Fry's in California - History?

Uh...California.

Moderator: Groceteria

Post Reply
jamcool
Veteran
Posts: 213
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 16:10

Fry's in California - History?

Post by jamcool »

Fry's is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year in Arizona (starting with 2 stores in 1960). What was their history in the Bay Area, and how did they end up opening stores in Phoenix?
User avatar
Groceteria
Great Pumpkin
Posts: 1927
Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
Location: In the breakroom
Contact:

Re: Fry's in California - History?

Post by Groceteria »

Quick answers to part of the question:

Fry's was born in the San Jose area in the 1950s, as I recall. The chain was eventually came to be owned by Kroger (I read on an old version of the Fry's Electronics website that the original owner sold out to Dillon's in 1972, which would have brought them under the Kroger umbrella in 1983), and the Bay Area stores were sold to Save-Mart in 1989. Save-Mart operated them under the Fry's name for a couple of years but eventually rebranded the as Save-Mart, under which name they still operate. These stores were not converted to the Lucky brand when Save-Mart took over the Bay Area Albertsons stores.

I'm betting the Arizona stores started under Dillon's or Kroger.

Fry's Electronics BTW was founded by the same family.
User avatar
romleys
Veteran
Posts: 141
Joined: 05 Nov 2005 12:56

Re: Fry's in California - History?

Post by romleys »

Frys actually started in El Sobrante
Charles H:)
Dean
Veteran
Posts: 738
Joined: 11 Jan 2007 23:27

Re: Fry's in California - History?

Post by Dean »

Groceteria wrote:Quick answers to part of the question:

Fry's was born in the San Jose area in the 1950s, as I recall. The chain was eventually came to be owned by Kroger (I read on an old version of the Fry's Electronics website that the original owner sold out to Dillon's in 1972, which would have brought them under the Kroger umbrella in 1983), and the Bay Area stores were sold to Save-Mart in 1989. Save-Mart operated them under the Fry's name for a couple of years but eventually rebranded the as Save-Mart, under which name they still operate. These stores were not converted to the Lucky brand when Save-Mart took over the Bay Area Albertsons stores.

I'm betting the Arizona stores started under Dillon's or Kroger.

Fry's Electronics BTW was founded by the same family.
thanks, as always!

I honestly had wondered about the Electronics connection (pun intended!).
pinkfloyd95209
Contributor
Posts: 36
Joined: 20 Apr 2009 23:11

Re: Fry's in California - History?

Post by pinkfloyd95209 »

Groceteria wrote:The Bay Area stores were sold to Save-Mart in 1989. Save-Mart operated them under the Fry's name for a couple of years but eventually rebranded the as Save-Mart, under which name they still operate. These stores were not converted to the Lucky brand when Save-Mart took over the Bay Area Albertsons stores.
Actually they were sold to Save Mart of Modesto. "Save-Mart" with the hyphen between the Save and Mart is actually a very small chain based in Stockton and that is the reason why those stores (The Modesto Based Chain) in Stockton were initially called Food Bank Supermarket and later it changed to Smart Foods (and then from a threatened lawsuit by Smart & Final) and finally to the present S-Mart Foods. Back to Frys, Save Mart now operates in one remaining Fry's Building, 3223 West Hammer Ln. The other two locations are now a John's Incredible Pizza (4555 Pershing Ave) and SF Asian Supermarket (8004 West Lane).
Jason B.
Veteran
Posts: 206
Joined: 10 Aug 2006 02:43

Re: Fry's in California - History?

Post by Jason B. »

The March 2020 edition of "The Shelby Report of the West" (p. 24) has a couple of articles about the history of the Fry's Food Stores.

The first article is about the 60th anniversary of Fry's in Arizona. It includes four black and white photos of Fry's Food Stores, probably from the 1970s and '80s. That article says that Don and Chuck Fry began operating stores in northern California in 1957. In 1960, they opened the first Phoenix Fry's store at 7th Street and Missouri Avenue. In 1972, Dillon Cos. acquired Fry's Food Stores (there were 41 stores). In 1983, Dillon Cos. merged with The Kroger Co. In 1999, Kroger and Fred Meyer merged. Fry's converted the Smith's stores in Arizona to Fry's Food and Drug Stores (except for Kingman, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City.) In 2020, the company operated 122 stores.

The second article is an obituary for Charles Lindbergh "Chuck" Fry, age 92, co-founder of Fry's Food Stores. It says that Chuck Fry invested with his brother Don Fry in 1955 in Richmond, Calif. (Presumably that was the first Fry's Food Store?) Chuck and his wife Alice raised three sons on a ranch in Martinez, Calif. The Fry boys eventually formed Fry's Electronics in 1985.
Jason B.
Veteran
Posts: 206
Joined: 10 Aug 2006 02:43

Re: Fry's in California - History?

Post by Jason B. »

Here is the "Shelby Report of the West" (March 2020 issue, p. 24) article that included four photographs of Fry's Foods Stores from the 1970s and/or '80s. I do not see photo credits, but presumably someone owns the copyrights to the photos. I am sharing the photos here so that others can comment on the three different Fry's Food Stores building exterior styles depicted, etc.
Attachments
scan3342.jpg
Post Reply