Penn Fruit was a major grocery chain in the Philadelphia area founded in 1953. They were notorious for their "arch" building design, built for much of the 50's. The one at right was built in 1960. The company was acquired by longtime rival Food Fair (Pantry Pride) in 1975. That company closed all its Philadelphia-region stores in 1979. Many former Food Fair/Pantry Pride and Penn Fruit stores became Acme, a company even more notable for its designs.
This is very interesting! Please post more of this store history information. Do you have any information on any of these stores?
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Lit Brothers
A.C. Grant & Co.
John Wanamaker's
My friend says Jamesway and Ames were national chains. I think they were regional in this area, because I never heard of them when I lived in Texas. Can you settle this?
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I remember Penn Fruit! What did Charles Lindbergh ask for after his famous 1927 trip across the Atlantic? … “Fresh fruits and vegetables from Penn Fruit!” There was a Penn Fruit walking distance from my home (at the “Woodcrest Shopping Center”) in Cherry Hill NJ till it closed in the mid-seventies. It was part of my “coming of age” as a teen to recognize that an indomitable corporation like Penn Fruit could just “fold…” I remember the decline of the store (remodeling stopped) as they suffered from the seventies supermarket price wars (Acme, A&P, Pantry Pride…). Prior to that, I also have a lot of fine, fun childhood memories of walking with my mom or my grandmother to Penn Fruit, to get groceries, a treat, and to interact with some kind and smiling clerks in the store.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories, Trent…
In the "supermarket wars", Penn Fruit sued Acme in 1973 for illegal pricing practices. Penn Fruit claimed in their suit they would go bankrupt if it continued, and sure enough, they did in 1975. The rest is history.
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