Image contributed to the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Art Jacobs - 2010"This is an advertisement Dales Market used on their grocery bags in the 1970s. Dales Market was a family owned market. Northridge had a Dales Market in the Corbin and Parthenia Shopping Center. It opened up back in the 1960’s and closed in the 1980’s."
17 comments:
Dales was at the corner of devonshire and reseda. It became a lucky's and is now an albertsons. In the same center was the "Guild Drug"(now walgreens) and "Santa Clara Bank" also part of Walgreens. Apparently that corner used to also be Montie Montana's property.
Actually, there were Dale's markets at both locations in Northridge: Corbin and Parthenia and the newer one at Devonshire and Reseda.
The latter store was opened around 1970 with the previously noted other stores to the east. The shopping center stopped at Dale's initially, with a dirt lot to the west. Eventually, the rest of the center was filled in, with Ole's home improvement store (later taken over by Builder's Emporium) anchoring the far end.
Dale's #31, as it was known, was the flagship store in the chain. David Dale himself used to shop there on weekends. I worked as a box boy in the late 1970s there, and it was run much like a Gelson's.
When the Lucky chain bought out Dale's in the early 1980s, things really went downhill. Some of my former co-workers really hated the place then, as the "family" feel to it was gone, along with the good service. Lucky was just bottom-line, with lower prices but poorer selection and a longer wait to check out.
Now, Albertson's (which aquired that store from Lucky) has announced its closure, so it's anyone's guess what might move in there. Changing demographics of the area mean it's anyone's guess. The former large Ralphs across the street (on the property that once housed a Zody's) is now an Asian market.
I lived in the neighborhood behind the Dale's Market in Reseda at the corner of Saticoy and Tampa. The "Gumby Head" shape of the Dale's sign guided me home down Lull St. from my first day of kindergarten at Melvin Avenue School. I worked as a bag boy there one summer during high school. They had a photo of the manager, Phil Greenfield sporting a crew cut on the wall near the check-outs. Most mornings I would see Phil arrive in his 1955 Chevy from my bedroom window I also worked at the T.G.&Y. situated in the same shopping center.
I worked at both Dales Panorama City as a box boy,and,night crew. Sometimes checker, but then only women were allowed to check, I was relief or trainee, as I recall. I also worked at the Toluca Lake Jr. store as a key carrier, as well as many of the Jr.s.
Anyway, I had a great time. I was so appreciate of the work experience Dales gave me, everyone at Dales was nothing but the best. Mr. Dale gave so many of us young guys and gals a start in the business world. I still have my name badge and pen protector pocket we were all given. Dales was nothing but the best! Please contact me if you worked with me 1975-1979 I would love to catch up Cliffh6637@aol.com. I left and went on to the went on to the fire department, retiring in 2010. But know that my work ethic and customer skill set was all based on Dales.
Cliff Hadsell
anybody remember the name of the restaurant(s) early 1980's that was where the OUTBACK now stands? Could it have been the PLANKHOUSE? Thank you
I started at Dale's market at Saticoy and Tampa in 1966 as a boxboy and eventually became a journeyman clerk. Phil Greenfield hired me and Jim Jones worked nights a lot. I remember working the cash register until midnight and then some of us would go to Bob's Big Boy on Sherman Way to eat and a couple times we went to the beach to go body surfing - sounds crazy now. At that time there was a drugstore next door and a dry cleaners. And Shakey's pizza was at the other end. You could drive around Shakey's to the parking lot in back. When I started at Dales, I think I made $1.67 an hour and I was happy because I only made $1.25 at McDonalds before that.
I worked as a box-boy at the Dales Food Market on the corner of Saticoy Street and Tampa Avenue from the early Spring of 1963 until July of 1965, when I left for the Navy. Charles (Chuck) Evans was the Assistant Manager and "Dean" was the manager('don't recall his last name). We had a great group of coworkers! As Stephen Grubbs said,there was a drug store next door and I dated two sisters that worked there.
wasent there a dales market in north hollywood maybe on burbank bl My Brother and cuz
worked there.
Sonne: I believe the restaurant you're thinking of (where the Outback Steakhouse is now) is Reuben's. There was also a Reuben's around where Ventura Blvd. turns into Cahuenga in Studio City/Universal City in the 70s/80s. Really good food.
I remember a Dales Jr. Market at the corner of Magnolia and Kester in Sherman Oaks back in the 70s, which is now a post office. And isn't there still one at the corner of Colfax and Moorpark in Studio City?
My grandmother's maiden name is Dale, so the article today by Steve Lopez in the LA Times about David Dale caught my attention because I know nothing of my Dale family history - she was born in Michigan at the end of the 1800s. I found this website when I was poking around trying to see if there's any connection with this Dale family and mine... and all the stories of the old Dale's markets were nice to read.
Sonne: Yes it was the Plankhouse. It may have been owned by Reubens at the time. Right in front of the Ole's Hardware store. We moved to Northridge back in 1960, I was 5. I worked at the Dale's Market from 1973 as a box boy and left as a Journeyman Clerk in 1980. I also worked at #22, the corner of Woodley and Devonshire and the store on Sherman Way and White Oak. But spent most of my career at the store #31. Jim Cross was the Store Director and the person who hired me was Joe Patera. David Dale would come into the store quite often and then there was Lew (Grabowski, I think) was one of the big supervisors. And Ishimoto was the Produce Supervisor. I have great memories of working there. Made many great friends. When I left the company, because I just graduated from college, there was the infamous "Wall of Shame". Where a cinder block is where I put my departure message. And there were quite a number of cinder blocks taken when I finally left. But when Lucky's moved in, they painted over it.
Msmoops: I too read the message about David Dale Jr. I never really got to know him, but had met him a couple of times. His brother, Steve, use to run the Dale Jr.s and I had played softball against him in the Dale's Softball league, where every store would have a team. #31 was the team to beat.
Wow, talk about flashback. I lived closest to store 29 (Corbin and Parthenia) and store 3 (Saticoy at Tampa) but came to work at store 31 and remember Jim Cross, Joe Portera (Patera)(I just remember his Vett) and Steve Reynolds. There was also Henry in Liquor department but now my memory is failing me. I worked there for about a year until store 46 on Topanga Blvd was opened. I was spotted by Steve Dale and his lieutenant Vince Parolli and was drafted to deliver company mail to all the stores in the chain on Sundays as well as being drafted to work at the company liquor warehouse in Pacoima. I loved Store 31 and all the people working there. Jim made sure the customers knew they were special.
Alec
I worked at many of the Dales markets from 1970 to 1973 in the produce department. Floated to many of the stores. Worked at the 31 store when it opened. Also worked at 22 on Devonshire and Woodley. My dad was the Produce manager in Panorama City for many years.
Started work as a busboy at Reuben's Plankhouse in 1974 and ended as a bartender in 1981. Had a lot of great memories.
By the way, the specialty of the Plankhouse wa a cut of beef that served two on a plank of wood. Fun stuff.
The chain of restaurants included the Summerhouse across from Topanga Plaza, and the Reuben's in Woodland Hills. The coporation was far West food Services, and was owned by WR Grace, a major shipping company.
Yes, it was first called Reuben's then Reuben's Plankhouse.
The one we shopped at in the 60's and 70's was at Devonshire and Woodley.
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