Kessel Food Market
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kessel | |
 |
|
| Type | grocery store |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Saginaw, Michigan, United States |
| Key people | Al Kessel - founder |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Bakery, beer, dairy, deli (select locations), frozen foods, general merchandise, liquor, meat, pharmacy (select locations), pizza (select locations), produce, seafood |
| Slogan | "Because at Kessel, we're with you." |
Kessel Food Market was a grocery store chain based in Saginaw, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Al Kessel in 1981. The first store was opened in Saginaw and it later grew to 20 locations throughout the Tri-Cities area of Michigan, as well as Flint. Kessel Food Markets, Inc. was run by the Kessel family until it was purchased by the Kroger Co. in 1999.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Kessel was well-known in the Tri-Cities for a series of television commercials hosted by founder Al Kessel. In the ads, Kessel would walk down the aisles of one of his stores picking up food items, reading off the prices to the camera, and then tossing the food off-screen. Each ad would end with Kessel telling the viewer: "Because at Kessel, we're with you."
By 2006, all Kessel stores were converted to Kroger. Ironically, many of the former locations in Flint had been converted from Kroger to Kessel in the 1990s.
[edit] Former locations
- Bay City - 945 N. Euclid (converted from Giantway in 1992, now Kroger)
- Burton
- 1135 N. Belsay Rd. (now Kroger)
- 1200 E. Bristol (now Kroger)
- Davison - 817 S. State St. (originally Hamady, later Kessel, then Kroger; closed November 2005 when new Kroger opened downtown. Now partially occupied by Dollar General)
- Fenton - 1236 N. Leroy St. (demolished for Dollar General and other shops)
- Flint
- 2918 Flushing Rd. (now Save-a-Lot)
- 1916 Davison Rd. (now Kroger)
- 3838 Richfield Rd. (now Kroger)
- 4841 Clio Rd. (originally Yankee Department Store, later Hills, then Kessel, now Kroger)
- G-3288 Corunna Rd. (converted from Kroger in 1990s; has been reverted to Kroger)
- G-5429 Corunna Rd. (now Kroger)
- G-5186 Fenton Rd. (converted from 23 Market in 1990s, now Kroger)
- Flushing - 1542 E. Pierson Rd. (now Kroger)
- Grand Blanc - 12731 S. Saginaw St. (converted from Kroger in 1990s; has been reverted to Kroger)
- Mt. Morris - G-7188 N. Saginaw St. (now Kroger)
- Saginaw
- Fort Saginaw Mall (converted from Giantway in 1992, now Save-a-Lot)
- 5025 Gratiot Rd. (now Kroger)
- 5700 State St. (now Kroger)
- 3430 State St. (now Kroger)
- Swartz Creek - 9098 Miller Rd. (now Save-a-Lot)
