Convenient Food Mart Halloween Ad – Oct. 21, 1966

Halloween is coming up soon, so it's a good time for this seasonal ad for the late, great Convenient Food Mart chain that was based in Elyria. It ran in the Journal back on October 21, 1966.

Looking at the ad, I immediately recognized that the cartoon at the top of the ad had to be the artistic work of the Chronicle-Telegram's great, longtime editorial cartoonist, Bob Lynch. 

Bob also designed the Elyria sports mascot Petey the Pioneer, and some of his illustrations have been featured on this blog a few times over the years. Lynch probably created the Convenient Food Mart king mascot as well, now that I think of it.

The ad has lots of popular favorite food items, including Sugardale Bacon, Hills Bros. Coffee (my parents' favorite), and Sunshine Farms Ice Cream.

I'm not sure about the Nestlé's King Bar. I think it was Nestlé's answer to the classic Hershey bar. 

It's funny how the popularity of various candy bars have changed over the years. The Hershey bar used to be regarded as the gold standard in candy bars, the best there was. Nowadays, I think the Kit Kat Bar has usurped its throne. As for me, I love Mallow Cups and their sister product, the Smoothie Peanut Butter Cup.

And it's odd seeing Royal Crown Cola in the ad – only because it's been known as RC Cola for so long. I buy it once in a while. Same thing with Faygo Cola. But I never buy Coke. If I'm going with a name brand, it's got to be Pepsi with Real Sugar (the one thing I'm addicted to).

Anyway, sometimes I miss the Convenient Food Marts. They had that unique local flavor – the great Sunshine Farms milk and other dairy products, good prices on their groceries and the best rotisserie chickens ever. And nice people running them.