Old Supermarket Mystery North Wales/Montgomeryville, PA
Posted: 27 Jun 2011 16:16
Whole Foods has a store on Route 309 (road from Philadelphia to Allentown PA) in Montgomery County, PA not far outside Northwest Philadelphia. I am not even really sure of the town. Could be North Wales, Montgomeryville, Lansdale, Ambler, or Fort Washington.
Many Whole Foods in this area started as other grocery stores. I hear this shopping center was only built in 1993, but it seems to have been remodeled in the 2000s. And I know the AMC cinema in the parking lot was built in 1986 but replaced a "Budco" theater on the same site. The Whole Foods in nearby Jenkintown (was an Acme/Super Saver) and Wynnewood both were a gourmet grocer called Fresh Fields, based in Maryland. IF the 309 store was, the center was probably updated when Whole Foods bought them in 2002. This shopping center seems to have the same owners as Eddystone Crossing in Eddystone, PA and Audubon Crossing in Audubon, NJ. Both of these have Wal-Mart/Walmart as anchors, detached from the rest of the center. I think Eddystone Crossing was all new in 2000 or 2001, and had a Festival Foods for a very short time (became ShopRite in 2004). So maybe the Whole Foods was a Festival Foods.
And both of the centers in PA have a PLCB Wine & Spirits store. The one in Eddystone moved from nearby Woodlyn Shopping Center (really in Chester) which had an Acme many years ago and is now mostly dead. The replacement store started as a "BestPrice Fashions", which may have coexisted with the "One Price" clothing store in Woodlyn Shopping Center. ShopRite also borrowed this space as a hiring office. The Wal-Mart/Walmart here looks a lot like the one in nearby Larkins Corner Shopping Center, but that one was a Caldor from 1992 which was paired with a Super Fresh. Wal-Mart/Walmart has an identical store on 309 in Quakertown too, with an empty Acme next to it.
Most of Audubon Crossing was built as a JCPenney that was carved up into smaller stores. This center sits right behind an Acme which was a Penn Fruit. I know A&P was represented across the street too.
Genuardi's and Weis used to have a strong presence near the Whole Foods but have been dying out. So did Super G/Clemens at one time, but this store was way too small to have been a Super G. Could have been a Thriftway or Shop 'N Bag that was Clemens later though. The store was surrounded by two older Acmes north and south, but neither were that close. One was later an IGA, then an A.C. Moore, and now a clothing store. Another became a CVS two years ago. The Wine & Spirits here also matches the one in Wyncote/Cheltenham further south on 309. That small center was anchored by an A&P that was later a Super Fresh and is now an Aldi. So does anyone know if this Whole Foods was a Fresh Fields? Or if another grocery store here was torn down between 1986-1993?
Many Whole Foods in this area started as other grocery stores. I hear this shopping center was only built in 1993, but it seems to have been remodeled in the 2000s. And I know the AMC cinema in the parking lot was built in 1986 but replaced a "Budco" theater on the same site. The Whole Foods in nearby Jenkintown (was an Acme/Super Saver) and Wynnewood both were a gourmet grocer called Fresh Fields, based in Maryland. IF the 309 store was, the center was probably updated when Whole Foods bought them in 2002. This shopping center seems to have the same owners as Eddystone Crossing in Eddystone, PA and Audubon Crossing in Audubon, NJ. Both of these have Wal-Mart/Walmart as anchors, detached from the rest of the center. I think Eddystone Crossing was all new in 2000 or 2001, and had a Festival Foods for a very short time (became ShopRite in 2004). So maybe the Whole Foods was a Festival Foods.
And both of the centers in PA have a PLCB Wine & Spirits store. The one in Eddystone moved from nearby Woodlyn Shopping Center (really in Chester) which had an Acme many years ago and is now mostly dead. The replacement store started as a "BestPrice Fashions", which may have coexisted with the "One Price" clothing store in Woodlyn Shopping Center. ShopRite also borrowed this space as a hiring office. The Wal-Mart/Walmart here looks a lot like the one in nearby Larkins Corner Shopping Center, but that one was a Caldor from 1992 which was paired with a Super Fresh. Wal-Mart/Walmart has an identical store on 309 in Quakertown too, with an empty Acme next to it.
Most of Audubon Crossing was built as a JCPenney that was carved up into smaller stores. This center sits right behind an Acme which was a Penn Fruit. I know A&P was represented across the street too.
Genuardi's and Weis used to have a strong presence near the Whole Foods but have been dying out. So did Super G/Clemens at one time, but this store was way too small to have been a Super G. Could have been a Thriftway or Shop 'N Bag that was Clemens later though. The store was surrounded by two older Acmes north and south, but neither were that close. One was later an IGA, then an A.C. Moore, and now a clothing store. Another became a CVS two years ago. The Wine & Spirits here also matches the one in Wyncote/Cheltenham further south on 309. That small center was anchored by an A&P that was later a Super Fresh and is now an Aldi. So does anyone know if this Whole Foods was a Fresh Fields? Or if another grocery store here was torn down between 1986-1993?