by Jim Barton
The building we now call H.E.B. on Central Blvd was originally a Fed Mart, a sort of no frills discount chain headquartered in San Diego, CA. Although, Fed Mart did well in Brownsville, the lack of a warehouse in Texas necessitated that goods be delivered from San Diego, not exactly a good business model. Still, many of us took advantage of the lowest prices in the city on many items. Automotive oil, for example, was very cheap. A tune-up kit for my '59 VW bug was $1.20. That included points, rotor, condenser and a tiny vial of lithium grease to lubricate the points. Ranch Style Beans, Texsun Orange Juice and Pace Picante Sauce were also cheaper there than anywhere else.
During the years Nena and I were away from Brownsville, the building was purchased by the Howard E. Butt Grocery Company, sometimes called H.E.B. The company put their familiar colors and signage to the store but retained Fed Mart's old circa 1965 restrooms, which were inadequate when first put into operation. These bathrooms had household style doors with a bolt action style lock, the kind sometimes used on outhouses and featured a single commode and a small sink. They could be used by one customer at a time, less than serviceable for a store now easily enjoying $1,000,000 in sales per week.
People my age are aware of restroom availability at all times, especially in a city like Brownsville, essentially a "no baño público" town. Church's Chicken, for example, on 13th and Washington provided service for the downtown area until the Multi-Modal facility was built. Actually, the grimy restaurant at the back of the old bus station torn down to make way for the M-M facility held the distinction of being the nastiest bathroom in the United States. A sign on the door indicated non-patrons would be charged $2.00 for usage when, in fairness, they should have been PAID $1000 for going in there.
But, back to the newly remodeled H.E.B. on Central: It's new men's restroom features a modern push-open door, a twin basin sink, one modern urinal and two stalls. I assume the women's room features similar appropriate amenities. Enjoy your new restrooms Brownsville. They've been 46 years in coming.
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You wrote:..."a tiny vile of lithium grease."
ReplyDeleteIt is, for your information and future reference, a "vial." Vile is an adjective often used elsewhere to describe life in Brownsville.
/DP-M
Vile is what you depict /DP-M. Nunca cambiaste tu manera de ser Eduardo or should I say "Duardo"
DeleteAs a previous employee of Fed-Mart I, as well as many of the store employees, recall having to clean those restrooms. Needless to say, I have since graduated to cleaning offices. You are correct, HEB has been the only occupant of the old building. The gas station on the corner of Boca Chica and Central Blvd. in front of Fed-Mart was a Maverick convenience store which later became a Coastal. Across the street was Lipe's Exxon.
DeleteThank you DP-M. Yes, of course.
ReplyDeleteJim
A bathroom review? Say, you would be trying to start a new trend here, would you?
Deletei must correct you. before heb was in that building, it was in the building that is now peter piper pizza next door. that leads me to believe that fed mart may have been in that building at one time. the origins of the heb buiding go back to the 80's. it was newly built for heb at the time. when they constructed that building, they destroyed two of brownsvlle's largest trees. they were a pair of pecan trees with about 4' diameter trunks. many people will remember that brouhaha, as it lead to the development of the landscape ordinance and the brownsville beautification committee. someone please correct me if i am wrong..
ReplyDeleteThanks, but you're probably incorrect. Fed Mart was right on the corner where HEB is now. In front of Fed Mart was a Phillips 66 Station. The Peter Piper building is much too small.
DeleteJim
HEB was inside the Peter Piper building before it was in the current one and Fed Mart was in the spot that now houses HEB, but it was a different structure. I remember it had blue tinted windows.
DeleteWhile we are on the topic of restrooms, why is it people in the Valley have to throw their shit paper in the trashcan instead of flushing it down the toilet.
ReplyDeleteIs this some type of superstition or something, I don’t get it, just put it in the toilet and flush it.
It's because in Mexico you can't flush paper down the toilet. A lot of folks in Brownsville grew up in Mexico, so they are used to throwing TP in the trash, just as Brownsvillians go over to Matamoros and flush their paper when they shouldn't.
DeleteThat building was a Valley Mart before it was an HEB. It was never a Fed Mart
ReplyDeleteYou're simply wrong. It may have been a Valley Mart after it was a Fed Mart, but it definitely was a Fed Mart initially. Nena and I shopped there frequently. You may not be old enough to remember.
DeleteJim
Valley Mart built the store right next to the existing HEB in the early nineties. Pete Diaz Jr. Thought he was on a roll. HEB ran over him, ran Valley Mart out of business, bought the property and made the building into an HEB. I was involved in this and remember it well, Jim.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm certain your memories are correct, but, of course, 30 years later than the period I'm referencing. The buildings on Central have changed uses several times since then. In the 60's, before Central Blvd was widened, Fed Mart stood on the corner of Boca Chica and Central with a Phillip's 66 Service Station in the parking lot. The Toddle Inn was much smaller, with parking in the front and only a breakfast counter and a few tables. The Valley Inn Motel is now unrecognizable, although the old Travelodge across the street is still an old motel. Pace Grocery is now a pharmacy. The old Gibson's Store is a school and Michael's Pizza looks unocccupied.
DeleteJim
In other words, that building never eas a Fed Mart. Why can't you admit you were wrong, Jim?
ReplyDelete🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
ReplyDelete