[mburb1981]

Here is an interesting discovery I came across on Google Street View just east of the downtown area of the northern Detroit suburban community of Royal Oak:


According to Southeast Michigan Council of Governments records, this building was built in 1920 and measures 1,200 square feet. At the time this was built, it was located along an interurban rail line connecting Royal Oak and Detroit, whose remnants are still reminded today with the grass median of this part of 4th Street.

The "disc" circular decor bookending the store sign seems to likely indicate this was once an A&P, but do you have any doubts on this ever being an A&P?

[Groceteria]

Interesting store! It very well could’ve been an A&P and I’ll know in a few weeks when I start working on the Detroit and Royal Oak/Ferndale data from my trip a few weeks ago. That said, the round discs actually sort of look more like Coca-Cola signs that may date from the 1940s/50s to me. Could be another soft drink as well. What suggests this is the fact that there are two of them, plus A&P didn't regularly use round signs until the era when they would have "outgrown" this store.

I’ll see if I can find anything for sure tomorrow when I have a chance.

[Groceteria]

Example of one of those Coca-Cola signs. And yes, I do have one right beside my desk. Thanks for asking.

[Groceteria]

I really tried, but I can't find anything placing an A&P there from 1922 onward. Unfortunately, the Royal Oak city directories from the 1920s do not have reverse-lookup so I can't say what WAS there, but none of the 5-8 A&P stores during that time has that address; the only 4th Street location was right downtown.