Loaf & Jug
Loaf & Jug were a small chain of corner grocery stores in Calgary Alberta. Little information is available on the firm (alternately called Loaf and Jug or sometimes Loaf ‘n’ Jug), but piecing bits and pieces together it seems that they were in business from the early 1970s to perhaps the late 1990s. They had numerous outlets across the city including this one, now a Chicken-on-the-Way (a Calgary institution, even if the L&J stores never quite obtained that status) in the community of Forest Lawn.
Other former Loaf & Jug stores still stand. This author knows of one in Ogden, another near Chinook Centre and one on 20th Ave NW. Perhaps there are more? Readers, chime in! All of the aforementioned are now being used by other businesses, but interestingly, including the one discussed here, still retain their unique vertical signage layout, including one on a tall square post set beside the building, formerly used by the stores yet carried over by the respective new owners. That was a company trademark of sorts I guess.
Presumably the firm died out due to competition from more powerful convenience store chains. Seven-Eleven and Macs come to mind. For some reason, even though the firm was around for a couple decades, and that they had many locations, few people, even long-time Calgarians, seem to remember them. Odd, it’s almost like they never existed and are just some forgotten blip in the town’s history.
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Date of adventure: June, 2016.
Location: Calgary, AB.
A former Loaf and Jug Store in Forest Lawn Calgary.
There was a Loaf n Jug on 14th street NW at about 3rd ave. Building is still there. I was about 4 years old the first time I went there which would have been 1982 or so. They had 3 arcade games and a pinball machine. Was a pretty popular hangout for all the kids in the area who went to Hilhurst Elementary as well as Queen Elizabeth Elementary, Junior and Senior Highschools. I knew the family that owned and operated this location very well. A Korean family. Wan, one of the owners would sing opera and use his nine iron to wing bottle caps across the store, sometimes at us kids while we played games. When I was about 5 or 6 I would walk down the alley to the store on my own to hang out. I would wander the aisles and pick different items asking how much are these? I think Wan took pity on me and had me do odd jobs around the store for a little spending money. As I got older and started to play pinball more he would chastise me for looking behind me anytime someone came into the store. He wanted me to be more focused. I have tons of memoeries from this place and likely learned many life lessons here.
This is awesome stuff! Pinball memories are the best. Thanks for sharing!
I spent many summer nights in this location playing Bubble Bobble. I had a few friends who were quite good at the game. (Speed bubble and shoe, anyone?) We’d smoke some “sticks” and some herb (if we could get it), and go harass Wan for some quarters. I remember the golf club too. What a trip down memory lane!
(Sorry for the delay in approving – we’re just recovering from a huge comment’s system crash.)
Bubble Bobble? Now there’s a flashback!
There’s a more modern one, mid 70’s, I’d say at around glenmore and Macleod, say 60th ave and 5th st sw(?). It’s been converted to a medical office, IIRC.
I know of a few, all still with the trademark post signs left behind (and in use by the current business).
There’s a good google street view from May 2009 of the Loaf and Jug, close to where I grew up near Chinook Center.
http://tinyurl.com/hknyfjk
Hard to say if it was already closed by then and the signage hadn’t changed, but it’s pretty cool to see it.
Oh that’s cool. I knew of the location but didn’t realize it was in business until that recently. I thought the company closed long before that. Thanks for commenting!
i don’t know this firm, because it’s small. 🙁
No worries, it wasn’t a big chain so not many knew of them. Thanks for commenting!
I moved to Calgary in September of 1990 and I have no memories of these. Of course, I had no car in those days so I didn’t get very far — if there was one between the U of C and Electric Avenue I might have had a chance of seeing one, otherwise… 🙂
There wasn’t a huge number of them compared to other chains. Had you walked from Electric Avenue to the University and say due to a few too many shooters earlier that night, got a little off track, say finding yourself on 20th Avenue a little north of Northill Mall, you might have seen one (or two if it was a REAL good night). I know there was one in the immediate area. Not sure if they were open for 3am post last-call munchies however.
14 St. and 20 Ave NW. Just east of the Husky service station. Stopped there more than once on the long walk from the H-Block to North Haven
Yes, I recall that one. I think the old post sign is still in use by whoever uses the building now.
There are some longtime residents of Forest Lawn in this Facebook group … “you grew up in Forest Lawn if you remember”
Perhaps one of the members of that group will have some information about when it was a L&J.
We’ll be sure to check the group out. Thanks for commenting!