My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. No non-grocery posts.
Post Reply
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1237
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 52 times
Status: Offline

My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by rwsandiego »

I've lived in The Valley for a year now and have really liked shopping at Fry's. Until this evening when I stopped into the 60th Street and Thomas Road location in Scottsdale. Low ceilings, dirty ceiling tiles, shabby floors, and just very tired looking. Even the Fry's on 7th Ave and Camelback and the Fry's Mercado are better than this store. Was really surprised at the poor condition of the store.
arizonaguy
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1103
Joined: July 12th, 2013, 6:07 pm
Been thanked: 32 times
Status: Offline

Re: My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by arizonaguy »

rwsandiego wrote: February 12th, 2018, 9:52 pm I've lived in The Valley for a year now and have really liked shopping at Fry's. Until this evening when I stopped into the 60th Street and Thomas Road location in Scottsdale. Low ceilings, dirty ceiling tiles, shabby floors, and just very tired looking. Even the Fry's on 7th Ave and Camelback and the Fry's Mercado are better than this store. Was really surprised at the poor condition of the store.
There used to be quite a list of "nasty" Fry's stores, however they have been doing a better job as of late of cleaning most of them up.

I'd put the following stores on my "nasty" Fry's list:

Indian School / Miller: 1980s "Dillon" designed store. Fry's had plans a few years ago to renovate this store (I believe they were similar to what ultimately was done at the Highland / 20th St. store) but ran into some issues (either neighborhood resistance or issues with the city of Scottsdale) and is letting this store rot.

Hatcher / Cave Creek: Former Smitty's and Fry's Marketplace that was "downgraded" to a Fry's Food and Drug. This store isn't in the best neighborhood and just seems "tired" all around even though it was remodeled into a more modern Kroger decor package.

Southern / Mill Ave: Former Smitty's (I don't believe this was a Marketplace store). This store is just old and not kept up very well. It especially pales in comparison to the Fry's (ex Smith's) at Southern / Rural 1 mile away.

Main / Alma School: Former Smith's located in a shopping center with a former Walmart. The demographics of this area have changed since the store was built and it now has Kroger's Hispanic themed decor package but the store isn't particularly clean and the whole store seems kind of like a hybrid of a Fry's and Food City.

Baseline / 7th St: 1980s "Dillon" designed store. with the Hispanic themed decor package in not the greatest of neighborhoods. Not as well kept as other stores.

Bethany Home / 43rd Ave: See Baseline / 7th St.
arizonaguy
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1103
Joined: July 12th, 2013, 6:07 pm
Been thanked: 32 times
Status: Offline

Re: My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by arizonaguy »

Thunderbird / 40th St and Bell / 43rd Ave used to be "nasty" stores that have been cleaned up nicely over the last few years. Also, many of the ex-Smitty's Marketplace stores have seen some more recent love as Glendale / 19th Ave, Peoria / 43rd Ave, Bell / 32nd St, and Bell / 27th Ave are all nicer and less "nasty" than years past.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1237
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 52 times
Status: Offline

Re: My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by rwsandiego »

Thanks for the info on other less-than-stellar Fry's stores. I shopped at the Mill/Southern store when temporarily living in Tempe. Not a very well-kept store. BUT here's a funny story about that one. Like I said, I was living in an extended-stay hotel for a few months until my corporate housing came through and would shop at the store on Rural and Southern. I would also stop into the one at Baseline and McClintock across from Target. It was in the process of being remodeled. The exterior also looks an awful lot like the one at Mill and Southern and just so happens to be on the northwest corner of the intersection, just like the one at Mill and Southern. So...not realizing where I was, I stopped in and to my surprise, it was not being remodeled! Later realized it was a completely different store.

But, I digress. I like beautiful stores as much as everyone else, but it is also fun to see less-than-beautiful locations of chains that typically have nicer stores.

I will have to check out some of the "nasty" stores you listed.

Thanks again
architect
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 843
Joined: December 8th, 2015, 3:41 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 7 times
Status: Offline

Re: My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by architect »

It is interesting to see the vast difference in store quality/cleanliness and just design in general within the Fry's division, considering that there are stores stemming from three different nameplates and built during widely differing periods. In addition, Kroger seems more willing to hold onto stores which are in marginal areas within the Fry's division, unlike some other divisions where they are quick to leave at the first sign of decline/demographic change.
arizonaguy
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1103
Joined: July 12th, 2013, 6:07 pm
Been thanked: 32 times
Status: Offline

Re: My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by arizonaguy »

rwsandiego wrote: February 13th, 2018, 7:16 pm Thanks for the info on other less-than-stellar Fry's stores. I shopped at the Mill/Southern store when temporarily living in Tempe. Not a very well-kept store. BUT here's a funny story about that one. Like I said, I was living in an extended-stay hotel for a few months until my corporate housing came through and would shop at the store on Rural and Southern. I would also stop into the one at Baseline and McClintock across from Target. It was in the process of being remodeled. The exterior also looks an awful lot like the one at Mill and Southern and just so happens to be on the northwest corner of the intersection, just like the one at Mill and Southern. So...not realizing where I was, I stopped in and to my surprise, it was not being remodeled! Later realized it was a completely different store.

But, I digress. I like beautiful stores as much as everyone else, but it is also fun to see less-than-beautiful locations of chains that typically have nicer stores.

I will have to check out some of the "nasty" stores you listed.

Thanks again
You're welcome.

A history tidbit. There are about 9 different basic types of Fry's stores out there.

1960s / 1970s Smitty's stores (some were "Marketplaces" and some were not, most have been converted to Fry's Food and Drug stores). Examples include 60th / Thomas, Southern / Mill, Baseline / McClintock, Hatcher / Cave Creek Rd

1980s / 1990s Smitty's stores (some have been converted to Fry's Food and Drug, others are still Fry's Marketplaces). Examples include Glendale / 19th Ave, Via Linda / 90th St, Bell / 32nd St, Bell / 29th Ave, Bell / 67th Ave, Ray / Rural.

1980s / early 1990s Fry's built stores (pre and post Kroger's acquisition of Fry's). Examples include Thunderbird / 43rd Ave, Thunderbird / 59th Ave, Bell / 43rd Ave, Bethany Home / 43rd Ave, Indian School / Miller, Cactus / 75th Ave, Baseline / 7th St, Olive / 91st Ave. This type of store seems to be the most common type of Fry's to have been recently closed and replaced by Marketplace stores and/or closed alright, as I think this is (or was) the most common type of Fry's store out there.

Late 1980s / early 1990s Smith's built stores. Examples include Camelback / 7th Ave, Cactus / 43rd Ave, Thunderbird / 40th St, Shea / 90th St, Northern / 43rd Ave.

Late 1990s Smith's built stores. Examples include Union Hills /91st Ave, Main / Alma School.

Late 1990s Smitty's built stores (unsure if these were built by Smith's or prior to the merger with Smith's, they seem distinct from the late 1990s Smith's built stores above). Examples include Greenway / 64th St and Highland / 20th St.

Late 1990s / early 2000s Fry's built stores. Examples include Bell / Tatum, Happy Valley / 67th Ave, Shea / Eagle Mountain Parkway. In my opinion these are the least interesting Fry's stores in the chain and were some of the worst stores Kroger built during this era, especially compared to similar vintage stores in Texas.

Mid 2000s Fry's built stores. Examples include Baseline / 51st Ave, Baseline / 16th St, Waddell/ Litchfield Rd. A couple of these were built as Marketplaces but later converted back to the Food and Drug format. They are generally around 80,000 square feet (and more in line with what was being built in Texas). The fairly new Sun City (Sundome) Fry's is actually built to this format.

New Marketplace stores (2011+). These stores are similar to what Kroger is building in other divisions. Examples include Bell / 14th St, Dove Valley / North Valley Parkway, Happy Valley / Lake Pleasant Parkway.
storewanderer
Posts: 14265
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 288 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by storewanderer »

rwsandiego wrote: February 12th, 2018, 9:52 pm I've lived in The Valley for a year now and have really liked shopping at Fry's. Until this evening when I stopped into the 60th Street and Thomas Road location in Scottsdale. Low ceilings, dirty ceiling tiles, shabby floors, and just very tired looking. Even the Fry's on 7th Ave and Camelback and the Fry's Mercado are better than this store. Was really surprised at the poor condition of the store.
That store at 60th and Thomas looks like an old Smitty's but maybe it is an original Fry's.

The low ceilings don't help much either... that was something I really disliked about the old Smitty's Stores which routinely (except for a newer one out in Tempe area) had awfully low ceilings... I understand why there were low ceilings in Arizona but I'm glad in the 90's and 00's stores they decided to suck it up and just pay the air conditioning bills.

With that said, 5-10 years ago in Phoenix, there were quite a few pretty run down Fry's in older areas.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1237
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 52 times
Status: Offline

Re: My First Nasty Fry's Experience

Post by rwsandiego »

storewanderer wrote: February 13th, 2018, 9:21 pm
rwsandiego wrote: February 12th, 2018, 9:52 pm I've lived in The Valley for a year now and have really liked shopping at Fry's. Until this evening when I stopped into the 60th Street and Thomas Road location in Scottsdale. Low ceilings, dirty ceiling tiles, shabby floors, and just very tired looking. Even the Fry's on 7th Ave and Camelback and the Fry's Mercado are better than this store. Was really surprised at the poor condition of the store.
That store at 60th and Thomas looks like an old Smitty's but maybe it is an original Fry's.

The low ceilings don't help much either... that was something I really disliked about the old Smitty's Stores which routinely (except for a newer one out in Tempe area) had awfully low ceilings... I understand why there were low ceilings in Arizona but I'm glad in the 90's and 00's stores they decided to suck it up and just pay the air conditioning bills.

With that said, 5-10 years ago in Phoenix, there were quite a few pretty run down Fry's in older areas.
Looking through old newspapers, I found that it was a Smith's at the time the Kroger/Fred Meyer merger brought Fry's, Smith's, and Smitty's together. However, in an ad dated August 6, 1980 the store was listed as being a Smitty's, which would explain the ridiculously low ceiling not to mention the architecture that looks nothing at all like the buildings that started as Smith's.
Post Reply