http://josephineave.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] josephineave.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] davis_square2008-07-23 11:18 am
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Original Stop & Shop Location

 I didn't realize until I saw this from the Herald that S&S started in Somerville.

"In its 94th year since the Rabinovitz family founded Economy Grocery Stores Co. in Somerville, the chain of 389 stores now known as Stop & Shop is refreshing its look."

Does anyone know where the original store was and/or where any of the other S&S stores were prior to the one they built at the old Somerville Lumber site?  

I find it odd they didn't have any Somerville locations for a number of years. 

[personal profile] ron_newman 2008-07-23 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I vaguely recall that Stop & Shop wanted to expand this location, which would have generated much more truck traffic, and either the neighbors or the state objected to that. So instead they clsoed it.

[identity profile] boblothrope.livejournal.com 2008-07-23 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
It's too bad when a neighborhood loses a supermarket, but IMO, it's better to have multiple small supermarkets in urban neighborhoods than a few huge ones, both because of truck traffic and walkability.

[identity profile] somertricky.livejournal.com 2008-07-23 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
But that's exactly what happend on Mem Drive; S&S out, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in.

[personal profile] ron_newman 2008-07-23 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
And then, eventually, Harvest Coop in Central Square and Star Market in the nearby University Park hotel.

The ultimate casualty of all the Cambridge supermarket shuffling was Purity Supreme (aka 'Poverty Supreme') in Central Square.