One immediate sign that this store isn't a typical 90s Safeway (and a big part of why I think the location I mentioned might have been the Lynnwood Max Foods) is that it's built into a large strip mall, called Rainier Plaza. The strip mall's original anchors were Max Foods and Drug Emporium, the latter of which is now Ross. This space looks quite a bit like what Max Foods would have looked like before Safeway took over, and while I haven't found any pictures of Max Foods, I have found
this one of Safeway's early days, and
this one that's after the facade remodel but still with the old logo (which must have been a fairly short-lived look).
Believe it or not, Drug Emporium is still alive and well in Texas! While we don't have them in Houston anymore (though I did shop there in the 1990s), they still exist in a number of mid-sized cities in Texas. Their stores are pretty retro even with some recent renovations, but they get really good user reviews. Certainly they are better than the 2.x ratings Walgreens and CVS usually get! Here is one location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fTbr7nsYkrKVdCmA7
ReplyDeleteOh, given what is in these parking lot photos, or maybe I should say what aren't in these parking lot photos, I would have thought Columbia City was somewhere near Tacoma! That seems to not be the case. Oh well, there is a Mitsu-Volvo S40 in this photo which is a bit of what I'd expect at least, lol.
DeleteYeah, I was surprised to find that when researching this post!
DeleteI think what you're picking up on is more related to socioeconomic demographics than geographic location! Columbia City is another Rainier Valley (SE Seattle) neighborhood, just north of the Othello store we looked at a few months ago. I think you made the same sort of comment on that series! This store is right on the edge of the much wealthier area running along the side of Lake Washington, but I guess those wealthier people aren't driving to this Safeway!