Boise ID

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storewanderer
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Boise ID

Post by storewanderer »

Anything of interest in, near, or between the following:

Boise, ID
Burley, ID
Baker City, OR
Enterprise, OR - what is the vintage of this Safeway?

Thanks
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Re: Boise ID

Post by kr.abs.swy »

Hi Storewanderer,

Here are a few sites that you might find interesting. I need to note that I haven't lived in Boise for four years so some of this information could easily have changed.

1. On State Street near 17th in Boise is an old marina Safeway that is now a Rite Aid. It has received a few touch-ups over the years but is still very recognizable as a former Safeway. Ironically enough it's across the street from the site of the first Albertsons store and a newer store that you probably would consider the Alby's flagship.

2. In Ontario, Oregon, the Red Apple Store is a former Safeway with the hidden Marina roof (you can see the arches poke out), and some former Safeway signage on the front (the Bakery sign, etc.). It's not, however, a Safeway interior.

3. Also, in Ontario, you can see a few Bell System logos. Malheur Bell, owned by Qwest, is the only company still using the Bell System logo.

4. In Boise, there are a couple of former Grand Central / Fred Meyer stores that you might be able to go in. The one on Overland is an on-again, off-again furniture store and the one on Fairview is a Burlington (Urlington???) Coat Factory. Last time I was in the one on Overland, you could still figure out where all of the Fred Meyer departments were.

4. There are some Albertsons in Boise that are former Buttery stores. They have all been fully remodeled, however. The store at about 10000 Overland, about 5000 Overland, and on Five Mile are all former Buttrey's. The 5000 Overland store is in a plaza with the former Fred Meyer I mentioned in (4).

5. You also might get a kick out of the former Buttrey on 16th Street near downtown Boise. It is now the offices of KBCI TV and a Napa Auto Parts store. It's very obviously a former grocery store.

6. If you're venturing off the freeway, in Payette, there is an Albertsons that used to be Smith's (built prior to the superstore builds of the late 1980s or early 1990s). Behind that store is a small former grocery store that was being used as offices when I saw it in 2004. I would have guessed it was a Safeway but couldn't say for sure. When I was there, the "In" sign was still on the automatic door.

7. The Albertsons in Baker City is a new build. The older store, which was a store that had been gracelessly added on to over the years, is downtown and was a dollar store last time I saw it. The new store is right by the freeway. The Safeway is in a strip mall with a Rite Aid store and got a nice remodel about five years ago. This is the closest Safeway to Boise.

8. I haven't seen the Safeway in Enterprise but would love to see pictures. Sometimes those Safeways in small towns can be gems that time forgot.

9. There are some old Rite Aid (presumably former PayLess) stores in Boise. The store on Vista used to be an Albertsons many years ago (presumably prior to Albertsons purchase of the former Safeway at the corner of Vista and Overland in the 1980s; that store was since demolished and a new store built on the same site about six years ago). The store near State and Glenwood is definitely older. The previously mentioned former Safeway on State Street is fun to see. There are also some new build Rite Aid's (and lots of new build Walgreen's).

10. All the remaining 7-Eleven stores got bought up by Jackson's Food Stores (a local chain) a few months ago, so there might be a few unique transitions.

Hope this helps!!!
Attachments
Safeway in Baker City, Oregon
Safeway in Baker City, Oregon
Maybe a former Safeway in Payette?
Maybe a former Safeway in Payette?
Red Apple Store in Ontario -- definitely a former Safeway
Red Apple Store in Ontario -- definitely a former Safeway
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Re: Boise ID

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Interesting on those stores. I didn't get to Enterprise. I went to La Grande though. Not much overly interesting there. La Grande and Baker City Safeways have the pre-lifestyle interior and look great.

Was trying to figure out Smiths "strategy" in Idaho as I visited the Burley and Twin Falls Stores. Conditions were terrible, and the pricing was extremely high. I was glad to get photos of the two interiors that were each decades old, but still. Albertsons in Twin Falls was a real treat. I know they've been trying to expand/remodel that Albertsons for a while, and it appears in the mean time they aren't spending a cent.

I had labeled that 5000 Overland large store adjacant to Albertsons as a Kmart. So that was a Fred Meyer. Interesting. It is currently closed.

Any idea what Ridleys in Jerome started as?

I went into one of the former 7-11s that is now Jacksons, it has Texaco branding which was neat to see. The interior conversion was very rough, all of the 7-11 equipment is still there and it is the junkiest looking Jacksons I've ever seen inside.

I have had poor luck finding old Safeways in Boise. Paul's in Napma on 12th is obviously, and pretty original beyond a terrible white repaint (scars of the old italic 70s wall letters are visible on the back center wall) and some new wall letters.
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Re: Boise ID

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storewanderer wrote: I went into one of the former 7-11s that is now Jacksons, it has Texaco branding which was neat to see. The interior conversion was very rough, all of the 7-11 equipment is still there and it is the junkiest looking Jacksons I've ever seen inside.
If the regular Jacksons I've been to are any indication, I'd hate to see what a junky one looks like. The ones I've been to (a couple of gas stops on roadtrips down to Utah) seem to have not bothered to do any remodeling since the mid 1980s, and it shows. The pictures on the walls show product packages that hasn't been used in decades. In a way it's kind of an interesting throwback, but at the same time it definitely shows its age. At least the gas pumps are up to date.
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Re: Boise ID

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Those pictures of products they use are just the old Texaco convenience store interior. It was kind of weird to see them use that interior (and those photos) on a new build Shell they opened in Reno a few years ago though, but hey.
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Re: Boise ID

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I don't think there were that many Safeways in Boise, at least not when they divested the market. There was one at Vista and Overland that Albertsons bought, but they built a new store in the parking lot and demolished the old one roughly six years ago. There is the marina store on State across from the original Albertsons site. And the former Sunset Sports at Fairview and Curtis is, I believe, a former Safeway. I'm sure there were many more over the years but I don't know where.

The nicer Albertsons in Caldwell is a former Safeway. When they remodeled it around seven or eight years ago, the former Safeway wall pictures were visible and you could see "Lucerne" on one of them.

Another fun game is "Where were all of the Smith's Food Kings in Boise." There was one on Broadway somewhere. The former Sav-On on Bogus Basin Road was Smith's. One of the stores on Overland near I-84 was Smith's. I am guessing that there was one across from the 10000 Overland Albertsons -- that building looks like an old-school Smith's.

I was always curious what the Grocery Outlet on Fairview was.
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Re: Boise ID

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Okay here are some pictures. All of the pictures are in the front dozen or so pages of my photo site.

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa11 ... t/?start=0

Original Albertsons - was this recently remodeled by SVU? Comes off as a heritage to the chain as it stands. There were some banners around the parking lot. I didn't ever see this store in daylight so I don't know what the banners said. Image

Smiths- Burley, ID. Horrific. Image

Albertsons- Twin Falls, ID.
Image

Rite Aid- La Grande, OR. Image
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Re: Boise ID

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That store on the site of the original Albertsons got that remodel probably seven or eight years ago. It was previously a blue-gray. I believe that store was built in the 1980s, so the blue-gray was probably the first remodel. That was one of the best remodels Albertsons has done -- it fit the area of the city, it fit the store's heritage at the site of the original Albertsons, it gave credit to Joe Albertson, and it looked good. I loved shopping in that store.

I haven't lived in Boise for four years, and it's so weird to see that collection of pictures and see some of the stores that seemed frozen in time are still frozen in time. That Burley Smith's brings back memories of grocery shopping literally 20 years ago in Idaho Falls. The Twin Falls Albertsons brings back memories too. I expected both of those stores to be remodeled any day -- five years ago! And they still haven't been touched. Same with the 7000 State Street Rite Aid and the Burley Albertsons.

And the pictures show that -- among all the problems Albertsons had before it was dismantled, coming up with nice interiors for stores wasn't one of them. I don't mean the half-baked remodels of the 2000s. I mean stores like the original Albertsons remodel and the new store on Vista that are really well done.

Thanks for the pictures ... I really enjoyed them.
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Re: Boise ID

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The "Broadway Market" Albertsons was another unique (I think) to the store interior that I thought was pretty good.

Image

Image

The Twin Falls Fred Meyer still has the early 90s interior (so did Nampa). Why doesn't anyone (other than Rite Aid with a low budget remodel in Twin Falls and a new store in Burley- both closing or closed or sold to Walgreens) invest in their stores in Burley and Twin Falls? This made me wonder what type of stores exist in Idaho Falls and Pocatello, two places I did not get to.
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Re: Boise ID

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The Idaho Falls Albertsons stores are generally in good shape. Two have the new SuperValu interior; the other got a fairly light remodel a few years ago. The Idaho Falls Smith's got a remodel from the interior that you saw in Burley several years ago. It's not great but not horrible. The Idaho Falls Fred Meyer is just over 10 years old so it's in good shape. The only remaining Rite Aid store in Idaho Falls is probably frightening. Three of the four Walgreens stores are new. The other one is a small neighborhood pharmacy that they took over; I believe they are planning to build (or may already be building) a replacement store. Idaho Falls has a very new WinCo store. Idaho Falls' Kmart is probably around 15-20 years old. Idaho Falls is somewhat of a regional shopping hub and that helps.

Pocatello only has one Albertsons. It also has the new SuperValu interior; the store is probably around 25 years old. The Pocatello Smith's closed when the new Fred Meyer opened across the street a few years ago. There is still a Smith's in Chubbuck. It's an older, smaller store that could use work but isn't horrible. Interestingly, the WinCo in Pocatello is a former Safeway / Farmer Jack. There is an older Rite Aid store (former PayLess) in the same plaza that probably hasn't been touched in years. Rite Aid built two other stores in Pocatello/Chubbuck, but both closed shortly after being built. There is at least one brand new Walgreen's in Pocatello. Pocatello's Kmart is older.

So to give you a short answer to your question, the stores in Idaho Falls and Pocatello probably are in better shape overall than Twin Falls and Burley. No more blue-grey Albertsons, the Smith's interior you saw is gone, lots of new Walgreen's, and both Fred Meyer stores are newer than the Twin Falls store. There are, however, some former store locations in Idaho Falls (a former Safeway -- some kind of US government office, a former Buttrey -- vacant, the former Waremart/WinCo -- has been a flea market, and the old Kmart/Ernst -- currently vacant) that would give you chills.
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Re: Boise ID

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Here's what I got on the Albertsons interiors:

1653 S. Vista Boise: Jewel interior
5100 Overland Boise: late 90s white wall/hanging signs interior (98)
1219 Broadway Boise: Broadway interior
909 E. Parkcenter Boise: SuperValu interior (SVU)
1650 W. State Boise: State interior
10500 Overland Boise: SVU
1520 N. Cole Boise: 2000era cheap interior (00)
3614 W. State Boise: Grocery Palace
7100 W. State Boise: unknown/note unclear
4700 N. Eagle Boise: SVU
10700 Ustick Boise: SVU
3301 W. Cherry Meridian: SVU
20 E. Fairview Meridian: SVU
6560 S. Federal Boise: GP
250 S. Eagle Road Eagle: SVU
2400 12th Ave Rd. Nampa: Blue-gray
715 12th Ave S. Nampa: SVU
415 Cleveland Caldwell: 00
2500 E. Blaine Caldwell: 00
640 Hwy 16 Emmett: 00 (likely built with this interior)
528 N. Main Mountain Home: 00 (possibly 98; note unclear)
1310 Pomerelle Burley: Blue-gray
1221 Addison Ave E. Twin Falls: 88/
2212 Island La Grande, OR: Blue-gray
1120 Campbell Baker City, OR: 00 (likely built with this interior)

Rite Aid:
5505 W Overland Boise: late 90s freestading (RA1)
1100 Vista Boise: Payless early 90s interior (90)
660 E. Boise Boise: Recent remodel to new decor (CW-R)
1515 W. State Boise: CW-R
7670 Fairview Boise: 90
10600 Fairview Boise: RA1
7020 W. State Boise: 90, small section of store blocked by shelves
2809 E. Cleveland Caldwell: CW-R (retains Payless 45degree layout)
1600 North Main Meridian: late 90s re-paint and re-sign of 45degree Payless Store, large section of sales floor blocked by shelves
728 SW 4th Ontario, OR: CW-built 2006
1139 Addison Ave E Twin Falls, ID: late 90s re-paint and re-sign of former Osco Store
904 E Main Burley: RA1
1217 Campbell Baker City, OR: late 90s re-paint and re-sign of 45degree Payless Store
2212 Island La Grande, OR: late 80s Payless interior, large section of store blocked by shelves

Fred Meyer:
10751 W Overland Boise: recent remodel, colored walls (06)
3527 Federal Boise: 99
5230 W Franklin Boise: late 90s (99)
5425 Chinden Garden City: 06
4850 E. Fairview Meridian: 06
750 2nd St S Nampa: early 90s clothing in middle, odd design (90)
705 Blue Lakes Twin Falls (90)
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Re: Boise ID

Post by kr.abs.swy »

You are correct, the Emmett and Baker City stores have their original interior (unless they were remodeled in the past four years). They were built in the early 2000s, both as replacement stores.

It's sad to see some of those late 1990s white wall/hanging fixture stores get remodeled. That was one of my favorite Alby's interiors. The former Albertsons store in north Twin Falls also had that interior during its short life.

The 7100 State store received a remodel in around 2003 when the new Wal-Mart Super Center opened kitty corner across State Street. As I recall, it was a better remodel than some of the truly half-baked remodels they did just before breaking up, but was not as thorough as some of the remodels they did in the 1990s and early 2000s. They didn't do much to the exterior when they did that remodel.

Doesn't look like SuperValu is wasting any time remodeling the stores around Boise ...
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Re: Boise ID

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kr.abs.swy wrote:I don't think there were that many Safeways in Boise, at least not when they divested the market. There was one at Vista and Overland that Albertsons bought, but they built a new store in the parking lot and demolished the old one roughly six years ago. There is the marina store on State across from the original Albertsons site. And the former Sunset Sports at Fairview and Curtis is, I believe, a former Safeway. I'm sure there were many more over the years but I don't know where.

The nicer Albertsons in Caldwell is a former Safeway. When they remodeled it around seven or eight years ago, the former Safeway wall pictures were visible and you could see "Lucerne" on one of them.

Another fun game is "Where were all of the Smith's Food Kings in Boise." There was one on Broadway somewhere. The former Sav-On on Bogus Basin Road was Smith's. One of the stores on Overland near I-84 was Smith's. I am guessing that there was one across from the 10000 Overland Albertsons -- that building looks like an old-school Smith's.

I was always curious what the Grocery Outlet on Fairview was.
I lived in Boise from 1984-1988. Here is what I know:
The now-demolished Vista store replaced the store just down the road on Vista that is now Rite-Aid. For a couple years after Albertsons took over, they retained the Safeway interior. That store also was unique as it was a marina-style with a pharmacy that was original to Safeway, and was the only Albertsons where I ever saw them use shopping carts with RED handles imprinted with the Albertsons logo. The new store that replaced this one was under construction on my last visit in 2001, at one point there was a Sizzler restaurant where the new store sits.The former Sunset was at one point a Safeway, before the mid-80s. There used to be a Circle S labelscar on the outside, and the interior was instantly recognizable as a Safeway. I have also been told that the former Waremart at Cole and Ustick was also a Safeway at one point, but it must have been built far later than the others if it was.

The Broadway Albertsons, to the best of my knowledge, was the last store in Boise to install scanners and automatic doors. It received a major remodel and expansion, along with the strip mall, in the mid-80s. The produce area in one of the pictures was part of the addition. Former Albertsons include the store at the Eastgate Center which I remember last as a sporting goods store. This store was expanded on the front not long after the first Broadway remodel, the front originally lined up with the adjoining Rite Aid (former PayLess). Another former Albertsons was at Fairview and Five Mile, I remember last as a Savers thrift store. Albertsons closed this when they took over the Buttrey stores and moved to Overland and Five Mile. And there was an Albertsons at Franklin and Orchard which I believe has been demolished and is now Fred Meyer. Albertsons also acquired the former D'Alessandro's on Chinden and opened Maxx Food and Drug. Later this was Max Foods and was closed on my last visit. Note the spelling was changed. The Albertsons at State Street and Gary Lane was originally across State Street in the Plantation shopping center.

Smith's had a store on Broadway at Boise Avenue. I was attending school at Garfield Elementary, across Boise Ave. from 1984-86. This store had no bakery or deli, and had a drop ceiling which frequently had tiles removed and what looked like a pegboard vaulted ceiling above, and could very well have been a Safeway at one point. This store was remodeled into a car wash and video store, and I remember several businesses came and left from the other space including an auto parts store and a restaurant. This store closed about a year before Smith's closed the remaining stores in Boise.
The two stores on Overland mentioned were also Smith's.

I will be traveling through Boise in June, but don't know if I will be stopping. I would like to see at least the Broadway store again though. I am curious about the upkeep of the Boise stores in general...the ones in the Portland area have really gone downhill in the last few years.
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Re: Boise ID

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Also worth noting...the Rite Aid/Former Payless stores at Vista, both State Street locations, and the Fairview store in the Westgate shopping center, were previously Osco Drug stores, and were Skaggs Drug stores before that.
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Re: Boise ID

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The upkeep in the Boise Stores seemed okay, though not outstanding. I sure noticed a lot of perimeter departments in those stores that I have never seen other Albertsons (in-store pizza, "chippery," baked potato bar, salad bar, etc.). What really stood out for me was the general lack of traffic in quite a few of the stores. While some of they had decent crowds, many were very slow. Yet every Fred Meyer (food area; non food was slow) and WinCo was full of customers.

The customer traffic in the Rite Aids was universally just dismal. I never saw more than 5 customers; most of the stores it was myself and one or two other shoppers.

I also went into a Paul's out in South? Boise. I guess that store wins the award of being the only non-Albertsons-conventional in the entire city of Boise. I'm not sure if Pauls built that store, but it seemed quite legitimate with a fuel station and a bunch of shelves, checkouts, and possibly even wall letters that came from a closed Smiths. Then again all 3 Pauls I went into had shelves and checkouts that looked to be used from Smiths. Maybe the stuff was not used.
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