Urban Archaeologistics

Founded date and Founder: Was Lorenzo Smith or Dee Smith the founder? Was the chain founded in 1911? Founder,  a person who creates or establishes something. My thesis is that while Lorenzo Smith established the first grocery store with the Smith name. it was Dee Glen Smith that created the chain of stores known throughout the Western United States. The corporate predecessor to today's Smith's Food & Drug Inc. was Smith's Management Corporation (SMC). SMC was founded in 1961 (Carlisle, 1992) as the holding company for the many subsidiaries of Smith's up until the company went public in 1989. Prior to the organization of SMC,  Dee Glenn Smith, typically set up each individual store in an ownership structure separate from the others. This prevented one poorly performing store from bringing down the rest. At the time of the SMC founding, Dee Smith had six stores. Dee's father, Lorenzo Smith was a prominent business man in Brigham City Utah. He operated Sm...

The first new construction Smith's in Southern California. (A new store in Goleta, Ca. had opened around the same time but it's construction had already begun under Jordano's ownership.) Store Grand Opening - November 20, 1974 This store was built in what is still today an upscale retail development, El Paseo Square. Prior to Smith's launch of their superstore concept in the late 70's, most new stores clocked in at 28,000 square feet as is the case with this location. Shortly after the grand opening, this store along with the three Oxnard stores were in a test market for what Smith's called their E.S.P. (Extra Special Pricing) program. This store operated as a Lucky Food Store until the nineties when a much larger replacement store was built down the street. The building then housed an Office Max for a number of years. Most recently the building has been extensively remodeled for upscale apparel retailer, Sack's 5th Avenue.

Back in 1981, Dee Smith made his last purchase of a group of stores before he passed away in 1984. This was the original purchase of 6 Market Basket stores and undeveloped sites in August and the purchase of two more stores in September. Through the newsletters in the Dee Glen Smith Special Collection at USU and the Lucky's takeover ad on October 7th, 1984 it was fairly obvious where most of the Market Basket locations were. The Lucky-LA Times ad did not mention the two Antelope Valley stores. During a recent trip to visit family, I had an opportunity to visit the Palmdale Public Library Special Collections and get the address's.  The Palmdale store was located at 25th and Avenue R. This site is now a vacant lot next to the high school. An October 1973 LA Times article announcing the construction of Market Basket had lead me to suspect this location. The Lancaster location still exits as a partitioned Dollar store and other shops. It was located 10th and E Aven...

Smith's general numbering scheme background If you added up all the locations across the Western United States where Smith's Management Corporation or it's successor Smith's Food & Drug has opened and closed stores, that number would approach 400. Since the early 70's, the number of active stores has bounced around but averaged a bit over 100 stores. The number scheme until Kroger bought out Fred Meyer was roughly but not always as such: 0-199 Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and Colorado 200-299 California from 1971 until the Lucky's buy out in 1984 High 300's  Nevada Low 300's Arizona 400-499 New Mexico 500  Texas 600 - Unused 700/800 California 1991 to closure of all stores in January 1996. Purchase of Nevada Pantry Pride stores in 1972 It made sense that to avoid too much confusion and maybe  provide the employees a sense that they weren't just eaten wholesale, Dee Smith simply added a three before the existing store numbers...

1941 N Decatur Blvd. Las Vegas NV 89108 Smith's Food & Drug (1980's) ​ This store and center were built by Maury Abrams of Encino California. Abrams built many if not most of the Las Vegas Smith's from the late 70's to early 80's. ​ This 40,000 sq. foot super store opened in 1981. Sales at this store and it's sister at Tropicana and Nellis (379) were disappointing. For much of the 80's, the stores both averaged $150k per week. Prior to it's closure, the expanding Las Vegas population had pushed 378 to a very profitable $250 a week. ​ The store had an older façade with windows lining the front wall. The interior had the original super store layout with a long non foods drug wall across the back. Walking the perimeter of the store right to left was the bulk foods department, small service deli serving only cold meats. A service meat counter and then a long aisle with deli items on the left and packaged meats on the right. The back ...

Management said today it is converting six locations in the valley to Smith’s Food & Drug stores — both brands are owned by Kroger Co. — and closing eight others as it exits the Las Vegas market. The conversions and closures will take place by early next year. Food 4 Less employs 900 people locally, and all will have job offers at Smith’s after the changeover, the company said in a news release. Some of the stores had been underperforming for some time, and the decision to leave the market was “just a business decision,” Food 4 Less spokeswoman Kendra Doyel said. She declined to go into further detail. There are currently 30 Smith’s stores in the area with 3,500 employees. “We are delighted that Food 4 Less associates from both the converted and closed stores will be able to continue their careers with Smith’s,” Jay Cummins, Smith’s division president, said in the news release. The following stores will be remodeled as Smith’s: 3013 W. Craig Road; 4001 S. Decatur B...