10 Restaruants & Retailers We Miss

[Chas]

There were two wonderful diners in Vancouver where you could get reasonably priced and decent food; the Normandy Restaurant (Granville & 13th) and The Aristocrat at Broadway & Granville. The Normandy was chased out by greedy landlords and has been replaced by an upscale boutique that sells $800 hand bags (oooh..can't have enough of those!) and a Chapters Books has replaced the Aristocrat.

I might as well add the Commodore Ballroom; Vancouver's largest sprung dance floor is run by LiveNation who are the Monsanto of the entertainment industry. They loathe jazz and only rock bands play there- and the odd 70's disco night. So the Commodore Ballroom is effectively dead as a "vintage" venue.

One of the last 1930s nightclubs in Vancouver was ripped down a few months ago- it was replaced by condos (no big surprise there!) which now leaves only the Penthouse Nightclub which is only a peeler joint now. So apart from the Orpheum, Vancouver's entertainment history is just that...history.

 

[Widebrim]

Does anyone miss the popcorn stand at sears? I think they had food too, but all I really remember is the popcorn because my parents would buy it to keep my quiet

A

Oh, yes, we had one in the Glendale Sears until the early '80s. Anyone remember when Sears had a photo department, where they took pictures next to the escalator? And how about the Sears cafeteria? My mom worked in the Glendale one in the early '60s, and the Hollywood Sears had one until at least the '90s...

 

[conrad5157]

The "Dime Store." How many of you had a dime store in the town where you grew up? More than any particular large retailer, I miss the local dime store.

We had several but under different names. My grandmother always refered to any store of that type as a "5 & 10".

 

[rue]

Well aren't you sweet. I not only remember the popcorn but also the hot nut bar and when you got new shoes, they would also give you a free comic book.

Thank you
Oh I'm so glad you remember that! I thought I was imagining it, since no one else I know remembers it

 

[rue]

Oh, yes, we had one in the Glendale Sears until the early '80s. Anyone remember when Sears had a photo department, where they took pictures next to the escalator? And how about the Sears cafeteria? My mom worked in the Glendale one in the early '60s, and the Hollywood Sears had one until at least the '90s...

You remember too?!
I remember the photo department and in fact my brother and I both had pictures taken there as babies! I didn't know it was gone. How sad.

 

[JimWagner]

Dime store became dollar stores. And now they're becoming $5 and Under stores.

Anyone remember White Tower (not White Castle)?

 

[1961MJS]

HI

The Sear's store in Springfield Illinois closed and moved into White Oaks mall in 1977 or so. They closed a three story stand alone store with it's own parking lot. They had the popcorn, hot nuts, etc stand at the escalator. I never ate anything there, we were always just about to go out to dinner or had just come from eating dinner. The thing I remember most about the old Sears store was the tool department. They actually had KNOWLEDGEABLE people working there. When you showed up to buy a tool, at least half the time, they'd ask why you wanted it. Half the time, you'd end up with a different tool and drawn plans for what you were building.

I was born in 1961 and remember lunch counters, but I kind of remember why they no longer exist. I hardly ever saw anyone eating at one. There was usually a bored high school kid or middle aged woman standing there bored to tears, waiting for something to happen. Kind of like a lot of the Mall stores now.

Later

 

[Hercule]

+1 on W T Grant - our Grants had a restaurant. I can remember the whole family going there, usually for fish frys on Wednesdays and Fridays.

But the restaurant I miss the most from my childhood is Howard Johnsons. Again, as I remember we mostly did the all you can eat fish frys (for no other reason than it was economical for a family of six). I simply adored the fried clams, and would/could eat them til they came out my ears. I recently had some at Cape cod that tasted just like HoJo's. Talk about a warm and fuzzy dejavu.

Other local dept stores when I was growing up in Connecticut: House and Hale; Sage Allen; Marloe's

 

[Miller Fan]

Thank you
Oh I'm so glad you remember that! I thought I was imagining it, since no one else I know remembers it

You're certainly most very welcome, young lady. Your mention brought back some pleasant memories. So it is I that must say "Thank You" to the lady.

 

[LizzieMaine]

But the restaurant I miss the most from my childhood is Howard Johnsons. Again, as I remember we mostly did the all you can eat fish frys (for no other reason than it was economical for a family of six). I simply adored the fried clams, and would/could eat them til they came out my ears. I recently had some at Cape cod that tasted just like HoJo's. Talk about a warm and fuzzy dejavu.

Howard Johnson's had the food concession on the Maine Turnpike for many years, and when we'd go down to Boston to see a ballgame we'd always stop at the one in Kennebunkport -- and the smell of the fried clams was overpowering. Even though I never liked fried clams and always had the macaroni and cheese instead.

 

[Miller Fan]

Being new, I don't understand how things work here yet. My profile tells me I've had one visitor and I have one visitor message. When I try to see the message all I see is a small white box with a red X in the center. Any suggestions, anyone?

 

[rue]

You're certainly most very welcome, young lady. Your mention brought back some pleasant memories. So it is I that must say "Thank You" to the lady.

You're very welcome

Being new, I don't understand how things work here yet. My profile tells me I've had one visitor and I have one visitor message. When I try to see the message all I see is a small white box with a red X in the center. Any suggestions, anyone?

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure. I hope someone will be able to help you though.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Being new, I don't understand how things work here yet. My profile tells me I've had one visitor and I have one visitor message. When I try to see the message all I see is a small white box with a red X in the center. Any suggestions, anyone?

Put the mouse the red X, right click, select properties, highlight the URL address, & this is what you get:

 

[Miller Fan]

Put the mouse the red X, right click, select properties, highlight the URL address, & this is what you get:

Thank you. There was no message, just a pic of some sort. It worked as you said, just not sure what it was. I'll get the hang of this though. Thanks again.

 

[cotillion]

Federated Department Stores. I used love going to "Fed-Co" as a kid in Pasadena to order Orange Bang drinks and go shopping.

Robinsons-May department store. Bought out by Macys . My experience with Macy was lesser quality items and trying to be trendy brands (like Donald Trump clothes =/ )

Pizza Petes pizza chain. Home of the old famous 'Pizza Square' slices. Used to be the best neighborhood pizza.

Bob's Big Boy. The classic American burger. Affordable an delicious back in the day.

old school Hollywood movie theatres that had style. The only old, classic theatre still existing IMO is the Vista theatre in Silver Lake/Los Feliz.

Mamma Leone's Italian food in New York City. I have no memory if this food was good but I remember good family times there back in the day.

 

[rue]

Federated Department Stores. I used love going to "Fed-Co" as a kid in Pasadena to order Orange Bang drinks and go shopping.

Robinsons-May department store. Bought out by Macys . My experience with Macy was lesser quality items and trying to be trendy brands (like Donald Trump clothes =/ )

Pizza Petes pizza chain. Home of the old famous 'Pizza Square' slices. Used to be the best neighborhood pizza.

Bob's Big Boy. The classic American burger. Affordable an delicious back in the day.

old school Hollywood movie theatres that had style. The only old, classic theatre still existing IMO is the Vista theatre in Silver Lake/Los Feliz.

Mamma Leone's Italian food in New York City. I have no memory if this food was good but I remember good family times there back in the day.

I remember Fed-co! I remember it made my mom sad when it closed, because she used to shop there all the time with her dad as a kid. I also remember Robinsons-May!

You can still find Bob's in Burbank. Here's the website: http://www.bobs.net/ We have Frisch's Big Boy here in Ohio. It's not as good, trust me... they put tarter sauce on their big boy burgers! Who does that?! I ordered one and about spit it out! *yucky* Now I know to order it with thousand Island dressing, but I have to get it on the side. It's not the same, but it's close. The waitresses always look at me like I'm from outer space lol Remember their beehive hairdos? We called it 'the big boy do'. I miss that!

 

[Mike in Seattle]

We had several but under different names. My grandmother always refered to any store of that type as a "5 & 10".

The song supposedly written about Cary Grant & Barbara Hutton...

I found my million dollar baby...in a 5 and 10 cent store...

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Robinsons-May department store. Bought out by Macys . My experience with Macy was lesser quality items and trying to be trendy brands (like Donald Trump clothes =/ )

And before that happened in the 80s...there was a May Company and a J.W. Robinson's department store. The latter usually had the higher-end products, May more middle of the road with some higher end. But you're right - since Macy's pretty well devoured all of their competitors (save Sears and Penney's), their merchandise has gone to hell. Lower quality, smaller selections, unknowlegeable staff, and fewer staff on the floor when you do have a question or you're ready to ring-up your order. Even Nordstrom is starting to lose their cache and not cater to the customers as strongly or as well as they used to. Friends think I'm crazy when I say I'm about to order some Christmas gifts & shirts from Marks & Spencers (England).

 

[DesertDan]

Western Auto - Always used to stop and buy .22 LR ammo on our way out to hunt squirrels.
Dapper Dan's ice cream
Tastee Freeze - Every so often we would drive into town and have their huge ice cream cones. They were the first place I remember having the chocolate and vanilla swiriled together.
Mr. Donut - My mom worked at one when I was very young, some of my earliest memories was my gandmother taking me there and my mom serving me my favorite jelly-filled donut.
The real A&W rootbeer stand.
Faroe's Ice Cream Parlor - It was all about "The Zoo", baby!
Woolworths - The lunch counter
The "Five and Dime" type stores
Service Stations - Remember "regular or unleaded?" and "Check the oil, wouldcha?"

 

[Heater]

S&H Green Stamps

I miss 'em. I also liked Western Auto (guns, toys , and auto parts).