Tallahassee #7 - Tallahassee, FL
Tallahassee #7
Sing Food Store | Deli
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Circle K #5175 | Former Amoco-Sing #5052
Scroll Down for my More Than Convenience post on former Publix #150 / Northwood Mall
You know, I wonder if I should go ahead and rename this to The Circle K Blog because I feel like that's all I ever cover at this point!
Welcome back to The Capital City! This wouldn't be The Sing Oil Blog if I didn't cover a former Sing Store on occasion, and what better place to come across one than Tallahassee, FL!
You may remember the last time we checked out a former Sing we were roughly an hour north of here in the small town of Camilla, GA. We also took a look at the town's former Harveys Supermarket, which essentially continues to operate as a Harveys in everything but its name. If you still haven't checked out that post, I'd encourage you to do so!
Today marks a special day because while we have seen Sing's #2 and #3 highest-grossing stations, now we get to explore #1.
Situated on the busy north-south thoroughfare of US 27, the Tallahassee #7 Sing Store offered local residents and travelers on nearby I-10 easy access to fuel up for their trip or for their day. North Monroe Street was one of Tallahassee's first major commercial corridors and would lure national retailers and local businesses alike away from the confines of downtown and into the sprawling pine forests approaching Lake Jackson.
Ringing in at just over 5,000 sq ft, this station was quite large for a Sing. I mentioned in a previous post, this store, along with #6 and #10, is roughly double the size of typical Sing Stores from that decade.
So why was this store so large? Initially, I'm not sure it was. Opening in 1972, this former Sing presumably used to look just like its siblings Tallahassee #8 and Tallahassee #9.
It appears that Sing expanded this location at some point in the 1980's by adding onto the left and rear of the building. Essentially every dimension of this store is larger than the otherwise similar Tallahassee #9, and I don't think that is a coincidence.
What also appeared to be large was this store's annual revenue: it was reportedly 22% higher than the next highest volume outlet, Macon, during the year 1989. It seems that this location had been a high performer for a long time, which is likely why it was chosen for expansion.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat - Sing Food Store & Deli - July 4, 1984 |
I believe Tallahassee #10 on Crawfordville Road may have been the first Sing to expand, with the extra space being used to open a True Value hardware store. Following the hardware flop, Sing converted the extra space into one of its first in-store delicatessens, and the rest is history. I'm assuming that the North Monroe store's expansion followed several years later (considering it still didn't have a deli in 1985) and would have looked similar to what we see in the pictures above.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat - July 4, 1984 |
I find it especially funny that this article mentions how Sing claimed it could match most grocery store prices (since convenience stores, like drug stores, are always notorious for their low prices). Shockingly, The Democrat compared prices at Sing's Tallahassee #3, Albertsons #4315, and Publix #113 and found that the latter two had lower prices in almost all cases. A representative from Sing responded by saying, "Albertsons has the 'cheapest (prices) in the world' and thus comparing Sing to it was unfair. He suggested the Publix comparison, in which Sing fared better."
Today, most convenience stores don't even try to compete with supermarkets based on price, so even if Albertsons was the hands down low price leader, at least Sing still had a competitive stance to Publix.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - July 28, 1996 |
Following the Amoco-Sing merger in 1990, the Chicago-based oil company with its new local brand began experimenting with new features for the Tallahassee Sings (after killing off the brand in most other markets). Specifically, Amoco converted Sing's old deli space inside Tallahassee #7 into a Pizza Hut. While I would have loved to see how this change was executed, I'd imagine it involved a thorough remodel and reconfiguration of the space. No more orange deli tiles!
As for the modern building, I couldn't find many traces of Sing Oil Company left. Yeah, yeah, the exterior columns and herringbone paneling are the obvious suspects here, but the inside is a different story . . .
That is, it looks basically like every other recently-remodeled Circle K I've been to. Honestly, though, the fact that a 50-year-old convenience store received such a thorough remodel must say something about its profitability.
Right now, we are looking at the maze of product shelves leading to the registers against the right wall of the store. Circle K didn't do a great job of masking the fact that people were tired of Corona Virus by the time I photographed this store in late-2021; half off PPE, anyone? I think not! Even to this day, I still come across random surgical masks I stashed away over three-years ago.
Turning to the left, we find this store's typical selection of convenience store snacks, candy, and drinks.
I was honestly astonished at how large this place was; this is particularly apparent when we see the amount of empty floor space in the center of this store.
Other than the fact that Circle K spent the money to install real tile floors in most of the Tallahassee Sings, the décor in most of them is pretty bland. Oh well, I'll take the backlit signage and stainless steel over the excessive diamond plate. Maybe Circle K was going for the tailgate party look back then; all they're missing is the liquor cabinet of Fireball!
Jumping to the back of the store, we can see Circle K's roller food island, which seems like a big step down from Sing's old deli or Amoco's Pizza Hut.
There was also a decent-sized cooler of pre-made sandwiches, Lunchables, and bottled water.
One of the few wall textures this store received is the small section of faux white bricks encasing the column behind the coffee station. Based on how most of that wall is covered by windows, it almost seems like a waste for Circle K to have even bothered with this.
Hey, Circle K.
Nice T See Y U 2!
Ooh, Noo, did yoou foorget soomething??
Missing letters aside (or all of the Gen Z'ers at Circle K trying to make fun of Millennial texting language), I'm just glad that this store's limes look better than the one I saw at Disco Kroger a few months ago, or the lemons I saw at an active Kroger a few weeks ago!
Back outside, our tour of this store wouldn't be complete without a quick look at Sing's old pair of vacuum lights. These also appear to still have Sing's original light fixtures still attached: bonus points!
I'm not entirely sure, but I think the billboard in front of this station may have been Sing's final road sign. I really wish I could see what's hidden up under that advertisement!
I'll close out our tour with a look at this former Sing's road sign. It wasn't long after I photographed this store before Circle K converted all of its Tallahassee stations to private label gas. I guess I need to venture back to this store so I can see what it looks like with a Circle K canopy!
Anonymous in Houston should appreciate this, but we can also see one of Tallahassee's five Whataburger restaurants off in the distance. That particular restaurant opened back in 1977 but was predated by three other locations dating back as far as the late-1960s. An original A-Frame Whataburger from 1970 is still open for business on Thomasville Road; I should really check it out at some point.
I may not have been to that particular drive-in, but I've had Whataburger plenty of times in Georgia, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle, and the experience is always just "fine" in my opinion. Despite the often slow service, their breakfast is pretty good. I'd say the either the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit or the pancake meal is my favorite.
That's enough talk about food: let's explore some street views before we head down the street.
Street Views
Google Street View - March 2008
Google Street View - July 2015
Google Street View - June 2023
Aerial Views
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| Tallahassee-Leon County GIS - 1970 Future site of Tallahassee #7 Sing Store |
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Tallahassee-Leon County GIS - 1983 Tallahassee #7 Sing Store (pre-expansion) |
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| Tallahassee-Leon County GIS - 1990 Tallahassee #7 Sing Store (post-expansion) |
The Experiment
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| Florida Memory - Former Publix #150 - January 1976 |
Publix #150
Leon Mall | Northwood Mall | Northwood Centre
Tallahassee, FL 32303-4759
When Publix entered the mall business
Now that we've seen Florida's largest supermarket as of 1989, let's now explore the state's presumed largest supermarket as of 1969—oh what a store!
I've got to say that Publix #150 has been on my list for a long time, but the daunting thought of capturing all of the history of this place has ultimately led to me putting it off for this long (and having a delayed publication date). I've now gotten to the point where I've probably forgotten more about this store than I still remember, but I suppose I've got to give it a whirl at some point!
Thanks to the State Archives of Florida, we'll get a rare look at the early days of a long-lost Publix in addition to some interior photos of a 1969 shopping mall. We also get some nice insight into the mall's history thanks to several articles from The Tallahassee Democrat. Most italicized quotes below were pulled from either the digital or print edition of one piece in particular.
It appears that the first public mention of the forthcoming Publix #150 was in 1968. Publix purchased the parcel that would become Northwood Mall on June 25, 1968 (Ha! That goes to show why you should always fact-check whenever possible, because The Democrat mentioned that Publix bought the land in 1967).
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| The Tallahassee Democrat - August 5, 1968 |
The Lakeland company went on to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Leon Mall Shopping Center on August 6, 1968. I suppose the ad we see above is notable since it was one of Publix' first advertisements in a market it would eventually dominate, but it also showcases something much more subtle . . .
If you zoom in, you can see that the ad features a sketch for a standard 1960's Publix shopping center anchored by a Wing Store. We can also see where several other tenants were slated to flank the supermarket, including Big B 1-hour cleaners, Angela Beauty Salon, Eckerd's Drug Store, Rose's Junior Department Stores, Dipper Dan Ice Cream, Koin Kleen Laundromat, and more . . .
Now, if you scroll back to the image at the top of this post, you'll notice that the actual Publix looked a bit different from a standard Wing when it opened. I've also always heard of the Panhandle's first Publix referred to as the "Northwood Mall" store rather than the "Leon Mall" store. So, what gives?
Well, the Mall Hall of Fame blog mentions that the "Leon" name was dropped in February 1969 due to the potential confusion with other similarly named projects in the area.
Not only was this the first Publix north of 1958's #43 in Gainesville, but it was also launched as an experiment for Publix' moves into the next decade. Oh yeah, and it was the largest store the chain had ever built.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat - May 11, 1969 |
See, by 1969, Publix ended up scrapping its plans for Leon Mall thanks to an outcry from local residents and businesses. It is stated that the pending arrival of national chains in Tallahassee Mall just to the north would draw shoppers away from the local businesses in the heart of the city, putting many mom-and-pop stores out of business. Local leaders saw the arrival of the new Publix as an opportunity to team up with the supermarket chain and develop an indoor mall which would rival the forthcoming competition.
The Democrat mentions
that a subset "of three downtown stores – Mendelsons Department Store,
Gilberg’s Fabrics and Millers Bootery – went to Publix and proposed a
pre-emptive strike. They suggested Publix build a mall, which would be
filled with mostly local merchants"
Publix agreed, and the idea for Northwood Mall was born.
In addition to being the first in the area, store #150 also marked another first for Publix: operating an indoor shopping mall. The big P decided to make waves in the Capital City by constructing Northwest Florida's first mall in addition to the area's first Publix.
"When it opened, it was THE place in Tallahassee" - Ed Miller to The Democrat
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Grand Opening - September 30, 1969 - Notice how the mall featured textured panels along the façade that matched those used on most 1970's Publix stores. |
The paper goes on to describe Northwood Mall as being largely successful at the beginning; over the years it had a diverse subset of tenants (everything from familiar faces such as Bealls to unusual merchants like FRM Ranch and Garden Center). Interestingly, it looks like most of the original Leon Mall businesses dropped once the plan for Northwood Mall came to fruition, with the notable exceptions being Publix (obviously), Eckerd, and Angela's Beauty Salon.
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Ribbon Cutting - September 30, 1969 |
On September 30, 1969, Florida State Senator Mallory E. Horne (center left) and George Jenkins (center right) officially cut the ribbon for the grand opening of Northwood Mall. This move presented a new challenge for the company, as the grocer was now in charge of managing the new mall space and the supermarket, which had opened several months prior.
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Opening Day - September 30, 1969 |
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Opening Day - September 30, 1969 |
Off in the distance, we can also see the expansive J.M. Fields department store which broke ground in 1963. Just take a mental note of that location on the corner of Tharpe Street and North Monroe because it will come into play soon . . .
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall - 1970 |
From above, Northwood Mall doesn't look like much more than a glorified strip mall, and that's likely because that's all Publix ever wanted it to be. It's especially worth noting that the Publix supermarket didn't even have interior access to the mall—it was essentially just tacked onto the side—while the JByron department store on the right did. Basically, Publix reluctantly agreed to build a mall but still wanted to maintain a degree of separation in case things didn't go as planned.
Speaking of aerial views, here's a video from a 1973 flyover of Tallahassee that includes a brief moment at minute mark 2:53 showing Northwood Mall and the adjacent J.M. Fields.
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Interior - September 30, 1969 |
Back on ground level, shoppers were greeted by a plethora of colorful storefronts showcasing the best of Tallahassee's local businesses. It appears that Music Hall, The Storkett, Kirk's, Angela Beauty Salon and the like were on the same side of the building as Publix.
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Interior - 1970 |
I never stepped foot inside the building, but I believe both of the photos above were taken from the center of the interior hallway looking back toward the front entrance. This shot showcases Stafford Jewelers, Wellwood Hill (I cannot tell what that sign says), and the edge of Strickland's Shoes.
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Interior - September 30, 1969 |
It appears that the main hallway led to a "T", with the right fork tailing off toward the department store anchor. We can also see the right edge of Miller's Bootery in the left side of this shot.
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| Florida Memory - Mendelson's in Northwood Mall - September 30, 1969 |
In the center of the "T", designers called for a neat floor-to-ceiling art fixture surrounded by planters. Mendelson's had the prime location just beyond (to the left of the Miller's I mentioned before).
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Interior - September 30, 1969 |
Turning down the aforementioned right hallway, we see the likes of Gilberg's Fabrics, Colony clothing store and Little Folks toy store . . .
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| Florida Memory - J Byron in Northwood Mall - September 30, 1969 |
. . . followed by the mall entrance to J Byron department store off in the distance.
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall Eckerd Drugs - September 30, 1969 |
Just to the right of J Byron was the Capital City's first Eckerd Drugs. Based on all of the people I see sitting behind the windows, it looks like this store originally featured a lunch / soda fountain. Surprisingly, I think this Eckerd lasted until Publix vacated the premises considering the sign can still be seen in this 1987 photo, and the nearest potential replacement only dates back to '02 or '03.
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| Florida Memory - Turner's clothing store in Northwood Mall - September 30, 1969 |
Continuing down the opposite hallway (toward Publix), it appears we would have seen Turner's clothing store presumably followed by Du Bey's Book Land, Squire Ltd., a barber shop, and Reinauers down at the end. Interestingly, the hallway concluded at a wall, which further supports my theory of Publix opting against having a mall entrance to the supermarket.
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| Florida Memory - Northwood Mall exterior - December 1969 |
Trouble would soon arise for the project, though, when the nearby Tallahassee Mall opened in 1971; Governor's Square followed soon thereafter in 1979.
Northwood Mall's persona from the outset was different from that of the forthcoming Tallahassee Mall and Governor's Square since the latter were anchored by the likes of Montgomery Ward, Woolco, Gayfers, Sears, and J.C. Penny—a.k.a. several of the national retail giants at the time. (If you want to learn more about the Tallahassee Mall Montgomery Ward, Anonymous in Houston shared this 1986 video from inside the store with me a few months back.)
The combination of these three shopping complexes proved too much for Tallahassee, and "the mall that Publix built" began to suffer.
The previously mentioned newspaper article goes on to say that several issues began to arise for the property, "chief among them was Publix was in the business of groceries not malls.
For
the first two years, the Publix store manager was also the mall
manager. When that manager was promoted to the company’s Lakeland
headquarters, Publix turned over mall operation to the owner of a lunch
counter in the mall. Though Publix kept rents very low – charging $1 to
$5 a square foot – Publix spent little money on promoting the mall or
keeping up the décor.
Publix allowed store owners to dictate a
laissez faire operation. Stores were not bound to leases and could leave
the mall at any time. There were no set mall hours: Some stores closed
as early as 5 p.m., and few stores were open on Sundays. There were no
rules about signage or displays and mall corridors often were filled
with handmade posters.
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| Florida Memory - Girl Scouts planting flows in front of Northwood Mall Sign - Late-1970's |
Essentially, it seems as if Publix got in over its head trying to appease the local businesses. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that Corporate has no regrets experimenting with the concept since one can't find success without also experiencing an occasional failure (and Publix has proved very successful at operating supermarkets in Leon County), but it seems like a common thread that I've noticed is companies how usually need to stick to what they are good at. Sing obviously didn't have any business opening a hardware store, a fast food court, or a discount supermarket; likewise, it seems Publix probably shouldn't have opened a mall.
"'Supermarkets normally do not do well in malls,' Publix vice president Mark Hollis said in 1982. 'But in 1969, it had not yet been proven shopping malls and supermarkets don't go together.'"
Following the June 1985 sale, the space continued to decline until it seemed to pass the point of no return with retail. "In 1988, the Northwood Mall abandoned any pretense at being a shopping mall. Mark Development leased more than half of the mall to a pair of state agencies, today's Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Health and Rehabilitative Services – and in 1989, changed its name to Northwood Centre."
"Once, the Northwood Mall was a sign of Tallahassee's urban progress. Now, it's a sign of Tallahassee's urban decay."
Although the mall changed hands several more times during its life, Publix remained at Northwood Centre until 2002, at which point that space was taken over by seemingly more office space. Most of the subsequent property managers were described as "absentee" at best and "negligent" at worst. In 2016, it was stated that, "Black mold festers in the damp ceilings of the 514,000 square foot complex. Ten pounds of bat guano was discovered directly above the desk of the Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Sewage and dead animals have been reported in the building."
"Probably what's going to happen is they'll tear it down and start again." - Ed Miller
By that point, several lawsuits had been filed by state employees who claimed that conditions in the space were uninhabitable and caused negative health effects for those who worked there. The state axed funding for rent in July of that year and decided to move all employees to other offices. The City of Tallahassee officially began demolition of the property in 2021, and the entire 29.5-acre site was leveled by early-2022.
The land appears to remain empty to this day, but one of the videos I watched mentioned the space is planned to be used for a new City of Tallahassee police headquarters.
Now that we've explored the rise and fall of Northwood Mall, let's take a look at the reason this building was erected in the first place: Publix #150.
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| Florida Memory - Publix #150 - 1969 |
I've got to say, how cool is that façade?! Not only did it have a classic 1970's Publix look like the 3-year adolescent #113, but it also featured a nod toward the outgoing Wing motif Publix was (and still is) known for.
As I alluded to before, this store served the shoppers of Tallahassee from May 27, 1969, all the way until October 16, 2002, when it was replaced by Publix #852 just down the road (I'll have to cover that store in more detail at a later date).
According to duckman66, "This design first appeared as a prototype with store #150 at Northwood
Mall in Tallahassee in 1969, and became the featured facade starting in
1971.
The first 1970s design was a sizable departure from the Wing store era, dating back to 1954.
On
the exterior, the wing was phased out in favor of a facade containing
white wood panels with a raised gray stone panel bearing the PUBLIX
block letters, while the "WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE" slogan moved to
the bottom right corner of the facade, instead of all along the bottom.
Inside,
flat ceilings with 8' fluorescent lighting were dumped in favor of a
raised ceiling with wood accents over the center part of the store and
with round, recessed mercury vapor fixtures complementing grid troffer
lighting in some areas."
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| Publix #91 - May 2021 |
I just so happened to be in Miami during the dawn of my retail hobby, and while I didn't go inside (and still am kicking myself), I did at least manage to take my own photo of the only remaining active Publix Wing Store. This thing is so effing cool! Located on the northern end of Miami's notorious South Beach, it makes total sense for #91 to have survived into 2023 with its original 1963 façade intact and makes me feel confident to say that it likely isn't going anywhere soon, either. The fact that Publix opened #621 across the street nearly 25-years ago also makes me think that the company has no intent to close or drastically modify this store. The interior may have Sienna, but the exterior is straight out of the 1960's! (Gosh, how I want to go back to Miami now!)
Anecdotes aside, #150's variation of the Wing design was also mirrored on Publix's aisle signs at the time. Furthermore, we can even see how the parking lot row signs and even the placement of the Publix logo on the front of the store are identical to the what's shown in that Lakeland store, which leads me to wonder of the Northwood Mall Publix was the first to unveil that style of motif.
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| Courtesy The Seaway Project (Discord) - The Food Institute's Weekly Digest |
Thanks to an article uncovered by The Seaway Project (among other sources), I learned that Publix #150 turned out to be more experimental than just the first Panhandle Publix: it was "a laboratory . . . to anticipate changes in the next decade and have them answered before they're needed." That's right, folks, Publix #150 was a 48,000 sq ft store built in an era a 20,000 supermarkets—it was essentially Publix's first superstore!
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| The Publix Checkout - Vintage Publix Deli |
In addition to what likely was the largest store Publix had ever built at the time (and what possibly remained the largest Publix until the 55E was introduced in 1986), store #150 was also the first Publix to feature a full deli. According to The Publix Checkout, "In 1969 new signage and refrigerated cases were designed and the first full delicatessen was installed in a store in Tallahassee, Florida, ahead of its grand opening on May 27." Contrary to what I originally wrote, it turns out the above photo above is NOT from #150; regardless, I know I'd love to see the pecky cypress walls shown above in a modern supermarket, but that would probably make the chains go bankrupt. The wall shown above features what would be over $3,300 of wood (in today's money), which goes to show not only how premium this store was, but also how much cheaper the river-reclaimed wood was over 50-years ago. Hell, I'd love to have some Publix-reclaimed pecky cypress! I guess my Publix-reclaimed chicken bones and Styrofoam will have to do for now though.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - Publix #150 - May 25, 1969 |
A 1969 article authored by Maryan Foster describes the new store well: "The layout of the market is so conveniently arranged that it is virtually impossible for anyone not to be able to find any desired item in a matter of seconds. To the right as one enters is the Gourmet Foods Department which is quite something.
While it's true that Pat [Wright] and I did not find any chocolate covered ants or armadillo in aspic we did spot pâtes, Chinese delicacies, some from Denmark, Holland and other exotic lands . . .
One of the chief complaints that I have had since moving to Florida and becoming a member of that harried group, the weekend food-shopper, is the lack of item choice. The brand names that I have known and used for years [in California] were almost unavailable or, if present, offered no size selection . . .
Everything I saw was so exciting that I couldn't make up my mind . . . The paper goods area resembles a Minnesota snowstorm in late January. You think it will never end . . .
The aisles are so wide (and not stacked with sale or impulse items) that one could easily drive a Volkswagen through without hitting the shelves on either side . . .
Should you think I have gone into needless ecstasies about one more supermarket, just wait until you make the tour yourself!"
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| Florida Memory - Publix #150 Produce Department - February 1971 |
Furthermore, this store also gave the Capital City its first taste of a Publix produce department. Tallahasseeans may have been accustomed to the produce selections in their local Winn-Dixie, Jitney Jungle, or Sing Store, but time seems to have indicated that Publix would ultimately reign king considering The Beef People's single paltry store compared to Publix's 13 locations across Leon County.
As far as other departments go, Florida Memory has a video showing the store's old meat department but unfortunately, it has not been digitized yet. I've also not had much luck visiting the State Archives of Florida in the past since they seem to secure the building for many undisclosed city holidays. Oh well, at least I still made it to the soon to be extinct GreenWise Market on that trip!
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| Courtesy AxlCobainVedder (Reddit) - Publix #150 - 1973 (October 1973 cover of The Woman's Day) |
It wouldn't be the 1970's without loads of wood paneling! I've got to say that I fell out laughing when I saw a comment on the Reddit post which read, "Back then, gourmet foods meant a whole different thing. Mmmm, red wine vinegar." While I can't vouch for Publix's International and Gourmet Foods selection in 1973, I can say that the globe icon plastered to the wall seems awfully indicative of the forthcoming Food World brand.
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| Florida Memory - Publix #150 |
I'm also inclined to say that either one of the two photos above was not taken in Tallahassee or the photo of checkout #13 was taken well after 1969 (the date indicated by Florida Memory). It's entirely likely that both photos are from #150, but the one of the lady writing a check has to be from 1972 or later considering the rectangular "P" logo wasn't introduced until that year!
2020 wasn't the only time the Capital City saw a run on toilet paper; as this 1974 article indicates, Publix #150 and the nearby Sing and A&P (in Tallahassee Mall) fought with shoppers to keep paper products stocked on the shelves. Luckily, the supermarkets were prepared, with Publix having a "cavernous warehouse below the mall" that was "loaded" with product.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - July 31, 1977 |
In 1977, this Publix gained another experimental feature: in-store banking.
"By using the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) terminal at the Northwood Mall Publix, [customer Charlie] Peters can cash checks, withdraw money from his savings account, make deposits to savings or checking accounts or make payments on bank loans or Master Charge accounts without going to a downtown bank."
Essentially, the Capital City Bank Group went to various merchants around the city and offered to install the new EFT machines, while also training existing employees to use them. It's certainly an interesting concept that Publix had a form of in-store bank branch, especially since all of the bankers were just Publix customer service staff members. "The six terminals in Tallahassee are at the two Publix stores, the Tallahassee Mall information desk, Killearn Drugs, Eastwood Plaza Pharmacy and the Sing Stop-N Shop on Thomasville Road [Tallahassee #3]."
Since the branch was run by existing Publix employees, it makes sense that the machines were located at the customer service counter. I'd also like to point out how the registers in the photo above were oriented perpendicular to how they are in stores now—that makes the placement of the customer service counters in older stores make much more sense! Back then, the managers would have the perfect view over the back of those cash registers, and the mezzanine window provided an even better angle.
Bill Curry, manager of Publix #150, went on to say, "the terminal has reduced the number of bad checks cashed at Publix . . . EFTs have put an end to check 'floating.'" (For those who don't know, "floating" a check is when you write a check with the intent that it will take several days to process while not having sufficient funds in your account at the time. Before the check clears, you would then make a deposit into your account to have enough of a balance to cover the check.) The new EFT machines resulted in check processing for Capital City Bank customers that was nearly instantaneous, which allowed Publix to know if a given check would clear or bounce before the shopper even left the register. I have to wonder if Publix' introduction of Presto! machines at stores in the 1980's led to the removal of EFT devices in the Tallahassee stores.
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| Florida Memory - Publix #150 & Northwood Mall - May 18-20, 1971 |
Other than electronically depositing your last paycheck, probably one of the wildest experiences at a vintage Publix is being able to park directly in front of the store. I remember noting this at the former #220 in Spring Hill, but limited implementations of this even continued into the mid-1990's like we saw at former #476 in Thomasville.
As I mentioned last time (which ultimately didn't cause a change of heart for this person), other retail bloggers may like to plagiarize what they post and take advantage of others' research without giving due credit, but we here at The Sing Oil Blog strive to give credit where credit is due. I know for a fact I couldn't provide the content I do without help from my regular contributors, and in this case, GeorgiaPubDude.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - July 25, 1990 |
I asked GeorgiaPubDude to help me with some background research on this post, and he managed to uncover a treasure trove! Our first examples showcase this store's 1990 transformation which marks the largest reset this store likely ever underwent.
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| The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - July 25, 1990 |
Between 8 PM on July 23, 1990, and 7:30 AM on July 24, 1990, Publix employees disassembled the entire interior of the store, removed all of the shelving, scraped, mopped, and polished the terrazzo floors, installed new shelving, and restocked every item before customers entered the next day. Even in 2023, dismantling an entire 48,000 sq ft grocery store overnight seems like an amazing feat to accomplish. I remember my local store closing several years back for a reset of some sort, but crews allowed for at least 36-hours of time rather than a mere 11.5!
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| The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - July 25, 1990 |
It's also amazing how shiny the 20-year-old terrazzo floors looked after the deep cleaning! Probably what is most surprising, though, is the fact that Publix didn't swap out the aisle signs or interior décor to the 3-month-old Wavy Pastels package. I guess that would just have to wait . . .
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| The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com - Page 2) - November 16, 1996 |
. . . until 1996? GeorgiaPubDude uncovered another article that would've stopped me (and seemingly others) dead in my tracks. It was a sunny November morning when Arthur Rabe pulled into the Northwood Mall grocery store to buy a loaf of bread: he would never make it inside. "I was annoyed," Rabe said, "But I was pleased that the whole thing didn't squash me." Rabe, 80, was injured as a 100' by 40' section of stucco-covered polystyrene collapsed on his Oldsmobile shortly after he pulled into the store. The façade had only been installed back in June, but pieces had already begun to crumble in October when Tropical Storm Josephine removed a small chunk on a different part of the shopping center. Maybe that's why Publix doesn't offer parking directly in front of the store anymore!
I'd have to assume this new facade coincided with this store's vestibule addition and Wavy Pastels remodel, but it would still be a bit surprising for Publix to do so much work only six-years before vacating the premises.
Like I mentioned before, Publix decided to leave Northwood Centre in 2002, but it managed to leave behind a few subtle reminders. The most obvious one is the vestibule covered in the company's signature green marble, followed by a green Publix recycling bin which seemed to survive until 2018.
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| Courtesy tangent (Flickr) - Former Publix #150 vestibule - August 19, 2006 |
This clue may not have lasted until the end, but Publix's bright pink vestibule tile, sliding glass doors, and granite window sill still were on proud display in 2006. That leads me to believe the store sat vacant for a number of years before being converted into offices, but it would have still been neat to see if any obvious traces remained inside until 2021.
Speaking of 2021, this Publix was interestingly the Capital City's second Publix to be demolished, as it missed the title for being first by a matter of weeks. 1991's Publix #273 closed on February 17, 2021, for demolition and replacement while #150 began demolition on August 10, 2021. The buildings for Tallahassee's second Publix, 1972's #113, third Publix, 1978's #207, fourth Publix, 1980's #225, and fifth Publix, 1987's #137 (along with the subsequent active stores) all remain to this day, but #137 is the only one which I'd consider easily recognizable thanks to its original tile mural out front.
Alas, nothing remains of former Publix #150 except for the many photographs accumulated and memories acquired over the years. Since we didn't get a full tour of the inside of a Publix, I guess that will just have to wait until next time.
Speaking of next time, you've probably noticed that this post was delayed by several days thanks to my recently hectic schedule. I don't think there will be complete radio silence from me over the coming weeks, but I may end up having to take my next Sing Oil Saturday (August 5th) as a vacation. I suppose you'll either hear from me soon or you won't!
Until next time,
- The Sing Oil Blogger
P.S. I will gladly accept guest post submissions for the upcoming Sing Oil Saturdays!
Whoa, a 1970s-1990s Whataburger A-frame! Double whoa, a 1960s Whataburger A-frame! Thanks to Mike, I can tell you that the history of Whataburger in Florida is a bit confusing if you ever want to read about it! Link: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2003/06/28/whatalotta-confusion-2/
ReplyDeleteMy local Whataburger is actually a 1990s A-frame with a design similar to the one in your photo. They are in the process of re-locating to a new-build location at the same intersection though so it'll be goodbye A-frame, unfortunately. There are others in the area though so unless those get replaced, we'll still be able to get our A-frame fill around here. Interestingly enough, that 1990s A-frame near me, the one that is being replaced right now, was a replacement for a 1970s A-frame located elsewhere at the same intersection that also used the same type A-frame design. The 1970s building is still standing, albeit with the A-frame flatted out, so there will actually be three Whataburger buildings at this intersection!
I'm not sure what is the most remarkable story about Publix #150. Is it the Publix Mall? That Publix reset the store and cleaned the floors overnight? Or that the facade of the store fell down? I'm going with the overnight store reset as being the most remarkable aspect, that is a strange story and it must have been quite the scene! I've heard of supermarkets reopening quickly after significant storm damage and such, but that's quite strange that Publix planned for this kind of overhaul. Oh well, I guess they pulled it off and I'm guessing that wasn't the only time Publix has done that...though it seems they usually prefer the wrecking ball method of store resets, lol.
I'll go with the Publix mall aspect after that, but perhaps the most interesting aspect there is that Publix had no clue how to run a mall! Houston supermarkets running malls weren't an uncommon thing in Houston since Weingarten also built and operated malls...usually better than Publix, but that's not saying much, lol. A lot of the Weingarten malls were what we call 'air-conditioned sidewalk' malls where it was basically a normal strip mall with an enclosed air-conditioned corridor instead of an open one, but Weingarten did build some legitimate smaller malls like the former North Oaks Mall that is in my area now as a regular shopping center. Interestingly enough, those malls didn't have mall entrances for the Weingarten either.
The photos of the mall are interesting. Aside from Eckerd, I'm not sure if there was much in that mall that would have kept me coming back in. I probably would have been seen at the Tallahassee Mall since they had a Montgomery Ward, lol.
We had a Ross Dress for Less that had a crumbling facade here in Houston last year, but even then, it didn't completely fall off like what happened at the Publix. That's a really odd situation. I know Retail Retell has joked that Kroger uses Styrofoam decor these days because it causes less of a liability problem if it falls than real wood or other heavy materials, but maybe he wasn't joking after all!
I've noticed that the #MTC links don't work. I've had this issue in previous posts so I'm not sure what the issue is. but it doesn't work in Firefox or Chrome. Copying and pasting the URL doesn't work either since it only goes to the top of the page. It's not a big deal, I obviously read through the whole post.
I figured you'd like all of those Whataburgers! I've never thought too much about the history of Whataburger in Florida, so that's crazy to hear about the bootleg independents around Orlando!
DeleteWow, it's surprising to hear that your local intersection will soon have three current or former Whataburgers on it. That sounds similar to this stretch of North Monroe with Publix #150, #852, and #1323 all being basically on three corners of the same intersection. At least Tallahassee still has its fair share of A-frames!
The Publix Mall (and experimental nature of the store) was the primary reason I was interested in Publix #150, but the overnight reset was fascinating to learn about. The fact that they were able to pull off such a feat makes wonder how many other times this happened too! Back in the 1990's, Publix seemed less inclined to fire up the wrecking ball and more inclined to bring in the expansion team. Not that teardowns never happened back then, but they didn't seem to be the only outcome for an old store.
You would think that years of running shopping centers would have given Publix some preparation for running a mall! Maybe Publix should have gone to Weingarten for some advice, especially considering that North Oaks Mall still exists!
Since Northwood Mall was one of only two main shopping areas in Tallahassee for most of its first decade, I probably would have gone on occasion, but it seems like the occupancy rate slowly began to decline into the 1980's which probably means there really wasn't much of interest left.
It sounds like the new Publix façade wasn't properly attached to begin with, and the following tropical storm probably loosened it even more. I know I wouldn't be happy if that fell on my car! I'd bet that one factor in stores (including Publix) using Styrofoam is to make signs lighter to hang and less of a liability if they fall.
Thanks for letting me know about the #MTC links! I fixed the ones on this post and my last post (I didn't format the necessary HTML quite right).
It does seem like all roads lead back to Circle K with the former Sing stores covered on this blog! Sadly though, Circle K's modern stores aren't super interesting, unlike some of the former Sing stores that are run by various independent owners who never updated anything since 1989. Kind of like Publix when inheriting those 70,000 square foot former Jewel-Osco stores, Circle K seems a bit lost in what to do with all the space in that 5,000 square foot former Sing store!
ReplyDeleteThe only Whataburger I've ever been to was actually the Thomasville Road A-frame location! (I have a crummy picture of it somewhere on my phone). The first time we went to Tallahassee I wanted to try Whataburger, and I liked it. My sister says the breakfast is good too, although I've yet to try that (and my sister is not a big fast food eater, but Whataburger is the one place she seems to go to every so often). We had Whataburger in the Orlando area for a short time back in the 2000's, but they came and went really fast, retracting back to the Panhandle and Jacksonville. Seems like Whataburger is expanding into St. Augustine now, so I don't know if they'll try Orlando again if they want to keep heading south.
Publix is a long-time developer and owner of shopping centers, so I'm not surprised they decided to try opening a full-blown mall...and I'm also not surprised the mall was a flop. It seems like running a mall has a lot more intricacies than a regular strip center, and Publix didn't like all the extra steps mall ownership came with. While the opening of Tallahassee Mall and Governor's Square probably didn't help Northwood much, I wonder if Publix's lack of interest in running the mall also contributed to the property's eventual decline too. It also seems like the mall's later owners viewed Northwood much like Publix did, but at least Publix did try caring about the tenants and the condition of the building.
All the historic photos of the mall and #150 were interesting to see, and helped with sharing all the abnormalities of this experimental project for Publix (both with the mall and the grocery store itself). The other mall-based Publix stores I can think of all were designed to be exterior-entrance only, and I think it was common for mall-based supermarkets at the time to be designed as such.
That's also impressive how Publix was able to reset those aisles in #150 overnight like that! I guess when you were able to recruit 250 people to help, you can get things done fast! I also never realized that about the orientation of the check lanes in the older stores, but that does make sense as to why the service desk was place where it was, way over in the corner like that.
All roads do seem like they lead back to Circle K! Most of the Circle K/Sing Stores may not look as well kept as this one, but they still don't tend to have the interesting relics like those independents. It's hard to believe that Circle K can get lost with 5,000 square feet, while Buc-ee's can fill a 60,000 square foot convenience store at the drop of a hat!
DeleteThat's funny how you took the time to stop by the T-ville Rd Whataburger! You do need to try the breakfast next time you are in town (people also rave about the spicy ketchup, it is indeed spicy). St. Augustine still seems like a long way from Orlando, but they may decide to expand that way again.
It probably didn't help that Publix tried to run a mall where virtually none of the tenants had experience operating mall stores either. Publix didn't seem to be interested in the actual operation of the mall, so it's a bit surprising they didn't sell it off earlier to a more experience real estate firm. The mall's decay over time probably influenced Publix' decision to leave the space in 2002 as well, especially considering how #150 remained Tallahassee's largest Publix until six-months prior to its closure.
Mall-based supermarkets are still strange to me, but it seems like I remember the Krogers and Colonial Stores in Eastwood Mall and Ansley Mall. I could easily be mistaken, though.
The overnight reset was an amazing feat, and I was thrilled when GeorgiaPubDude sent me the link to that article! It was also cool to see so many interior photos of this store!
Wow, that's a crazy huge Sing Store, and similarly crazy is the claim that a convenience store could match or beat grocery store prices: ha!
ReplyDeleteEven more craziness in this post is Publix managers who also served as mall and in-store bank managers! Wild stuff. I definitely enjoyed all the history y'all uncovered and shared in this post, especially about the mall experiment, but also the store itself -- particularly the stuff about the store being a 48K sf "laboratory" in the time of 20K sf supermarkets, and (especially) that mad dash overnight reset (awesome newspaper coverage on that!). Oh, and I definitely agree that parking in front of the store absolutely was eliminated in part because of that freak facade accident: yikes!
I know; it is big! I also wish that convenience stores would try to match grocery store prices today!
DeleteIf Publix managers ever claim to be overworked today, they should just be glad that they aren't also having to manage an in-store bank and a mall! Like I mentioned, I was thrilled when GeorgiaPubDude found all of those pictures from the overnight reset; I wish we could find pictures like that from every store.