Page 1 of 3

Re: Food Barn locations in LA, OC, Riverside, and LV, 1980-8

Posted: 04 Jan 2007 18:35
by TheStranger
J-Mac wrote:
At the time, I was more interested in the Thrifty store because it had (and still has) the ice cream counter. Speaking of which, if you're ever in the neighborhood, the Rite Aid sports its Thrifty interior signage - they just pulled the Thrifty name off the walls inside. Most other things haven't changed much since then, no real movement of where products are placed either. The end tenant in that mall is a Little Caesars Pizza, it used to be a Pioneer Chicken.
This is probably a subject to start a whole new thread about - but I'm wondering more about the Pioneer Chicken story.

I DO think they had a few locations in the SF Peninsula in the early 90s before folding.
J-Mac wrote:
Two blocks to the south is where the airplanes crashed in 1986.
That's the Aeromexico incident, right?

Re: Food Barn locations in LA, OC, Riverside, and LV, 1980-8

Posted: 04 Jan 2007 21:35
by Groceteria
TheStranger wrote: This is probably a subject to start a whole new thread about
You are correct. Consider it done...

Posted: 04 Jan 2007 22:36
by J-Mac
A quick response about the Cerritos stripmall that came up in the FoodBarn discussion: Yes that was the Aeromexico incident I was referring to.

Now on to Pioneer Chicken. They are still in business, well, sorta. See wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Chicken

After many years not even thinking about the chain, someone at work brought up the subject... he turned me back on to them. I have been to both the Echo Park and the Bell Gardens locations, they look like time capsules. Nothing has changed, not the wagon-wheel chandeliers, not the menu. Ok maybe the uniforms.

So here's some addresses I know to still be in operation:

904 S. Soto St., Los Angeles 90023. Discussed at http://thenewdiner.blogspot.com/2006/01 ... to-st.html

*1321 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90026

4376 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

5970 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

*6323 E Florence, Bell Gardens, CA

650 S Gaffey Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 (not sure about this one)

* = physically verified in business. Edit was to add Echo Park Ave location, just off of Sunset.

Posted: 04 Jan 2007 23:28
by greebs
There is one in East LA on the corner of Whittier Blvd and Soto Street and one in Echo Park, kind of tucked away on a street off of Sunset Blvd.

Posted: 04 Jan 2007 23:45
by greebs
The location on 4376 Sunset Blvd was the 200th restuarant in the chain that started in 1961. An ad celebrating this occasion dated July 10, 1979 in the LA Times says the 200 restuarants are spred through out the West including Hawaii and Alaska.

Posted: 05 Jan 2007 09:26
by runchadrun
The Echo Park store was the first store and was owned by (and next door to) Pioneer Market, hence the name. The market closed a couple of years ago when the owner retired and figured he could make more money leasing it out, which he did to Walgreens. Of course they remodeled it and it looks nothing like its former self.

I never made the connection between the store and the chicken until last month when I was in the neighborhood and thought "there's the old Pioneer Market, right next to Pioneer Chicken. Hmmmm...."

Posted: 05 Jan 2007 12:27
by Jeff
I still go to pioneer for the chicken. Tastes just like it did way back when.

Posted: 05 Jan 2007 15:50
by Daniel
The Pioneer Chicken here converted to Popeye's about 10 years ago. I went there once before the conversion, it was pretty dirty and I only went there the one time. For the longest time there was an old Pioneer in Merced that was converted to a liquor store. They kept the old sign frame, though, so you had an oddly shaped sign saying "Bobby's Liquors".

Posted: 05 Jan 2007 16:09
by javelin
Daniel wrote:For the longest time there was an old Pioneer in Merced that was converted to a liquor store. They kept the old sign frame, though, so you had an oddly shaped sign saying "Bobby's Liquors".
There's a liquor store in San Bernardino with the same setup, different name of course. Seems that the old Pioneer stores are in now economically depressed and blighted areas. So do liquor stores bring blight, or does blight attract liquor stores?

Sadly, it's much easier to sell booze in some towns than to sell other, more reputable items, due to zoning.

Posted: 06 Jan 2007 12:46
by Jeff
There is a Chinese restaurant in Anaheim (I want to say off Katella or Lincoln west of harbor, east of Valley View) that has the original sign.

Posted: 11 Jan 2007 13:51
by shane
Lancaster used to have a Pioneer Chicken back in the 60's and 70's it was located at 1137 W Ave I This location is now a taco resturant.

Posted: 12 Jan 2007 01:23
by Dean
Jeff wrote:There is a Chinese restaurant in Anaheim (I want to say off Katella or Lincoln west of harbor, east of Valley View) that has the original sign.
Isn't it on Harbor...in Buena Park?! They simply removed the Pioneer name...and added the Chinese restaurant's. It is in the same shape. Same thing...across the street from the Carousel Mall in San Bernardino. Stater Bros shopping center.

Posted: 12 Jan 2007 02:30
by javelin
Dean wrote:
Jeff wrote:There is a Chinese restaurant in Anaheim (I want to say off Katella or Lincoln west of harbor, east of Valley View) that has the original sign.
Isn't it on Harbor...in Buena Park?! They simply removed the Pioneer name...and added the Chinese restaurant's. It is in the same shape. Same thing...across the street from the Carousel Mall in San Bernardino. Stater Bros shopping center.
My bad, it was a chinese restaurant, not a liquor store.

Posted: 12 Jan 2007 21:22
by Jeff
No, Its not Harbor. Harbor would be where Disneyland is, and its west of there. I want to say Euclid.

Posted: 12 Jan 2007 22:52
by Dean
Jeff wrote:No, Its not Harbor. Harbor would be where Disneyland is, and its west of there. I want to say Euclid.
Ooops! thanks Jeff...a couple/few of my entries last night...I listed Harbor. When actually it is Beach Boulevard.