Veteran
I went to the Ventura Market day before yesterday and saw an application to transfer the liquor license posted on the front window. If it has indeed been sold, hopefully the new owners don't do too much in the way of remodeling. This place looks basically the same as it did when Safeway opened it in the 60's, apart from some refrigeration upgrades and the replacement of the aisle hangers last year, and it would be a loss if it were to be drastically remodeled.
Great Pumpkin
There's a whole set of them on this very website. It was one of the first features on the site six or seven years ago. The photos currently reside here and are accessed from the Safeway in the 1960s page:Jeff wrote:Awesome looking store Daniel. Any more interior pics?
It would be nice to have some higher-resolution photos if anyone is in the neighborhood, though. Yes, that's a hint :)
I've been in this store in Fresno, found it by accident as I was looking for the houses just to the north of this store on Huntington Blvd. that decorate for Christmas.
When I drove by, I made a point of going back the next day to take a look.
The store is very worn out inside and over half the store is not in use. Many of the aisles are bare, they have no product on them and what is unusual to me is that they make no attempt to block-off those aisles not in use.
Same goes for some of the refrigerated areas on the left hand side near the meat counter.
The land immediately surrounding the store is vacant and at some point might make a good use for a redevelopment project.
Some who live in Fresno might be scared off by the area, but I see potential with this market in that it's not too large and can easily serve the local neighborhood by offering products their customers would prefer.
When I drove by, I made a point of going back the next day to take a look.
The store is very worn out inside and over half the store is not in use. Many of the aisles are bare, they have no product on them and what is unusual to me is that they make no attempt to block-off those aisles not in use.
Same goes for some of the refrigerated areas on the left hand side near the meat counter.
The land immediately surrounding the store is vacant and at some point might make a good use for a redevelopment project.
Some who live in Fresno might be scared off by the area, but I see potential with this market in that it's not too large and can easily serve the local neighborhood by offering products their customers would prefer.
Veteran
I was just at the Ventura yesterday to see what was going on. There were large "GRAND OPENING" and "NEW OWNERS" banners hanging outside. Inside, the shelves are full once again, and they have switched suppliers from Unified to C&S. (Western Family store brand products have been replaced by Best Yet) So far no major interior work has been done. It would be nice if the new owers restored the interior to it's 1960's glory, but who knows what, if anything, they'll do.
Veteran
Went in this store today, and the new owners have pretty much wrecked the interior. Gone are the 1960's gondola shelving, replaced by nasty yellow warehouse shelving, complete with auction company stickers and old shelf labels from whatever store used these before. Now the place feels like you're in a tiny Food 4 Less, as opposed to feeling like a neighborhood grocery.
Veteran
Maybe they can work on the exterior next.
They can paint over some of the windows. How about some nice colorful bright paint. Purple? Pink? Green?
They can try and match the interior of the Senter Market in San Jose (former Alpha Beta as photographed on this site when it operated as PW).
I guess it is nice they got the store restocked and all.
Charter way lives on...
They can paint over some of the windows. How about some nice colorful bright paint. Purple? Pink? Green?
They can try and match the interior of the Senter Market in San Jose (former Alpha Beta as photographed on this site when it operated as PW).
I guess it is nice they got the store restocked and all.
Charter way lives on...
Veteran
The "Food" section of the Fresno Bee of August 16, 2006 contained advertisements for several independent grocers in the Fresno area. It's possible that many (or all) locations are former chain grocery store locations.
(1) Ventura Supermarket - the famous former Safeway at 3232 East Ventura in Fresno uses lots of Spanish in its ad. Excellent prices - 3 lbs. of bananas for 99 cents; 5 lbs. of yellow onions for 99 cents, etc.
(2) Renna's Meat Market - First & Ashlan in Fresno ("new location"). Delivers for $30 minimum order. Seems to have meat exclusively as its product line. This strikes me as a throwback to the food retail business of the pre-chain grocer era, when customers shopped at one store for meat, another for dairy, another for produce, and yet another for "dry goods."
(3) Central Fish - 1535 Kern St. in Fresno (corner of G & Kern). This store includes a Japanese fast food restaurant. It also sells kimonos, origami paper, and Japanese text books. This store offers free delivery to wholesale clients. I believe that many "fish markets" in other communities also evolved to have restaurants under the same roof. The "Hayward Fishery" in Hayward, Calif. comes to wind.
(4) Louie Kee Market (uses a key as a logo) - 1041 Tulare at "B" Street in Fresno. "Serving the Valley Since 1923." Seems to be a full-service grocery store. (Curiously, the grocery store plugs "Louie's Laundromat" across from Louis Kee Market. I can't think of a supermarket chain which offers that service.) "Western Family" appears to be the main private label brand.
(5) The Big Potato Market - 6947 South Elm (Highway 41 and Adams Avenue) near Easton. The logo is a donkey or mule pulling a giant potato on a cart. The ad touts its "Pick Up Propane BBQ Tank Exchange" service. This appears to be full service grocery store. It apparently sells fresh pinto beans (try finding those at a chain grocery store) for 39 cents/lb. Good sale prices for produce - 69 cents/lb. for large bell peppers.
There seems to be a thriving community of independent grocers in the Fresno area - Gong's markets in Sanger, etc.
(1) Ventura Supermarket - the famous former Safeway at 3232 East Ventura in Fresno uses lots of Spanish in its ad. Excellent prices - 3 lbs. of bananas for 99 cents; 5 lbs. of yellow onions for 99 cents, etc.
(2) Renna's Meat Market - First & Ashlan in Fresno ("new location"). Delivers for $30 minimum order. Seems to have meat exclusively as its product line. This strikes me as a throwback to the food retail business of the pre-chain grocer era, when customers shopped at one store for meat, another for dairy, another for produce, and yet another for "dry goods."
(3) Central Fish - 1535 Kern St. in Fresno (corner of G & Kern). This store includes a Japanese fast food restaurant. It also sells kimonos, origami paper, and Japanese text books. This store offers free delivery to wholesale clients. I believe that many "fish markets" in other communities also evolved to have restaurants under the same roof. The "Hayward Fishery" in Hayward, Calif. comes to wind.
(4) Louie Kee Market (uses a key as a logo) - 1041 Tulare at "B" Street in Fresno. "Serving the Valley Since 1923." Seems to be a full-service grocery store. (Curiously, the grocery store plugs "Louie's Laundromat" across from Louis Kee Market. I can't think of a supermarket chain which offers that service.) "Western Family" appears to be the main private label brand.
(5) The Big Potato Market - 6947 South Elm (Highway 41 and Adams Avenue) near Easton. The logo is a donkey or mule pulling a giant potato on a cart. The ad touts its "Pick Up Propane BBQ Tank Exchange" service. This appears to be full service grocery store. It apparently sells fresh pinto beans (try finding those at a chain grocery store) for 39 cents/lb. Good sale prices for produce - 69 cents/lb. for large bell peppers.
There seems to be a thriving community of independent grocers in the Fresno area - Gong's markets in Sanger, etc.
Veteran
This former Safeway opened March 1964, and was designed by Tod Hart, who as mentioned also designed the Country Club Blvd Stockton store and others.