One thing that's kind of fun about moving to places is discovering the new names of grocery stores. The weirdest names in the world can sound totally commonplace to you, if you've lived somewhere long enough. I'll never forget a time I was waiting in line to see a Ben Folds concert. I was the first in line... had been there probably 7 hours or so when one of the supporting guitarists for Ben back then, Snuzz - came out and asked me if there was a place he could buy fresh vegetables. With out hesitation, I responded, "Oh sure, there's a King Soopers just down the road two blocks."
He looked at me like I had monkeys flying out of my ears. He looked at me blankly. I continued, "It's a grocery store, just down the road." He nodded thanks and went about his way. The interaction had me thinking.
King Soopers. King Supers. King. Supers. Soopers. What a stupid name for a grocery store. There is no way at first utterance someone would know what that is. Not to mention it's hideous spelling. It's one of those things that if you live in Colorado it seems so commonplace, but visitors must be completely befuddled. Or aghast at our whimsical spelling.
There's a store out here called Rosauer's. We struggle with the correct pronunciation so as to seem like we fit in.
Row-sours.
Rose-ours.
Rows-ars.
We switch a lot. Anyway, twice a year they have this awesome sale where a lot of things are on sale, including cereal. Most boxes are $1.69. Amazing deal. We bought about 25 boxes of cereal. The dude at the counter said we saved $75 bucks. That is nothing on facebook Ashley told me tales of individuals buying 30, 50, over 100 boxes of cereal. We were a little timid as this was our first time, but next time you better believe we are going to come out guns a blazing.
Also - what are some funny regional grocery store names you can think of?
- I've always been fond of Bashas (AZ) because of its quasi-Arab lettering.
- And in the Valley there is an awesome Place called "Jons" whose logo looks exactly like Vons except the front of the V is cut off (at least in real life - online not as much). Hilarious.
10 comments:
I will always love Basha's. So many fond junior high memories there...
I have always been thankful that I never had to buy groceries in"piggly wiggly" I count my blessings. Priscilla
I have thought about this too! Safe way. Giant. Snyders (this one makes sense to me because there is probably some guy named Snyders involved). Food Lion. So weird!
piggly wiggly is pretty embarrassing.
savers is kind of funny, in DC. there cereal is so cheap, but their produce section looks like it came from the bottom of a garbage compactor.
Our "king soopers" is Schucks.
I worked at a Hy-Vee during high school in Omaha, Nebraska.
Apparently the name is a conglomoration of 2 dudes' last names.
In Austin, TX, I once went to a H.E.B. Really weird name. But not when you find out it stands for Henry (Something) Butts. BUTTS. No one wants food from there.
I shop at King Soopers regularly here in CO. Definitely seems commonplace to me now.
There's a Heeb's here in bozeman. Thought that was kind of "out there."
I thought Food Lion sounded weird when we lived in Georgia. I don't know that it was any weirder than Food Town in New Jersey. I've seen more than one person shake their head at King Soopers, but I've lived here long enough not to think about how dumb it sounds.
Oh, but how could I forget sav-a-center in New Orleans? I always wondered why they didn't go all out and throw in that "e" at the end of "sav".
David, I hereby challenge you to a shop-to-the death (or at least bitter humiliation) at the next Rosauers' cereal sale.
Scott and Ashley will keep the kids at bay while--no, no, scratch that--the kids will be riding in our carts (you'll have two by then which will even things out a tad and the race will start coincidentally 3 hours after the wee one's last feeding but if Ashley so much as looks at the wailing, hungry baby your team will be disqualified) and the goal will be who can buy the most yet SAVE the most.
Racers...are your carts (and COUPONS) ready?
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