[jamcool]

I noticed a Stater Bros store in Buena Park. (in Orange County - which is a distance from Stater's base in the Inland Empire) It had the older style rectangular free-standing signage with the Art-Deco style Stater Bros lettering - so this store must have been there a long time.

The question is - was Stater's in OC before they bought the group of Albertsons stores in the late 90s? And when did they originally enter Orange County?

[ascjon]

I used to go to Stater Bros. as a kid in Riverside and I think they were in Orange County as well at that time (1990 ish).

[runchadrun]

According to the timeline on their web site the first OC supermarket opened in 1960 (it doesn't say where in OC)

[wayne winterland jr.]

I grew up in Orange, Calif. and I remember having a Stater Brothers Market at the intersection of Tustin and Collins St. sometime in the 1960's

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I used to work at a Stater Bros. in Santa Ana. This was in 1987-88. I think it was the one on Tustin and Collins...but I'm a little foggy on the address. I do remember it being an older store at the time.

[robsster]

I don't know when the Stater Bros. at 2180 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa opened, however, it appears to be a 1960's vintage with neon and terrazzo floors. The store recently did a partial remodel.

[StaterBahr]

First: the address of the store on tustin/collins is: 1800 e. Collins ave. and is actually in the city of orange. It is store #28. Second: according to my list the store on Newprort Blvd. is most likely the fist in OC. it is store #25.
There are a few on my list that have been closed but I believe they were all inland empire locations. the 60's were a major growth time for Staters in OC, they opened about ten stores in those days mostly in santa ana.

[OCRedCub]

Stater Bros. had quite a few locations in OC before the Albertsons/Lucky merger - 2 in Santa Ana come to mind: Edinger at Fairview and 17th/Fairview. Also one in Yorba Linda or Placentia. And another one in South Whittier (yeah, I know it's technically not OC, but I'm guessing they had even fewer locations in LA County, and still tough to find in LA) on Mulberry, I think.

[StaterBahr]

store #15 Whittier at the corner of mulberry and mills, was one of only two in L A County before the aqusition of the former Lucky/Albertsons stores. The other location is in Norwalk on Bloomfield and Alondra. The Whittier location was one of the original 15 stores before Staters had a main warehouse. As far as i can tell the original store was actually on mills ave. and I think the building still exists as a carpet store. I am searching out for pictures of the area to confirm my idea.

[john]

Stater Bros has two locations in Costa Mesa - one on Newport Blvd and the other at Baker and Fairview, right across from what used to be the Pantry. The one on Newport Blvd is 1950s with a great old neon sign
See my flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hungry_i/69899093/

[J-Man]

store #15 Whittier at the corner of mulberry and mills, was one of only two in L A County before the aqusition of the former Lucky/Albertsons stores.

The stores in Azusa (Alosta and Barranca) and LaVerne (Foothill Blvd.) both seem to me like they pre-date the Lucky/Albertsons divestiture. Am I wrong about that?

[Jeff]

Another location pre-Lucky/Albertson marriage was the (now closed) Stater Brothers on Nogales St and La Puente Rd in West Covina.

[storewanderer]

I don't even know if this is Orange County, but I went into what seemed like a 1970's era one on Beach Blvd. somewhere in or around Westminster. En route from a Claim Jumper to Disneyland, if this helps anyone better pinpoint the exact location...

[StaterBahr]

j-man... do you know if that old 50's neon sign is still at that location in costa mesa... i would like to get some pictures of it myself and i havnt been down there in a while.