Anyone remember Lawson's?

**mtburb** · March-03-16, 10:51 PM

They had a number of locations in the Detroit area but most of them were concentrated in northern Ohio, where they especially had a huge following in Cleveland.

I remember at least three very well. There was one at Ford and Electric and one at Goddard and Lincoln, both in Wyandotte. There was also one at Pennsylvania and Quarry in Riverview. All three got rebranded into Dairy Mart in either 1985, 1986 or 1987 [[I know one on King Road, also in Riverview [[and now Nibo's Pizza), rebranded into Dairy Mart on June 25, 1987, according to one source, it continued operating as Dairy Mart until closing sometime within the first nine months of 1989). The Ford and Electric location closed in the late 90's and is now Tobacco and More Plus [[that Little Caesar's next door has been there since the Lawson's days), while the other two locations are still open today, albeit as Circle K outposts [[both became Circle K around 2002).

From research, it appears pretty much most of their business is now in Japan and the stores there looked neater than those three were even as Lawson's.

Anyone know of any other former Lawson's around Detroit?

**renf** · March-04-16, 08:36 AM

I grew up in Akron in the 1940s. There were numerous Lawson stores. The ice cream was
quite good.

**middetres** · March-04-16, 08:41 AM

There used to be a Lawson's in Clawson on Main Street a little less than a half mile south of 14 Mile:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5281...8i6656!6m1!1e1

It was where the Main Shoppe is. The pizza place next door used to be a Dino's Pizza which was a small-time chain around before the explosion of Domino's and Little Caesar's.

I'm thinking Lawson's closed in the very late 70s/early 80s. The name changed to something else, but not Dairy Mart or Circle K like some of the others.

Lawson's was our go-to place for milk and bread when we ran out before the next milkman delivery.

**Gannon** · March-04-16, 09:28 AM

Sure...they were everywhere, before 7/11 stormed in.

Their buildings were easy to spot, due the cement ramp for unloading semi-trucks in the front.

I vaguely remember one on Tireman near Hubbell...and I'm sure there was one on Warren Ave. on the near-east side by Alter or Chalmers, can't remember which. Probably the NE corner of Alter. I'll have to wander around googlemaps for a bit while the caffeine starts to kick in.

**Gannon** · March-04-16, 09:32 AM

Tireman @ Chase/Hubbell

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3509...7i13312!8i6656

It has been expanded, but you can see the original hand-rail for the ramp in the near-front corner.

**Gannon** · March-04-16, 09:36 AM

Closest I could find on E. Warren is at Chalmers, on the NW corner.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3957...7i13312!8i6656

ramp is around the corner

**Gannon** · March-04-16, 09:37 AM

Would be a fun mass-project, following up on the use of the Lawson's infrastructure. MikeM and a few others have old phone books...we could look 'em up like we did those Red Barns.

**oliverdouglas** · March-04-16, 11:04 AM

There was a Lawson's on Ann Arbor Trail and Perrin, btwn Merriman and Middlebelt. "Things" happened behind Lawson's.

**Beech Cricker** · March-04-16, 12:47 PM

mtburb, wasn't there another Lawson's in Riverview, along the east side of Fort Street just south of Longsdorf Street?

**jmpatrick** · March-04-16, 01:24 PM

There was a Lawson's on Harper in St. Clair Shores. Open Pantry, too.

**mtburb** · March-04-16, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by jmpatrick

There was a Lawson's on Harper in St. Clair Shores. Open Pantry, too.

There used to be an Open Pantry at Eureka and 20th in Wyandotte, it became EZ Stop Market in the early 1980's, still there today.

**catch22** · March-04-16, 03:04 PM

They were all over. Here's three off the top of my head:

Cherry Hill Road west of Newburgh in Westland: https://goo.gl/maps/x9hMaU88V182

Warren Road west of Venoy, also Westland [[left 2/3 of building, right end was an early Little Caesar's Pizza): https://goo.gl/maps/wdPScb7CTkS2

Ford Road east of Merriman, Garden City [[extensively remodeled): https://goo.gl/maps/A3GEfoTAi7y

**EastsideAl** · March-04-16, 10:32 PM

I remember Lawson's well. They were really the original convenience stores, as we would know them today. in and around Detroit. It seems to me that they were particularly prevalent on the west side and the western Wayne and downriver suburbs.

I remember, way back when, standing in front of the one on Fenkell in Brightmoor with some westside friends on a very cold winter evening trying to get someone to buy us some beers. Fortunately for our fingers, toes, and ears, it didn't take long.

In the '90s, after most of the Lawson's stores had disappeared around the Detroit area, I moved to Japan for a while and was highly amused to find that Lawson [[without the 's, but with the same color scheme and trademark milk bottle sign) was one of the biggest convenience store chains in that country.

**Smirnoff** · March-04-16, 10:34 PM

They were ALL over the SE Metro area.....

**sarge** · March-05-16, 05:22 PM

We had three in my neck of the woods back in the 70s. They may have even survived until the early 80s. One was at 9 mile and Republic in Oak Park.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4601...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Another was at Greenfield and Webster in Berkley. It appears that building is long gone.

The last one was at 12 mile and Kipling in Berkley. That building still stands...

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5031...8i6656!6m1!1e1

**Dave70** · March-05-16, 06:16 PM

There was one at the SW corner of Morang and Kelly. Used to go there for candy, comics and video games in the late 70s-early 80s. It was closer to my house than the 7-11 on Morang near Cadieux.

**Warrenite84** · March-05-16, 06:30 PM

There used to be one at Ryan and Chicago Rd. in Warren. The closest to it I've been to is United Dairy Farmers in Southern Ohio. Great shakes...

**Bobl** · March-05-16, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by jmpatrick

There was a Lawson's on Harper in St. Clair Shores. Open Pantry, too.

I worked at the one on Harper at 9 Mile Rd. There was another, north on Harper, maybe 12 Mile Rd, where the female clerk was attacked and stabbed numerous times.
I ate a lot of unhealthy "ham salad" sandwiches, made with the ends of all of the lunch meats, ground up and lathered with relish and mayo. Still standing, fifty years later!

**detroittrader** · March-06-16, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by sarge

We had three in my neck of the woods back in the 70s. They may have even survived until the early 80s. One was at 9 mile and Republic in Oak Park.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4601...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Another was at Greenfield and Webster in Berkley. It appears that building is long gone.

The last one was at 12 mile and Kipling in Berkley. That building still stands...

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5031...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Greenfield and Webster is Dairy Mart. Still there.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5104...8i6656!6m1!1e1

**Bigb23** · March-06-16, 10:18 AM

I remember something of a Oak Park delivery, Am I wrong?

**Downriviera** · March-06-16, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I remember Lawson's well. They were really the original convenience stores, as we would know them today. in and around Detroit. It seems to me that they were particularly prevalent on the west side and the western Wayne and downriver suburbs.

I remember, way back when, standing in front of the one on Fenkell in Brightmoor with some westside friends on a very cold winter evening trying to get someone to buy us some beers. Fortunately for our fingers, toes, and ears, it didn't take long.

In the '90s, after most of the Lawson's stores had disappeared around the Detroit area, I moved to Japan for a while and was highly amused to find that Lawson [[without the 's, but with the same color scheme and trademark milk bottle sign) was one of the biggest convenience store chains in that country.

I saw one in Shanghai, China when I was there last year. Angelina's Mexican restaurant in Allen Park was a Lawson back in the day.

**mtburb** · March-06-16, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by detroittrader

Greenfield and Webster is Dairy Mart. Still there.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5104...8i6656!6m1!1e1

There is another still-operating Dairy Mart on Ecorse in Allen Park, also a former Lawson's.

**jmpatrick** · March-07-16, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Bobl

I worked at the one on Harper at 9 Mile Rd. There was another, north on Harper, maybe 12 Mile Rd, where the female clerk was attacked and stabbed numerous times.

I bought a metric ton of baseball cards at the Harper/12 Mile Rd. Lawson's back in the early 70's. My other stops were Open Pantry and Frederick's on the corner of the Bon Heur and Harper. Mom would send me there for cigarettes with a note pinned to my shirt.

**jmpatrick** · March-07-16, 07:54 AM

The other chain not mention that I remember was Quick Pick.

**mkhopper** · March-07-16, 02:50 PM

Redford had two Lawsons that I can recall.
One at Six Mile and Beech Daly and the other at 7 Mile and Dalby [[between Beech Daly and Grand River)

The Six Mile location became a Dairy Mart some time in the late 80s/early 90s and then later became just another generic liquor store. I don't remember the Seven Mile location being anything other than a plain liquor store after Lawsons left, which it still is today.