Convenient Food Mart Ad – May 5, 1967

Convenience stores hastened the demise of the local dairies in the 1960s. After all, why wait for milk to be delivered (and left outside in all sorts of weather) when you could pick it up at your own convenience, along with other things you might need, like lunch meat and chips?

Thus, chains such as Lawson’s, 7-Eleven, and Open Pantry served a need, and did it with clean, well-lit and well-stocked stores that stayed open late.

Convenient Food Mart is another regional chain that – unlike some of its 1960s competitors – is still around. Above is a large ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on May 5, 1967.

The corporate website reveals the company history. It notes, "William J. Bresler and Walter R. Schaub founded Convenient Food Mart, one of the first and one of the best convenience store chains, in Chicago in 1958. Their idea was to provide customers a supermarket in miniature, which would be located in the customer’s neighborhood and perhaps owned by one of the neighbors. The new store they envisioned would be open seven days a week, from early morning until late at night or 24 hours a day.

"This concept was launched in the nation’s heartland and immediately proved successful.”

In Lorain County, the local Convenient Food Marts had their roots in an Elyria dairy. As noted here on the website, "The original Company had its beginning in the year 1911, when Edward Seabold Sr. began delivering milk to homes on the West Side of Elyria. The milk came from the family farm on Telegraph Road.  Ten-gallon cans were carried on a horse drawn wagon and milk was hand dipped at each home into the customer’s container. Delivery was made twice a day, due to the absence of refrigeration and pasteurization. The business was then known as Seabold Dairy.

"A few years later, the operation was moved to Lake Avenue (now called North Gateway Boulevard) on the same land where the present Company headquarters are located.

"In 1919, Edward was joined in the growing business by his brother, Carl. The business was incorporated in 1932 as Elyria Dairies, Inc., and the trade name “Sunshine Farms Dairy” was created.

To develop an additional market for Sunshine Farms Dairy products, the Seabold brothers formed North Central Ohio Convenient Food Mart, Inc. in 1964, and acquired the franchise for Convenient Food Mart stores. Convenient Food Mart opened its first store on July 12th, 1965 in Lorain, Ohio."

Even though the 1967 ad lists Hills Brothers Coffee (my parents’ favorite), I don’t think we ever shopped at Convenient Food Mart. The closest store to us was on Leavitt Road, near W. 21st Street. It was more convenient to visit the Lawson’s on Oberlin Avenue to pick up things we needed (such as dutch loaf).

At least Convenient Food Mart had something that neither Lawson’s or Open Pantry had: an advertising mascot – the customer who is king!