While it probably doesn't invoke the same nostalgic pangs as Lawson's, Convenient Food Mart is still well-remembered in Lorain County by those who shopped at any of their ubiquitous stores.
One of the main reasons to shop there is the fact that the chain carried milk and dairy products made by Sunshine Farms of Elyria. Remember the dairy's distinctive packages featuring a smiling sun?
And sixty years ago, Sunshine Farms opened its own restaurant at its headquarters in Elyria. In 1963, the company had a Lake Avenue address. Today, it's 123 Gateway Boulevard North.
Here's the ad that ran in the Journal on May 10, 1963.
It's kind of sad what happened to Sunshine Farms. In March 2007 it was purchased by Smith Dairy of Orrville. Smith Dairy then became the dairy supplier to the Convenient Food Marts operated by ConSun, and dairy productions on Gateway Boulevard ceased.
Here's a Google Maps view of the building today.
Today, the Convenient Food Mart chain is apparently no more in Lorain County. Its website is down, and the one or two remaining stores have been rebranded with new names that are just similar enough to the old name as to be confusing.
Like Lawson's and Open Pantry, we can only visit the stores in our memories.
My parents owned and operated the Convenient Food Mart on the east side of Lorain from 1979-1986. It was the one on East Erie by Mr Hero and Dairy Queen. It was a nice store and kept very clean as my parents took pride in it. Mom ran the deli and Dad everything else. A lot of family and friends worked there during this time. My brother and I were stock boys, worked after school and during the Summer. The store is still there and was recently operating as Erie Food Mart. I went in there recently just out of curiosity and the store was filthy. I do remember our Sunshine Farms delivery driver was named Jim. Good memories.........sad Convenient Food Mart is no more.
ReplyDeleteHI Mike! Thanks for leaving the comment. I lived on the east side during part of that time period and frequented your parents' store as well as the one up on Colorado and Root Road. They were always clean, dependable stores that you felt good shopping at, unlike many of the grungy convenient stores today that exist only to sell lottery tickets and beer. It was nice to be able to buy Sunshine Farms milk and Thomasson's Potato Chips at Convenient Food Mart, it made for a nice local experience. Good rotisserie chickens too.
ReplyDeleteI too remember shopping at that east side Convenient location.And like you have said,it was a nice clean store.I have been around that area now and that whole part of town looks rundown.Sure there are a few nice properties here and there but the bad areas outnumber the clean ones 10 to 1.It is mostly a slummy Section 8 rental area now.I miss that clean Convenient store of yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI still say milk in cartons tasted way better than the plastic jugs it comes in now.
ReplyDeleteSmith's sucks. Their ice cream is shit. They bought Dairyman's too. Now they put the Dairyman's name on some of their shit products. That's why you can't get good ghetto tea anymore
ReplyDeletePlease,no explicit words here.People don't mind constructive criticism or even a little argument or two but the dirty words should be left out.Remember there are little kids reading this.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the kind words Dan! My parents added a bakery area in the store and even made pizzas to go. Dad bought a used pizza oven from whatever pizza place was on Leavitt Rd next to burger king at the time. I utilized those pizza making skills for my first college job in the student union at BGSU.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, if you don't like a product that's fine. But as someone else has said, keep your comments family friendly. In other words, GROW UP. You make yourself look foolish. Just curious, how do you know what (you know what) tastes like? Good Day:)
ReplyDelete