Buying Groceries in Carrboro

Cliff’s Meat Market in Carrboro is the last in a series of local grocery merchants that have served the people of the area for several generations. Most of these merchants were locals who saw the opportunity to provide a service to their friends and neighbors and hopefully make a buck to support themselves and their families.

Cliff Collins bought the Hardee family grocery business in the mid-1970s. He had been working as a butcher in Andrews-Riggsbee Grocery, another locally-owned grocery across the street. Bill Hardee and his wife Helen had operated the small grocery that Talley Hardee and his family started in the 1920s. They even had a woodlot where they sold firewood because many families in Carrboro used it for heating their homes. Bill was getting on in years and needed for someone to take over the business. Cliff’s family has been in the Orange County area for many generations. He knew the importance of maintaining the traditions that go along with a local merchant by providing what his customers want and need. When you walk into his business, he most likely will greet you with a smile and a handshake. Cliff has changed with the times when he needed to but still retains the aura of the friendly local merchant just down the street.

As a kid growing up in Carrboro, I remember making grocery runs for my Mother, who didn’t drive, to some of the local merchants. The closest grocery to where we lived was the Thrifty Food Store, located on Jones Ferry Road where the PTA Thrift Shop now stands. This business was owned and operated by Ben Jones and “Foxy” Wilson. I don’t remember ever hearing “Foxy” called by his real name, whatever that was. I was trusted with a couple of dollars and a grocery list. I remember that in the 1950s it cost an extra nickel to have a fresh whole chicken cut into pieces so I was usually instructed to buy the chicken whole. My Mother would usually cut it into pieces when I got it home. Sometimes, though, I was told to have it cut up. This meant that there would be an extra piece, called the “pulley bone” that was cut from around the breast so we had a wishbone to share when that piece was eaten.

The Thrifty Food Store was also a destination for Carrboro Elementary school kids to visit as a class. We would walk the quarter-mile from the school on West Main to the store and be shown how a merchant went about his business and how he made a living. The photo below was taken in 1952 inside the Thrifty Food Store. It shows teacher Ethelene Studebaker with some of my first-grade classmates visiting the store.

Just up Main Street, across from today’s Fleet Feet office building, was the Carrboro Cash Store. This store operated from the early 20^th century until about 1960. This business was an old-timey general or dry goods store that also carried a few groceries and staples. In its early days, it was operated by the Jim Neal family. Its last proprietors were Clifton Partin and his son Wilbur who operated the store until it closed.

I especially remember visiting the E. T. Hearn Grocery on Main Street. The Armadillo Grill now occupies this building. Mr. Hearn and his family were close friends with my family. Mister Ernest always had crumbly old cheddar cheese in a wooden hoop that was a favorite of mine and my Dad’s. Whenever he would cut a wedge for sale, there were always a few “extra” crumbles that ended up on wax paper and handed to a little kid like me. I am sure that is where my love of strong-flavored cheese came from. I love it to this day.

Next door to the Hearn Grocery was Powers’ Grocery. This family had a daughter named Ann who was about my age. I don’t remember shopping there very often.

Further down the street was Luther Sturdevant’s grocery. His business was located where the Weaver Street Realty now sits. Mr. Strudevant’s store closed sometime in the early 1950s so I don’t remember it very well.

Even further down Main Street was L. D. Hearn Grocery. Tyler’s Taproom now sits in that location. I remember Mr. Lennie Hearn’s store mostly for his fish and seafood.  It seems that most everybody in town has fish for supper on Friday, even though there were few practicing Catholics. Mr. Hearn’s son Jimmy grew up working in the store and took over the business when his Dad could no longer do it. The grocery was closed when Jimmy retired.

Next door, on the corner of Main and Greensboro streets, was the Andrews-Riggsbee Grocery. These two families formed a business conglomerate that included groceries, a hardware store and a Ford tractor dealership. The hardware and tractor businesses were located on Greensboro Street, where the Open Eye Cafe now plies its coffee.

All but one of these nine local grocery stores has been replaced by “big box” chain stores. Cliff’s is now the only one of these family-owned businesses still carrying on the tradition of friendly service from a friend and neighbor. I sincerely hope that Cliff keeps the faith for many more years.