Tallahassee #10 - Tallahassee, FL
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - Tallahassee Democrat - November 2, 1979 |
Tallahassee #10
Sing Food Store | True Value | Deli | Chevron Gas
Tallahassee, FL 32305
"You can buy a replacement blade for your circular saw, a post-hole digger, a mailbox, screws, fishing tackle and a beach ball. So this must be a hardware store with some toys, right? Well, you can also buy fried chicken, a hot dog, or a freshly made deli sandwich and other fresh edibles, and then grab a table to eat at. You can even buy a magazine to pass the time with while you munch. But it's not just a restaurant. You can also buy fresh bananas, onions, cereal, canned goods, cold soft drinks and beer. Outside, you can fill your car or boat with gas, and, for 50 cents, vacuum the dirt out of your car. This all-in-one emporium is the Sing Store at the corner of Crawfordville Highway and Capital Circle Southwest."
The Tallahassee Democrat - June 29, 1988 (Page 2)
Welcome back to The Capital City! Today I'm going to dive into one of Sing's more interesting station concepts where the failure of one idea led to the success of another. As Sing's largest market, Tallahassee had plenty of room for business experimentation, and the Crawfordville Road store was a prime, high-volume testing ground. Located on the Southwest edge of Capital Circle, Tallahassee #10 is still in a largely rural area on the edge of town. The main draw for this intersection is traffic traveling to-and-from the nearby Tallahassee Regional Airport (only having recently become international) and families traveling toward beaches like Alligator Point or St. George Island. Furthermore, this intersection is another example of where Publix decided to co-locate with a former Sing Store; store #610 was built in 2000.
Anybody who has listened to the radio or watched TV in Tallahassee over the last decade will remember an infamous business also located on this intersection. "I'm Rob Wyche, and I'm the people's car dealer." While the used car lot is no longer "located on the corner of Capital Circle and Crawfordville Road," these commercials are still burned into the memories of many Tallahasseans. Ultimate Image Auto has since relocated several miles away, but Rob still overwhelms the airwaves with his excessive antics. I'm sure he will not be missed from this intersection.
Facebook Finds
While I was collecting information for this post, I came across a Tallahassee Facebook Group that regularly mentions memories of Sing Stores. While I don't have a Facebook, I feel like a number of people from that group would have some great memories to share about their local store. Regardless, I found a few pictures I thought I would share, and all credit goes to the original poster. Update: it seems like this group has gone private since I originally pulled this information so some of my links may not work. That is why it is always important to save internet content while it is available because it may be gone the next day, kiddos!
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The first is a 1980's Sing Styrofoam cooler in a garage. While Styrofoam is supposed to last nearly forever, most consumer products made of it are disposed of fairly quickly after a single use. It still surprises me to find "disposable" products of yesteryear that have been held on to but I'm glad that somebody keeps them! I found a Sing Styrofoam cup in a crawlspace that was used to hold house paint (and wrote a short story about it). While the cup is far from pristine condition, it is still a good find and a testament to how well Styrofoam holds up. The inside is covered in green paint, but the outside still proudly shows the same 1980's blue Sing logo as the photo above; although, the cooler looks like it also has yellow coloring on the bird and in the lettering.
Some of the comments (copied verbatim) from this post include:
- "Sweet! Time for an Icee" - Robbie Reisman [Remember my post about Perry #1]
- "We still call the T’ville rd store ( just North of Betton Rd., the Sing store
. We know it’s Circle K, which doesn’t come close to Sing, but prefer to call it the Sing store. It’s really good shorthand " - Michele E Ceci [This refers to Tallahassee #3] - "Michele E Ceci I worked at that Sing store for years in the 80's. Still a Sing store to me as well." - Debra Johnson
- "Andy Durham and I pumped gas at the Killearn location lol we called the manager Grizzle obviously he was NOT well liked. Fun times Mike Moncrief worked behind the counter." - Charlie Vickers [This refers to Tallahassee #6]
- "I call all of them SING! Excellent customer service training for $1.45 an hour." - Michael S Moncrief
- "Worked at the Kilearn store. Still call it the Sing. Best friends with one of the people that worked there with me for over 30 years now Michael Beaver" - Scott Wyatt
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| Ryan Lawson - Facebook - January 8, 2022 "Some local legends" |
Above, we can see another post in that group showing Sing's two matchbook designs used during the convenience store era. The one in the top left was used from 1984 - 1990 and depicts Sing's last logo. Their slogan "More Than Convenient" refers to the delis and other services offered in addition to traditional convenience store amenities.
The matchbook in the bottom middle shows the 1964 - 1984 marketing for Sing Food Stores. The bird, sometimes referred to as "The Dickey Bird" in reference to the shirt the bird is wearing, is dressed in a gas station attendant uniform with a small Sing logo on the hat. The reverse of this matchbook features the 1964 diamond Sing logo which is used in most of my historical station photos. I have seen several listings for this matchbook on eBay under "Sing Food Store" if anybody wants a souvenir. (I am not affiliated with any of the sellers and make no money off any aspect of this blog; all content is purely informational).
Some of the comments (copied verbatim) on this post include:
- "My mom worked at the Sing store on crawfordville HWY back when I was a kid" - Joe Wooly [How perfect, this refers to Tallahassee #10!]
- "Joe Wooley I worked there to, it was in 84/85" - Elaine Griffin-Sands
- "Elaine Griffin-Sands her name was Glenda , she later owned Glendas country store" - Joe Wooly
- "Elaine Griffin-Sands my mom was there at time" - Joe Wooly
- "So funny, just the other day I told my husband to run down to the Sing store to get something. He just died laughing. What? They will always be Sing stores to me!!!" - Judy H Adams
I wish I could find more personal stories about Sing Stores, so feel free to comment below if you have any!
Some History
In contrast to our last tour of LaGrange #4, this store is huge! Ringing in at over 5,400 sqft, Tallahassee #10 is almost double the size of the small-format square stores and over 2,000 sqft larger than the average Sing Store. The only other stores I have seen come close to this one are Tallahassee #6 (5,800 sqft) and Tallahassee #7 (5,100 sqft), but all three of these monsters were exceptions to the rule. Fortunately for us, this station was also a newspaper star. I don't have a single picture of this store in my collection and luckily, I don't need one. We'll get to see several eras of this store thanks to The Tallahassee Democrat.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - Tallahassee Democrat - August 4, 1977 |
When it was built in 1977, this station was originally around 2,600 sqft, which was typical for the time. What makes this store unique when compared to its counterparts Tallahassee #8 and Tallahassee #9 is what happened to it in 1979. At that time, management decided to test a new concept for convenience stores: hardware. This store had (and still has) plenty of land surrounding it, which presented the opportunity for expansion and additional parking.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - Tallahassee Democrat - November 2, 1979 |
I came across this page in the Democrat and something about it seemed different than any other Sing grand opening ad I have seen. Consequently, something also looked very familiar about it. I've been doing some research on the Sing Fast Food Mall for a future post and discovered graphic designer Al Cuneo led the advertising campaign for that project. This ad immediately gave me flashbacks to that campaign and uses several elements which are Cuneo staples, including: a map of the business, creative use of typefaces, symbols (like the clock) next to content sections, and a fairly balanced layout. Al is still in the business over 40 years later and has been in charge of some of the area's prominent advertising campaigns including the Killearn Lakes subdivision, Homes & Land Magazine, and most importantly, the initial brand launch of Nature's Own bread. I reached out to Al, and he confirmed this was one of his ads. What an interesting twist! We'll learn more about Cuneo's involvement with Sing Oil Company at a later date.
In the meantime, we'll take a closer look at some of the information I found in newspaper articles about this location. The True Value franchise located inside this store had a target audience of the many families who travel down Crawfordville Road to beach houses on the coast. I don't know all of the nuts and bolts of the deal, but carrying a full line of hardware turned out to be too costly for all of the inventory required. On the other hand, similar to The Happy Penny or the Sing Fast Food Mall, the company did not linger on its failures and was quick to pivot business strategies. The full line of hardware was whittled down to a few popular items around 1983, and the True Value franchise was dropped. Even though the hardware store concept proved to be too expensive, select hardware items were implemented in many other stores across the chain.
Courtesy Newspapers.com - Tallahassee Democrat - June 29, 1988 |
The extra space in this store allowed for another concept: hot food. I don't know for certain, but it is very possible that this was the first Sing Store to feature a delicatessen, which would have been rolled out in '83 or '84. The first store known to open with a deli, also the first large-format square store, was Jackson #4 on Grants Ferry Road in Brandon, MS. Opening in 1984, this store was soon followed by Jackson #5 on Raymond Road in Jackson, MS, and Bradfordville in Tallahassee that same year.
Sing's district manager, Jerry Marsh, discusses how this store transitioned from hardware to hot food; however, I have found a few discrepancies with the dates he gives and previous newspaper ads. Regardless, Marsh and Frank Sullivan, the store manager since 1977, seemed to have a winning formula in place for this location by the time the 1988 article was published.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - Tallahassee Democrat - June 29, 1988 A man fills up his tank at the new, faster MPD pumps |
I'm really glad I found these articles because as I have mentioned before, I do not have many Sing pictures from the '80s. By the time this picture was taken, Sing had converted the fuel brand at this station to their private label from Chevron. We can also see an early model of a MPD (Multi-Product Dispenser) gasoline pump and the separate Gilbarco Highline diesel dispenser. For those of you who are too young to remember, here is a picture of a Highline pump I saw the other day.
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| Gilbarco Highline gas pump from the 1980's |
The picture above also shows how Sing removed the True Value logo from the façade of the store and replaced it with the word "Deli." According to the article, Sing expanded the parking lot and installed these state-of-the-art gas pumps back in 1987. You can read more about this station in the June, 1988 article where this picture comes from on my News Clippings page.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - Tallahassee Democrat - November 4, 1987 |
I found another article featuring this station from 1987 that gives us a clearer look at the new gas pumps and Sing's "More Than Convenient" canopy branding. It is crazy to look back at the gabled pump canopies of these '70s stores and see how different they look from the more boring ones we have today.
We also get to see another rare sight: a late-1980's Sing road sign. Don't you wish gas was still that cheap! Since gas prices are conveniently the topic of the report, it is worth noting this station still sold leaded "Regular" since it was not officially banned until 1996. We have a glimpse at an irregular price inversion (in more ways than one, the "8" is upside down) where unleaded gas is cheaper than its leaded counterpart. Dick Singletary, president of Sing Oil Company, notes in the piece how the low prices resulted from intense competition in the area, but it was not the sign of a "gas war." This is another interesting topic I have included on the News Clippings page.
Something else I found on the tax records is that Sing purchased the property for this store on March 23, 1977 for
$70,000. Amoco in turn sold the store for $1,035,000 on June 18, 1999
to Circle K. That's quite the return on investment!
The Store
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Circle K - December 2021 Other than the Circle K branding on the awing and a fresh coat of paint, this store is unchanged |
I've only been to this store once, but I was surprised by the sheer size of it. Additionally, I expected it to look like Tallahassee #6 & #7 on the inside and for that matter, a larger version of any other Circle K. After all, hasn't every former Sing Store in Tallahassee been Circle K'ed? I guess I have found the exception! This store was still fairly clean when I went but it had not been remodeled to use any of Circle K's décor packages from the last 15 years!
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Circle K - December 2021 Sing's front awning structure still supports the weight of 2021 |
The outside, on the other hand, looks like a larger version of any other Sing-turned-Circle K. Painted wood paneling, check. Red and orange branded awning, check. Columns, check.
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Circle K - December 2021 Herring bone |
A closer look at the cypress paneling, with the wall portion dating back to the late-'70s and the portion under the windows dating to the mid-'80s.
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Circle K - December 2021 The attendants were nice enough to wrap the cashier counter as a Christmas present for us! |
Walking through the front door, we see our first taste of vintage with these steel cabinets. I'd have to imagine they date back to the Sing days because these are not very common.
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Circle K - December 2021 It looks like the only snow Florida got this year was in the form of white cheddar Cheetos |
Looking to the left, we can see how big this store really is; we only see half of it here! Frozen foods and dairy used to be along the wall in the back of this photo.
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Circle K - December 2021 I applaud the effort, but who buys firewood from the gas station? |
If we look directly toward the back of the store, we see the built-in coolers under Sing's traditional lowered ceiling.
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Circle K - December 2021 All that Andre means it is mimosa time? |
Here's a different look at the coolers, toward the register counter. I am really surprised that Circle K has changed out the lighting in this store but has not added their usual decorative signage.
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Circle K - December 2021 Hydrate or diedrate? A decision was made here. |
Another perspective, with my back against the wall where the dairy coolers would have been. At least this store has plenty of room for all of that beer! I do wonder if the wall on this side of the store has been pushed back into a former storage space. I feel like the area where the lower portion of the ceiling sticks out would have ended at a wall, just saying.
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Circle K - December 2021 Unless you like Swedish Fish or Raisinettes, it looks like there may be a candy shortage on aisle 2 |
A glance down the middle aisle, toward the "Polar Pop" station. While they may not immediately decorate the interior or new (or in this case, old) stores, Circle K seems to be persistent about adding the Polar Pop branding to every fountain drink station they own.
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Circle K - December 2021 I didn't know convenience stores still sold bags of flour |
Finally, a view down the front aisle of the store, toward the door and coffee station.
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Circle K - December 2021 Welcome . . . to the dim back hallway of Circle K |
Jumping to the other side of the store, I took a peek down this hallway toward the back-office space and was surprised to see how much room was back there. I even see some paneling in that office that I'm sure is from the 1970's. This is in the back, right corner.
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Circle K - December 2021 Orange is the new — orange |
Now, the piece I was most excited I found in this store: the dining area. At most, only three Sing Stores (Tallahassee #6, #7, & #10) had the space for this style of a seating area, and this is the only one to remain. I had no clue what condition this store was in before I came here but I'm glad I decided to drive all the way to the south side of town after visiting some stores in North Tallahassee.
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Circle K - December 2021 Not many customers were intrigued by today's fare: roller-food |
It looks to me like the stool seats have been replaced, as well as the tile and partition wall, but overall this area has the same layout as it did in 1988 and uses the same tables.
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Circle K - December 2021 What else do you need on your way to the bathroom? |
Turning to the right, we see some more of the vintage-looking steel cabinets.
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Circle K - December 2021 "Nacho" average convenience store |
Finally, we'll take a closer look at the cashier counter. I don't know if the cabinetry is original, but Sing would've used a similar configuration to this. Behind the wall, I caught a glimpse of the full commercial kitchen this store still has. I don't believe it is still used, but it is a cool reminder of this gas station's historic past! I believe I read in one of the newspaper articles that this store offered wait service for its deli, but the food counter would have been located here too.
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Circle K - December 2021 I don't remember it raining the day I was in Tallahassee, but you never know with Florida weather. |
Back outside, we see the new pump canopy with the intersection of Capital Circle and Crawfordville Road in the background. I believe this canopy is in the same location as the gabled one Sing had in the 1980's, and it may even use the same structure. These pumps were installed in the 2000's.
That will conclude our examination of the Sing Oil Company's venture into the hardware business and how it eventually led to one of the first deli's. My next post will have us traveling back up "north" where I found something I never imagined I would see on this journey (and I still want to get my hands on it). We'll also see the second installment of More Than Convenience before we are back in the Capital City for a real treat! Stay tuned!
- The Sing Oil Blogger
Street Views
Circle K before the station's brickwork had been painted, with early 2000's gas pumps
Google Street View - April 2016
Circle K with their old awning branding and Shell's 2000's livery
Google Street View - April 2021
Circle K & Shell's current look
Aerial Views
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| Tallahassee-Leon County GIS - 1970 Future site of the Tallahassee #10 Sing Store |
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| Tallahassee-Leon County GIS - 1983 Tallahassee #10 Sing Store, around the time the deli was added |
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| Tallahassee-Leon County GIS - 1990 Tallahassee #10 Sing Store, shortly before the Amoco merger |
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| Google Earth - January 1999 Amoco-Sing #5063 with Sing's gabled pump canopy, just before sale to Circle K |
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| Google Earth - April 2021 Circle K / Shell as it stands today |
That's very cool that you got in touch with the graphic designer! Cool stories all around with this store, really, what with the very large size and hardware store component. Love that the cafe seating area is so well-preserved, too.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was such a coincidence that I had previously talked to Al Cuneo about research for another station. It is amazing what I've learned by "cold calling" various people for this project; the worst that can happen is I just don't get a reply!
DeleteI agree, I love reading all of the stories about a location while I am researching it. The café seating was probably my favorite find on my visit to this store, as well.
This may be an odd coincidence, but that store's exterior pre-Circle K strongly resembles a late 1970s Grand Union with that hut-shaped awning.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I have not heard that, but I am also not that familiar with Grand Union. I'll definitely have to look into that some more!
DeleteThe late 1970's are when Sing began to use that hut-style awning. It could be a case of coincidental design trends, inspiration, or something even more coordinated. I know a firm called Jinright & Ryan (It looks like they have since added a partner) out of Thomasville, GA designed another Sing Store that opened in 1977 and used a similar awning style. That store layout would be copied to LaGrange #4 and Columbus #7/#8 that I have written about before.