The name “Ralphs” probably won’t mean much to anyone outside Southern California, but to Angelenos it’s a well-known supermarket grocery chain. What we’re looking at here is their first store, which stood on the corner of Sixth and Spring Sts in downtown Los Angeles. This photo was taken in 1886, ten years after brothers George and Walter Ralphs opened their store in 1876. By then they’d bought out their original partner, S. A. Francis (the business was originally called Ralphs & Francis and was in a different location.) That’s George leaning on the boxes and Walter in shirt sleeves. Little did they suspect how ubiquitous their name would become.
This is how that corner looked in May 2024.
Thanks, Martin. Yes. Ralphs is everywhere in California, but UNKNOWN to other states. Not like the old A & P stores, coast to coast. Probably Ralphs biggest competitor in later years were the Hughes Markets. There were a lot, and they were cheaper. I remember when Ralphs took over the giant Hughes market in Burbank, next to KMart. Funny thing is when you went into that store, nothing really changed except the name. Love the old photo of the Ralph’s family residence in Hollywood. All condos today.
Hey Tom, do you remember the old Ralphs on Buena Vista and Victory. It had an interesting looking Building. I also remember the Hughs Market up on San Fernado. We also had Alpha Beta, Market Basket, Gelsons, Luckys, Vons, and Safeway. I am probably forgetting a few. A couple of the smaller ones we visited were Spectors and Handi Mart.
Yes. I shop there all the time. What they did in the 90s, was move the store. The old Ralphs was where the CVS pharmacy is now. The new Ralphs is on the other side of the parking lot. I don’t remember if that was a Hughes Market originally, but it was an old building. Had been there for years, and a lot of older folks went there. I remember all the complaints when they tore the place down, however the 99 cent store was across the street, and still is.
One more thing, Martin. I remember the Alpha Beta store in North Hollywood, near Target on Victory Blvd. It was a nice store, later bought out by the 99 cent store. Now its all boarded up. Whether Dollar Tree is going to open there.
I worked at that alpha beta in 82 then went next door to what was then Gemco, now Target, which had a Luckys store inside. Luckys owned Gemco. You could buy anything there from guns to groceries.
TIL the “s” in Ralphs is neither possessive nor plural but part of their name.
Until I found this photo, I don’t think I realized their name had an “s” at the end, either!