Beta was a huge part of my formative years and fortunately it wasn't too traumatic an experience!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting all the detailed information about the various stores during that era. Lots of fun reading about it and looking at cool old photos.
I'm wondering if you have info on White Front and The Akron. I remember Gemco, didn't it replace the White Front on Azusa Avenue just south of Arrow Highway?
Also, do you cover the drive in movie theaters? There was one a half mile north of that Alpha Beta, on the SE corner of Grand and Arrow Highway. It's a bunch of condos now (of course!)
Thank you so much for the shrine to Alpha Beta. It makes me wistful to see these photos. I remember as a kid going to the Alpha Beta in Lynwood and I'd see the town name and before I could read I thought for sure it said, "Lucky," because the "L" was similar to the other famous (and now defunct) grocery chain. My uncle told me, "No, it says Lynwood, where we live, kiddo."
ReplyDeleteI have many fond memories of Alpha Beta. We'd also go to Clark Drug for a scoop of ice cream for two bits (a quarter). I'm dating myself a bit. I'm 31-years-old now. They just don't make em like this anymore! Back then stores had charm and class. I miss Alpha Beta, Thrifty, Lucky and Sav On. The names of the stores that have replaced them are atrocious and lack imagination.
In the immortal words of Bob Hope: "Thanks for the memories!"
Peace/Richard
The short-lived Ray's Food Place (open for less than a year in 2007) in Eugene, Oregon's Santa Clara neighborhood had "Santa Clara" on the front facade. The neglected, empty store still says "Santa Clara" with all external Ray's signage removed.
ReplyDeleteVery cool site here...
Andria - Good to know about a store that's keeping up the town "name-checking" tradition.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words on the site!
By any chance do you have any photos of the Garden Grove Alpha Beta? I've enjoyed looking through the ones you have. Apparently, the GG AB was "All American Market" until the late '60s. We moved there in '67 and it was AB then. Thanks for any direction and thanks for the images you've got here.
ReplyDeleteDennis
My father was the manager of this Alpha Beta from 1963 till around 1979. Lots of fond memories of this store
ReplyDeletedoes any one out there has a picture of the Alpha Beta that was in Azusa Ca.
ReplyDelete