Boyer's Food Markets
Owner: Dean Walker
Owner: Dean Walker
Opened: ca. 2000
Previous Tenants: ACME Markets (1959-1995) > TJ Bart's (1995-1999) > Insalaco's (1999-2001)
Location: 210 Cedar St, Tamaqua, PA
Photographed: November 29, 2019
Today's post is a quick look at the Boyer's Food Market in Tamaqua, where we saw yesterday a former supermarket just outside of town. This was towards the end of the day for me, and I had visited quite a few Boyer's that day, so I was a bit Boyered out and decided not to go into this store -- a decision I now regret because in 2021, the store received a major interior and exterior renovation. There are a few really good photos on Google Maps of the store, so we can now see what the outside, produce, and grocery aisles look like. Looking great -- but I think that's still ACME flooring in the last picture, just refinished! This store was constructed as an ACME, then became a TJ Bart's for a few years before very briefly becoming an Insalaco's and then Boyer's in 2001. We can actually see a picture of the Insalaco's here, a fantastic page (and you can see my lengthy comment at the bottom). Some great shots of obvious former A&Ps and ACMEs there! We'll be checking out many of those stores as we pass through this area. Our next stop is on that page, too, an independent store about ten miles west of here. Check it out on The Independent Edition tomorrow!
Wow, that website you linked is great! I especially like the Mahanoy City BiLo and Cressona Insalaco's photos. Since that post was only made in 2020, it makes you wonder how many old supermarket photos are tucked away, waiting to be revealed.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I was very excited to come across that website.
DeleteI think the timeline for this store's history is a little bit off. The website you linked to shows the building that's now the Tamaqua Boyer's as an Insalaco's in May 1995, which makes sense as an Acme store purchased by Penn Traffic that year. The Insalaco's name was discontinued by Penn Traffic in 1997, at which point the stores either switched to the BiLo name, or were closed/sold. I'm assuming then that TJ Bart's would have opened around 1997 or so (if this store didn't do a brief stint as BiLo for a few years), with Boyer's following.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Thanks for mentioning that! I'll have to go back and reevaluate the store's history.
DeleteWas TJ Barts another banner of Penn Traffic? Or were they an independent grocer? I was under the impression that Penn Traffic used Insalaco's and Bi-Lo for the Acme stores they purchased.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that they were independent. Paywall, but this article discusses the last three TJ Bart's stores being sold to Boyer's: https://www.mcall.com/2001/10/04/tj-barts-groceries-find-buyer-three-stores-are-sold-to-boyers-food-markets-group-of-orwigsburg/
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