Mayflower (Southern California)

TheStranger · Post by **TheStranger** » 11 Nov 2006 03:37

Saw this photo from the February 1959 edition of Chain Store Age, page 59 (in a Purex ad):

current view of it as Sport Chalet: http://tinyurl.com/yzsf2g

Anyone know more about this chain? Another location was mentioned in one thread, but I didn't see much in my perusing of the CSA archives, or anyhwere else, about it.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » 11 Nov 2006 10:34

I can tell you this, that Sport Chalet store is huge. I've been it several times. I thought it was something else.

runchadrun · Post by **runchadrun** » 11 Nov 2006 11:03

I found very little about this store in the LA Times archive. There would probably be more information from newspapers on that end of town.

According to a 10/31/1985 article about an Alhambra High School reunion, John McGill built a 3-store Mayflower supermarket chain in Alhambra and the Mayflower Shopping Center in Glendora and became a millionaire when he sold them. I couldn't find any references to where the Alhambra locations were.

A frozen pizza ad from 8/15/1974 lists a Mayflower Market in Glendora but with no address. I also see stores in Monrovia and Arcadia so I wonder if those are the three stores mentioned above.

The 4/8/1976 issue has a display ad from Foods Co. "Super total value price supermarkets" that has a store at the Glendora address. (There are 8 Foods Co. store locations listed.) I have no idea if there is a relation to the current Foods Co.

A 9/23/1984 article indicates that the shopping center was in the process of renovation.

TheStranger · Post by **TheStranger** » 11 Nov 2006 16:24

runchadrun wrote:
The 4/8/1976 issue has a display ad from Foods Co. "Super total value price supermarkets" that has a store at the Glendora address. (There are 8 Foods Co. store locations listed.) I have no idea if there is a relation to the current Foods Co.

Several 1965-era CSA issues also show that SoCal Foods Co., and Storewanderer has told me that it is somehow related to today's FoodsCo (which has locations only in Northern California). So it makes me wonder if Ralphs/Yucaipa acquired it and the brand name got reassigned by Kroger in the wake of not having the Fleming F4L franchise up north...

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » 11 Nov 2006 19:55

I wonder if possibly the Super-A Foods in Alhambra could have been the old Mayflower Market.

Markets in Alhambra havent changed much over time.

runchadrun · Post by **runchadrun** » 11 Nov 2006 20:48

Jeff wrote:I wonder if possibly the Super-A Foods in Alhambra could have been the old Mayflower Market.

I was thinking the same thing but I think the article was wrong about the stores actually being in Alhambra as I mentioned above. It was about the Alhambra High School reunion and I would have thought they would have mentioned the Super A next to AHS... The origins of Super A are from 4 closed Food Fair stores, but I don't know the locations.

TheStranger wrote:Storewanderer has told me that it is somehow related to today's FoodsCo (which has locations only in Northern California). So it makes me wonder if Ralphs/Yucaipa acquired it and the brand name got reassigned by Kroger in the wake of not having the Fleming F4L franchise up north...

It took some digging around but this is what I found: As of 1988 Breco Holdings owned Boys, Viva, Cala, QFI, and Foods Co. In 1989 Yucaipa and Breco merged. Yucapia's properties eventally got swallowed up by Kroger.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » 11 Nov 2006 23:05

What about the Super A Foods in Arcadia on Duarte Rd? Look at that building and how eerily similar it is to the one in Glendora.

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... d%20States___

runchadrun · Post by **runchadrun** » 12 Nov 2006 00:33

This thread should probably end up getting bumped over to the commercial archaeology forum...

The store at 935 W Duarte Rd was a Pantry Market as of 1971. I don't see it in the Super A Foods store list today. Has it closed?

I found the Arcadia location in a 11/17/1966 ad for a Bissel rug shampooer. It was at 150 E Live Oak. (A 1962 Alpha Beta ad puts an Alpha Beta at this location. A 1982 ad puts an Ace Hardware there. Today it's an empty lot.)
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... ene=311467

The Monrovia location was listed in a Cergro ad for Springfield paper napkins from 10/15/1981 and the address is 2543 Peck Rd, which today looks like it's in rather poor condition.
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... ne=3452336

greebs · Post by **greebs** » 12 Nov 2006 15:00

A Pantry ad dated June 20, 1985 lists 10 stores:
435 N. Altadena Dr. - Pasadena
845 E. California Blvd - Pasadena
2215 E. Huntington Dr. - Duarte
1820 N. Placentia Ave.- Placentia
1300 South Golden West - Arcadia
2725 N. Bristol - Santa Ana
2251 N. Harbor Blvd - Fullerton
1112 Walnut - South Tustin
1170 Baker - Costa Mesa
935 West Duarte Road - Monrovia

greebs · Post by **greebs** » 12 Nov 2006 15:47

The Super A in Alhambra at 300 w. Main Street was a Shopping Bag as of 1971 and a Fazio's as of 1974. Not sure when Super A came in.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » 12 Nov 2006 17:07

Alhambra had two Fazio's markets then?

The Lucky store on Valley Bl was a Fazio's before Albertsons and Max Foods.

runchadrun · Post by **runchadrun** » 15 Nov 2006 17:52

Jeff wrote:Alhambra had two Fazio's markets then?.

Yes. A display ad from 8/28/1974 shows locations at 1000 E Valley Blvd and 300 W Main St.