Perry #1 - Perry, GA
Perry #1
Sing Food Store | Deli
Perry, GA 31069
Deli Added: June, 1986
Revisited: November 24, 2021 | Original Publication: June 23, 2021
Perry #1 was built in 1970 and has a unique history to its layout. While most convenience stores built during the early 1970s would have the pump island located directly in front of the convenience store, Perry #1 has the island in front of the adjacent retail parcel that was leased to several merchants through its life. When asked about the reasoning for this, Dick Singletary stated that the plat of land was located adjacent to Perry First Baptist Church, and local Blue Laws would not allow alcohol sales within a certain radius of a church, school, etc. Therefore, the gas pumps were situated in the center of the lot to allow easy access for cars while the convenience store was built on the Eastern edge of the lot to allow beer sales. To this day, the original pump canopy stands with the same configuration as it had in 1970 which is very rare to see. Most stations had their canopies reconfigured in the early 1990s with the onset of multi-grade gas pumps (MPDs) and higher fuel demand.
Construction and Opening: 1969 - 1970
 |
| The Houston Home Journal - June 26, 1969 Announcement for the construction of a small shopping center including the Perry Sing Store |
According to The Houston Home Journal, Richard L. (Dick) Singletary purchased the property for Sing Oil Company in mid-1969 and construction began in December of that year. In addition to the convenience store and gas station, an Eagle Discount Store was built on the site. Construction was estimated to last four months on the property.
 |
| The Houston Home Journal - December 18, 1969 Construction commences on the Perry Sing station and Eagle Discount store. |
Both stores would open by July, 1970 and Perry #1 would be one of Sing's first 10 convenience stores. At that time, the industry was rapidly evolving, and Sing was one of the first companies to utilize the convenience store/gas station model that is ubiquitous today. According to the National Association of Convenience Stores, there were 6,893 member stores nationwide and a very small portion of those sold gasoline. Many companies, such as 7-Eleven began offering self-service gas in the 1970s and only 2,500 stores had self-service pumps by 1969.
 |
| The Houston Home Journal - July 16, 1970 A feature titled "Perry in Progress" shows the grand opening of the Sing station and Eagle Store |
Early Days: The 1970's
During its inaugural year, the Sing Food store was open from 7 AM to 11 PM, 7 days a week. Contrary to today, it was very rare to see convenience stores that were open 24/7 but the 7-Eleven model was fairly standard. It is also interesting to see how Sing Stores competed more directly with a grocery store than convenience stores do today. By advertising sale prices in the paper and carrying items like hot-dogs and lettuce they provided a greater selection of staple foods rather than exclusively selling snacks and soft drinks.
 |
| The Houston Home Journal - December 3, 1970 Sing Food Store Ad highlighting the sales for the week |
Pushing the limits further, the Sing Food Store made history in Perry as the first food store to be given a beer license. Granted in August, 1971, the Perry City Council allowed the store to sell packaged beer to-go in a 4-2 decision. The dissenting votes mentioned past city policy that prohibited food stores from selling beer and one said he would not vote for "any such licenses for beer in food stores in the future. Councilman Dan Britton, who made the motion in favor of the license, . . . said that a food store, under law, had just as much right to get a beer license as any other store."
 |
| The Houston Home Journal - August 5, 1971 The Perry Sing Store makes history as the first food store in the city to legally sell beer |
Unfortunately, for the Eagle Discount Store, business in Perry must not have been as prosperous as the owner hoped. In the classifieds of the March 20, 1975 edition of the Houston Home Journal, an ad was purchased to advertise "The Former Top Dollar Store, Next to Sing Food Store, 4500 Square Feet" was for lease. I'm not sure if Eagle was purchased by Top Dollar, if the name changed, or if they were the second tenant but 1975 would be the last time a dollar store was located in this parcel. A True Value hardware store would open in the shop on November 1 of that year and was managed by Alvin Dickerson.
 |
Perry #1 - 1974-ish - View from Main Street Notice
the aged wood on the awning compared to the earlier photo and the Top
Dollar Store where the Eagle Family Discount Store used to be. |
We get another view of the food store from a 1973 newspaper ad. At the time, Alex Herrera was the manager and John Peavy was the gasoline dealer. I find it interesting how several of these early food stores mention separate store managers and gasoline dealers which reflects the primitive dynamic between convenience stores and gasoline service stations. During the late-'60s and early-'70s it was very novel for a convenience store to sell gas; therefore, they were often run like separate businesses. Eventually, Sing station managers would also be in charge of the gasoline operations.
 |
| The Houston Home Journal - March 15, 1973 Newspaper ad for the Perry Sing Store |
Deli Addition: The 1980's
In coordination with Sing's delicatessen roll out of the mid-'80s, the Perry store was remodeled beginning in March of 1986. The Deli officially opened in June of that year and featured a full article on the front of the Houston Home Journal business section. I was ecstatic when I found this article because it provides the only picture I have of a '70s store that was retrofitted with the new circa 1986 logo. The store also received a new façade over the awning to allow for the new style of sign and the fluorescent lighting. The photo below shows some of the Sing employees that worked at this store.
 |
| The Houston Home Journal - May 30, 1987 "Deli helps boost business at Sing convenience store" From left to right: Dorothy Hathcock, Kathy Haslem, store manager Tommy Willard, gas manager John Peavy, Michelle Robinson and Bobbie O’Brien. |
In the photo above, gas manager John Peavy was wearing one of the '80s Sing blue
trucker hats. These hats featured the yellow and blue Sing logo in needlepoint on the
front, a flat bill, and mesh back. An example can be seen in the picture below. Also, to note, Mr. Peavy worked at this station for at least 14 years but probably closer to 17. During my preliminary research for this station, I found an obituary for John in the May 23, 1999 edition of The Macon Telegraph. This stated he also had managed a Sing Station in Cordele and worked for Sing for a total of 34 years. He was a Korean War veteran, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He died at the age of 68 and is buried in Pinehurst, GA. Without dedicated employees like John Peavy, Sr., Sing Oil Company would not have been the reputable company it had grown in to.
 |
| A 1980's Sing Trucker Hat featuring the ca. 1986 logo |
Due to its relevance to the station, here is a copy of that May 30, 1987 article from The Houston Home Journal:
