Contributor Post: The Last of Its Kind - Kroger #729, Dayton, Ohio

The following is a SMR:MCRH Contributor Post.

Kroger Cincinnati/Dayton Division #729

700 Spinning Road, Dayton, OH

Driving distance and time from downtown Detroit: 215 miles, approx. 3 hours 25 minutes

 

Today I am introducing a new feature here on Southeast Michigan Retail called "Beyond Southeast Michigan". In "Beyond Southeast Michigan", you will virtually visit stores located outside of Southeast Michigan. For our first installment of  "Beyond Southeast Michigan", we will be looking at not only one of the last operational intact greenhouse Kroger stores (even though it originally didn't open as one)...but also the last Kroger store operating with Bauhaus decor!

Located in Dayton, OH, this Kroger opened on December 17, 1965, as the first component of the Spinning Plaza shopping center, and was expanded into a greenhouse store, the first in the Dayton area, reopening from that expansion on November 5, 1978, and has remained unchanged since. It was announced in early 2021 that this Kroger, plus a newer Kroger store a mile to the west, would both close later this year, to be replaced by a new, larger store nearby.

 

December 17, 1965 Dayton Daily News article on Kroger #729's opening. (clipping by Decor Package)

 

You might be wondering why a Michigan-centric blog has to travel to Ohio to cover a Kroger store...coming off of our post on an intact former greenhouse Kroger right here at home that also carried Bauhaus and whose most recent tenant (Big Lots) has recently moved out, but as long as a perfectly untouched greenhouse Kroger is still in business somewhere, even if it isn't for long, we might as well do this post to show you guys what Southeast Michigan's greenhouse Krogers originally looked like when they were brand new, and that's what brings ebay/Y4123/TheSawsbuckGuy all the way down to this store.

This store apparently served as a prototype for the second-version greenhouse exterior style (which only became widespread by 1981), and here it meshes in quite well with the original 1960s architecture, though the greenhouse structure is significantly smaller in order to fit in with the building's short height.

 

Entering the store and immediately proceeding to the front right corner, in produce, we get our first glimpse of the massive words that give Bauhaus its name. It's amazing how this package has held up pretty well over the years, despite obviously looking like a product of the late 1970s.

The aisle markers in this store are not original, since they match styles in use by more recent packages.

 

These letters mention exactly what is located along the right wall as we inch closer towards the back of the store.

 

A close-up of the "Bread & Rolls" wall lettering from the previous photo.

 

Floor tiling in the back right corner of the store. Notice how the replacement tiles create gaps in the actionway border tiling.

To the left is the start of...

 

...the famous Bauhaus "Word Train", taking up a good portion of the back wall! Sadly, the "Low Price" sales signs obscure parts of the "Train", and since those are scattered throughout the store, do the same to some of the other wall letters.

 

Two more glimpses of the "Train" as we move towards the left side of the store.

Dairy occupies the store's left wall, as well as some overflow into the center of the actionway.

 

Here we get a close-up of the "Dairy" lettering, complete with Kroger/Cincinnati Reds-co-branded bottled water at the bottom to remind us that we've definitely gone beyond Southeast Michigan to bring you this post!

Finding ourselves back at the front, we arrive at the "Deli & Bakery" counters.

 

As we near the end of our interior tour of this store, this floor is a reminder that the aisle layout isn't the same as it was when this store was last remodeled.

To wrap up our tour, here's the checkouts, whose lights are also not original to this store. Notice how the smaller than usual greenhouse results in a somewhat different atmosphere compared to full-sized greenhouse structures.

 

Satellite photos are next.

Kroger #729 - November 2020 (Google Earth)

 

Kroger #729 - September 2019 (Google Earth)
 

Kroger #729 - December 2016 - How about a snow-covered satellite photo? (Google Earth)

Kroger #729 - March 2005 (Google Earth)

 

Kroger #729 - March 1994 (Google Earth)

 

Kroger #729 - 1984 - The store has been expanded into its present configuration, and the remainder of Spinning Plaza has been built next to it. (Historic Aerials)

 

Kroger #729 - 1968 - The store's original size. (Historic Aerials)
 

And this is all we have for now. Even though this is a Southeast Michigan-centric blog, don't be surprised if a place that's beyond Southeast Michigan makes an occasional appearance on here! Until next time...