Tuesday OT: a business from your childhood that is extinct

[KnappShack]

Does Do-Biz cookies have a retail store now?

There was one in downtown Des Moines back in the day. A coworker would get the lady fired up every time we'd go.

"Is it two-for-one day?"

"No! Never two for one!!!"

 

[Dopey]

Damn. You guys have amazing memories

 

[NoCreativity]

Lazer X at merle hay mall

The guy who owned that place had a daughter with his ex-wife who lived right across the street from me back in the mid to late 90s. He'd always show up in his Ferrari convertible to pick her up.

Or maybe it was a Porsche, im not sure but he had an extremely expensive car, one you don't see everyday in Central Iowa.

 

[CycloneBob]

How about the Pipe Shop that was one the corner of Lincoln Way & Welch? There also was a Wally's Cigar Store on Lincoln Way just to the west.

 

[Die4Cy]

I

We rarely went downtown, mostly stuck to the hwy 20 west side area, so idr the dime store. The only one downtown I recall was a hobby shop, it was about the only place to get D&D stuff in the early 80s. It was on Central Ave, but idr the name.

Also, the Strand movie theater. That's where I saw Star Wars for the first time at like age 5, with my mom and her younger brother...

I remembered, it was called Walsh's, sort of a combination dollar general and hardware store. The basement was all cheap toys.

Where was the Strand? I remember going downtown to watch movies at the five flags theater (mostly that there were bats flying around constantly inside), the 8 screen multiplex, and then later the 6 screen one behind the mall. Also, the Highway 20 drive in that we went to one time because it was closing.

 

[Mead For My Horses]

Does Do-Biz cookies have a retail store now?

There was one in downtown Des Moines back in the day. A coworker would get the lady fired up every time we'd go.

"Is it two-for-one day?"

"No! Never two for one!!!"

Loved Do Biz! Especially the Campus Town store but would also hit the downtown Des Moines store when I worked downtown. Nice lady! Seems like there was a convenience store in Ames that sold the cookies not too long ago.

 

[JP4CY]

The guy who owned that place had a daughter with his ex-wife who lived right across the street from me back in the mid to late 90s. He'd always show up in his Ferrari convertible to pick her up.

Or maybe it was a Porsche, im not sure but he had an extremely expensive car, one you don't see everyday in Central Iowa.

Maybe it was Ferris Bueller dressed up as him?

 

[JP4CY]

Loved Do Biz! Especially the Campus Town store but would also hit the downtown Des Moines store when I worked downtown. Nice lady! Seems like there was a convenience store in Ames that sold the cookies not too long ago.

There was a Do Biz maybe where Jimmy Johns on Welch is now.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Bee Vee's hamburger stand / diner at 24th and Grand .. Ames Fruit and Grocery Store with the produce Mgr having a raised office to overlook the small produce department. His office was big enough for a stool and a slanted writing desk. But when he saw a small child he would step down and give out a tootsie roll to each child .. Green Pepper Pizza in campustown .. downtown JCP in Ames .. waldenbooks (?) In downtown ames. It had two aisles with a small book rack in the middle. Walk up one side and down the other. Dad would go there to get out of town newspapers .. Country Seat denim store at the mall .. Sports Page at the mall .. so many more .

What were the A frame gas stations along the early interstate? You still see some of the buildings with other businesses in then and most are really run down?

I worked at both county seat and sports page in high school- retail never again EVER!

 

[Cyfan1965]

1970's Arcade in North Grande Mall

 

[CloneFanInKC]

I loved Ultimate Electronic's newspaper ads.

I use to pull out the Best Buy and UE ads from the Sunday register.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Armstrong's department store, downtown CR. Did all of our back to school shopping there every year. Also Eby's Sporting Goods at Westdale Mall.

Oh man I forgot about Eby's.

 

[CapnCy]

There used to be a pet store in campustown, between Welch and Hayward behind Cy's Roost. There was a laundromat we used there as well, the plastic tokens could be tied to a string and pulled out after starting the machines for re-use.

The ARC....it was like a multilevel basement vibe, lol. It moved after that to West Ames where there was that hardware store

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Paul Revere’s Pizza in the Drake neighborhood
Ground Round on Merle Hay
The Rookie (sports cards)
Dave’s Ball Cards
Hollywood Video
Lazer X
Merle Hay Lanes (with the excessive indoor smoking)

The Rookie is still open, they just moved to a different location. They are now over by Play it Again on Swanson.

 

[JP4CY]

The ARC....it was like a multilevel basement vibe, lol. It moved after that to West Ames where there was that hardware store

Yeah Litzels. They made a fortune selling dorm loft kits.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Back in the early 80s, North Grand Mall had a Hardee's with a big plastic train in the middle where kids could sit and eat on. The engine, middle, and caboose each had its own booth style seats. The food sucked, but when you are 7 years old you really don't give a rip.

I will not stand for any bad mouthing of 80's and 90's Hardees food, it was far superior to all of the other fast food restaurants. Hardees was solid until the merged with Carl's Jr.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Bishops was great. IA owned with a few locations (Cedar Rapids had at least 2 at one time, also one in Merle Hay Mall).

Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City had a Bishop's. That was a BIG TIME treat when we were kids.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

11 pages in and nobody has mentioned Coast to Coast.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Hits me right in the feels with Eastbay but downtown Storm Lake had a sporting goods store call Sportsman's when I was growing up. That place seemed to have everything and they did a hell of a business.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Montgomery Ward - Always had lights burned out so it read "ONTGOMYWAD" Right by J4 rollaway https://www.facebook.com/groups/63454982785/