Area Grocery Stores

[FJ]

I remember these grocery franchises in Kansas City. I grew up here in the 70s:
A&P
Balls
IGA
Kroger
Mission Highlands
Safeway
Thriftway
United Super

Later, these franchises popped up:
Apple Market
Checkers
Dahl's
Dillon's
Food Barn
Hy-Vee
Price Chopper
Sun Fresh

What was the name of the grocery down on the plaza?

What was the name of the supermarket at 63rd (Shawnee Mission Parkway) and Neiman? Van's? Big Star?

[dt]

I used to buy all of my football cards at Thriftway and Safeway.

A contributor told me once that there was a grocery store in the Ward Parkway Shopping Center in it's early days. Can anyone confirm that?

[FJ]

I remember the supermarket at Ward Parkway shopping center. It was on the east side, lower level, kind of where TGIFriday's is/was. The last time I recall shopping there was around 1977. I don't remember if it was a Safeway or Milgram's or what.

I also recall an appearance by Hop Sing at the Roeland Park Thriftway in the early 70s. I didn't actually see him there. I remember a placard advertising his appearance, and then I saw a news blurb about his appearance after the fact, such was the popularity that Bonanza still carried, even toward the end of its television run.

[FJ]

Two more franchises for the list of come-latelys. Schnuck's and Hen House.

The Fairway Hen House was Knese's Thriftway for many years, and I think a Safeway before that. My mom shopped there regularly. That was the first place I remember seeing cow tongue for sale in the meat department. Not a favorite.

I remember in 4th grade going there because Wonder Bread offered a special edition of Wacky Packages; one sticker per loaf. I bought a lot of bread that year. They should have put the wacky stickers in the cow tongue. Brilliant!

I shopped at the Schnuck's at 91st and Metcalf for awhile when I lived nearby in the early 90s. Nice store and I enjoyed the novelty of the carts with the LCD consoles, but I gave up after a bad checkout experience. It was one of those deals where there was one lane open during a slow time and suddenly about 15 customers lined up to check out at the same time. I was number 15. The manager behind the service desk stared off into space as people fumed. He never did get another checker to open a lane. What a dope. I quit shopping there after that and I'm pretty sure that's why they folded here in Kansas City.

[dt]

[ornurse362]

This may be false memory syndrome, but "Muelhbach's" seems to ring a bell WRT being on the Plaze.

[quote="FJ"]I remember these grocery franchises in Kansas City. I grew up here in the 70s:

(snip)

What was the name of the grocery down on the plaza?

(snip)

[ornurse362]

As I recall, at one time there were two grocery stores at the Ward Parkway SHopping Center. The one where TGIF is/was was originally a Krogers.

On the south end of the mall was Wolferman's, with an attached restaurant.

Anyway, that's the way I remenber it.

[quote="FJ"]I remember the supermarket at Ward Parkway shopping center. It was on the east side, lower level, kind of where TGIFriday's is/was. The last time I recall shopping there was around 1977. I don't remember if it was a Safeway or Milgram's or what.

[dt]

Thanks for the post and the info! I have pictures of the Wolferman's up on the site.

[apr27sp]

[Wimpy]

Does anyone remember businesses along Prospect Avenue between Gregory and 75th Street from the 1950's/1960's? There were several grocery stores including (I think) a Thriftway in the 7100 block (east side) and almost across the street a Kroger's which I think later turned into a Velvet Freeze ice cream. There was a Safeway at 74th where I worked in 1960. There were numerous other businesses including the Sun Theater, a hobby shop, a hardware store, etc. Does anyone have a list?

[Wimpy]

[dt]

Wimpy,

I took a quick look through my old phonebooks and Hen House was on Wornall since at least 1960.

Welcome to the site, by the way.

DT

[ornurse362]

[dt]

You're right, the new store reeked too!

I'll check some of my '50s phonebooks.

[dt]

The oldest KC phonebook I have is 1951 and it appears as Hen House Poultry.