Baltimore Stores – Supermarkets over the years

In the 1930’s , some small Baltimore grocery stores began to operate under local Management Food store chains. Names included : People’s Grocery Stores Inc, Reiter Stores, Cohen’s Grocery and Delicatessen, Oriole Grocery Stores, Sanitary Food Stores, American Stores, Inc. Chicago Market Company, Giant Food Markets, United Food Stores, Wagner’s Food Stores, Popular Neighborhood Food Stores, GA Stores, Schreiber’s Complete Food Market, Monumental Grocery Stores, & Knoblock’s . Some of these are local chains and some are solo stores.

One of the first larger chain food stores I have found ( so far ) were the A&P stores, which were located all over the City. Just to name a few , because there were many were ; 5005 York Rd, 4008 Old York Rd, 4411 Greenmount Avenue, 2311 Greenmount, 1927 Cecil Avenue, 1645 North Wolfe Street, 1718 Guilford Avenue, 1650 Chilton Street, 1712 East Chase Street, 1516 North Montford Street, 800 S. 3rd Street, 3100 East Baltimore Street, 36 North Linwood Street, 601 North Carey Street , 1401 West Baltimore Street, 3134 West North Avenue, 2400 Druid Hill Avenue, 3313 Pennsylvania Avenue, 1744 Warwick Avenue, 901 South East Avenue.

A&P stores, which tended to be smaller and often converted from older local stores, were found at 5420 York Road, 5928 York Rd., 3413 Belair Road, 5303 Belair Road , 5543 Belair Road, 6621 Harford Road, 3611 Elm Avenue, 3820 Liberty Hgts. Avenue, 5242 Park Heights Avenue, 4713 Gwynn Oak Avenue, 3131 Greenmount Avenue, 252 N. Franklintown Road, 1200 Linden Avenue, 2955 Brighton Street, 1407 Milton Avenue, 22 East Fort Avenue, 3920 Fleet Street, as well as addressses in both Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties.

Another earlier Food Chain was the Food Fair Chain, with the first store being located in the 2500 block of Greenmount Avenue. There was a lot of excitement at the opening of this first store and the building was used for other purposes for years later, until it was finally torn down to make way for a new building.

Soon, there were Food Fair’s all over the City.

Food Fair’s were located at the following locations :
405 Franklintown Road, 3901-25 Belvedere Avenue, 25th and Greenmount, Fleet and Haven Streets, 2720 West North Avenue, & 743-47 Frederick Rd ( Catonsville )

Another Food Chain found all over Baltimore was the Acme Food Store chain.

Acme’s were located at : 1315 Bloomingdale Road ( now a treatment center ) , 7-9-11 West Eager Street ( Now Eddie’s of Mount Vernon Food Store, currently closed ) , 3906 Liberty Heights Avenue ( address of a new Fire station ) , 5900 Block of Harford Road ( Empty lot ) , 3500 Block of South Hanover Street ( I think the building is still there, converted to other uses ) , 3427 Belair Road ( Empty store front ) , 2653 Pennsylvania Avenue ( Empty lot ) , 5009 York Road ( was a Value Village Thrift store but appears to have been torn down for a Dollar Store ) .

By the 1950’s , the Penn Fruit’s Food Store Chain , out of Philadelphia, began opening stores in the Baltimore area

Penn Fruit Stores were also opened in Eastpoint, Yale Avenue, Merritt Park Shopping Center ( Dundalk ) and Erdman Avenue, with the unique glass front buildings. Some of the stores did not have the glass front, such as Charing Cross ( Rt 40 West ) and Liberty Height and Hillsdale.