I used to absolutely love picking out candy at Woolworth’s when I was kid. There was something different and special about that store. It even smelled different inside than other stores, like, and old wood floor comforting smell or at least the one I went to always did. This was the mid 80’s and I was really little, I always wished I could remember more of what it looked like but these videos really help! Thank you for this, sir. Excellent work.
This isn't quite the actual experience of the Woolworth's Lunch Counter. It is similar but I don't remember them having burgers and fries. I remember sandwiches - both sliced meat and the "salad" type sandwiches (egg, chicken, tuna..) - as well as coffee, hot chocolate, fountain drinks, and desserts like apple pie and ice cream.
When I was very little in the 1970s my Mom would take me to eat at Woolworth's. I'd always get a hot dog and a grape drink. I remember the drink was served in a cone shaped paper cup that was held up with a metal holder with a small handle on it. This fascinated me for some reason. I think the last time I was in a Woolworth's was in the mid 1980s, when I was a teen. I miss it to this day.
My dad would always take my sister and I to Woolworth’s back in the 60’s. We went a lot. Always went to the lunch counter. My favorite was the hot chocolate with the whipped cream and they gave you two little cookies with it. So good. Love those memories.
@@pumasgoya traditionally, yes. It's a Spanish, Portuguese, Jewish, Swiss, Italian & maltese surname. I guess I am just lucky to have it as a first name. Thanks for caring! 🤗
@@TheeJavv that’s funny because being Hispanic, I’ve always know Miranda to be a first name lol. Then I met people with it as a last name and was confused 😂
@@janlovesmany6058 You're totally and completely wrong!! The diner is just as it was 50+ years ago, I know because I live in Bakersfield California and have been going to this luncheonette since I can remember being a 5 year old child. My parents use to eat here when they were teenagers and they said that it looks the same as it does now. Have you even eaten here to be making lame comments??
I remember going to Woolworth with my Mom. After shopping we always ending our shopping trips with a sundae at the lunch counter. They had balloons at the counter that you would chose to pop and a piece of paper was inside with the price of how much money you would have to pay for your sundae. One time I actually choose a ballon that said one penny inside, so I paid one penny for a delicious sundae. Woolworth was the best, fond memories. It was so much fun to shop there. Thanks for the great memories!
I truely miss The Woolworths here in NYC. The food at the diner was great and the bargains on retail items couldn't be beat. Really wish the remaining family members would revive the chain of stores.
My father drove for McDonald's brothers trucking company green Ford cabs 48' trailers said Woolworth's on the side do you remember best 🍟 fries and a hot dog 🌭 yummy man I miss those days & my parents
I'm 40 now and still remember my mother and me taking public transit from our city up into Atlanta so we could shop in Woolworth. It was always an adventure! I'm glad an antique's dealer got to this store before a modern chain or just someone who would have changed the aesthetic did. What a cool place to visit.
@@williamhayes834 Five Points on Broad St. Not far from the marta station I think there was a Kessler's near by as well and one store still has the Buster Brown neon sign up, but the neon is gone...Its all independent non-chain stores now. Nothing to travel out for but it used to be nice.
My grandfather was the manager there and my grandma worked next doors at Brock's.... I spend many a time at the lunch counter and anywhere else I wanted to be in the store, I knew to behave and not touch, after all my Papa managed it!! Haven't been able to go in since I was kid, and it was closed and then reopened it feels to emotional to go in since my Papa is gone now seems like it might feel empty even with all the stuff in it. However I really want to go that lunch counter one more time!!! Maybe soon I will.. loved it when I was little and was so happy there!! Just so thrilled it's well loved and taken care!!
First ate there when I was 7. Last time I ate there I was 70. Also remember Newberry's Department store and diner a couple of blocks to the West. Bakersfield Woolworth is a cool place to step back in time. Great job
Oh my gosh NEWBERRYS...did all my shopping there in the 60's. Would buy gifts for my mother there for mere pennies and they were good made in the USA!!
Oh yeah, Newberry's and Lerner's department stores, I sure do remember them! They were next door to each other in the Northgate Shopping Mall here in Seattle Washington, mom took grandma and I to do our Christmas shopping there (I was just little maybe around 6 or so), and grandma had just bought my mom and my 2 aunts some sweaters with her "charge-a-plate", and we turned around to leave the high cashier counter that they had), and grandma bent down to pick up her package and it was gone, someone had just stolen those sweaters! So, my mom and my 2 aunts didn't get anything for Christmas that year.
You are walking through my childhood. I can still smell the wood and feel the lunch counter under my fingers. The bana splits were outstanding and we could wander for hours just going in to buy safety pins.
I had no idea this had been restored. I used to take care of the HVAC there until they closed in the early 90’s. I worked for York as did my father and grandfather. All 3 generations of us worked there since the 50’s as the equipment in the Air Conditioning room was York. When you walked up to the second floor it brought back a lot of memories. It sounds like the original refrigeration compressor is still operational. I have to get down there to check it out and have some lunch! Thanks so much for this vid!
@Charlie Messenger Wow. That's amazing you found this video of the place re-opened, could you come back and give us your impressions of the place today compared to when you worked on the HVAC? Thanks!
I sure wish that they would bring back all of those GREAT stores that we used to have and their prices! You could buy a real nice boxed candy dish for a wedding gift for .79, this was at Wigwam, another awesome store was Grants, FANTASTIC prices as well, I also LOVED Meredith's 5 &10 and Ben Franklin 5 & 10 as well as Woolworth's!! But, I guess those stores and days are long gone!! 😢
I live in Bakersfield so I remember going to this Woolworth when I was a kid. I loved when we ate there at the luncheon counter. They had such good hamburgers. That was about fifty years ago. Good ole days.
Sound good .i remember the Woolworth we went to in laurel md and Baltimore County. I remember the cafe.and how the stores where inside .i say the seventy where great
Way way back to the 50's...the smells of a turkey plate with mash, brown gravy, beans at the lunch counter permeated the store; the green malt blenders whirring; the swivel chairs. Those were the days. Thanks for the walk into a humbled past. Will definitely make a days trip up from LA. Maybe take the Greyhound!!
This was amazing...My memories of Woolworth's are of the one in Seattle. I remember going to the lunch counter with my Grandma and getting to pick treats from the revolving dessert cabinet.
WOW, I live in Bakersfield and used to go there all the time when I was in High School. I think it's time for another visit, as I haven't been in a while. Love going here, you can get lost for hours on end!
I work near downtown Bakersfield and eat here on a regular basis. The burgers are really good (ask for “cowboy style”). Those are legit fallout rations from when that building was a designated fallout shelter. They are not for sale.
It would be nice if someone would buy the rights to the Woolworth's name and open the stores up again but with the decline of JC Penney, Sears and Kmart, I doubt that will ever happen.
@John Becker There definitely is a market for these types of stores, but greed is so strong in the USA that all anyone cares about anymore in the USA is the last red cent of shareholder return, it wasn't that way up until the 1970s.
Problem is the Woolworths company still exists. They renamed themselves as Foot Locker in 1997. Recently Foot Locker reregistered the Woolworths trademark
@@PuntaPacifica507 War Dog isn't "kidding" about buying an alligator there. My best friend bought a Pirana at Woolworths in Louisville, Kentucky. I think it was the Summer of 1965 or 1966. I was with him. He wanted a baby alligator...BUT...his mom said HELL NO!!!! :-)) Kind regards, Ben
Wow when I was in hair school in St Petersburg Florida. There was a Woolworths right next door to us. I went there every single day for lunch at the lunch counter. It was one of the most amazing times in my life. I love this video. The smell when you would walk into a Woolworths was amazing.
My last Woolworth purchase was a TV stand from the Berkshire Mall (Wyomissing, PA) location during liquidation in '97. I still use it, too. It was great you could get a "behind the scenes" look at that place, Ace.
Omg..this store brought back memories and tears..I remember going there as a little boy..o how I wish these stores are still around here..it bring so much sadness that times have changed so much..the current stores are so sterile and cold..loyal employees are definately gone...best of health to the elderly who remembers this..
We used to shop at Woolworths in downtown Miami circa mid 1970's. When that front door open you'd get a blast of cold air with the aroma of fried chicken. I remember there always being many women and children shopping and going about their business. I'm 50 now and those days are gone. Thank heavens for our memories. Thanks for sharing this.
Wonderful. My mother worked for Woolworth, in Southgate, Michigan,from 1958 through 1961. My mother worked the lunch counter. At the time it was a good company to work for.
The last time I shopped at Woolworth's was back in '80's when I was a kid at the Southgate Mall (no longer exists). I remember getting a few goldfish there and my big wheel. Next to the store was the luncheonette and we ate there too.
Thank you this wonderful trip takes me back to my youth. My aunt would treat me to a turkey club sandwich and vegetable soup at the lunch counter. One of my favorite childhood memories.
Steve S - I remember always longing for a club sandwich, but my Dad’s budget only ever allowed me a grilled cheese or hot dog. This was in the 50s-60s.🙂
We used to have a Wolco in North Haven CT in the 80s and it had a restaurant called The Red Grille in the back of the store.. This video took me back 40yrs to my childhood.. Thanks Again My Friend.. The last vid I watched of yours took me back to The Playboy Club and now Woolworths.. Unreal. Thank You
Actually this isn't the only Woolworth's that's still around. There's one in Asheville, NC. It has also been repurposed into an antique mall/gallery. It's luncheonette counter was restored in the early 2000s and you can still grab soda fountain "eats" there.
Back in the 1990's my husband and I vacationed on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, and we found a Woolworth's, we were shocked and very happy! We were looking to buy some souvenirs, cause we were leaving the next day to come home, and we just got inside and looked around then the closing announcement came on saying that they were closing, so we had to grab some souvenirs quickly and head to the cashier.
I absolutely loved shopping with my mom at a Woolworths and dining at the lunch counter. They used to have these little juke boxes on the counter and you could put a quarter in and hear three songs.
Awww I miss Woolworth, there was one a block away from my house growing up. We would go there all the time. My friends and I (teenagers in the late 70’s) would look at makeup and hair products, it was awesome. And the kitchen made THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE.
This place is amazing. Too cool and awesome. I wish it was near Chicago. The luncheonette is beautiful. I loved the video. Thanks for such a nice tour of the store.
Our little town in Kansas had a Woolwoth as well growing up. My sister and I would race up there every Saturday morning to buy a 45 record and then go to the drugstore counter for a shake. We loved It. Such good times and memories
I love this place!!! I live in bakersfield and have been coming here for years. I love the huge antique mall and the burgers at the lunch counter are in my opinion the best local burgers in town.
Hi. Thanks SO much for the trip back in time. My Mom and I would walk up the avenue here in NE Philly, on Saturday to go shop and eat lunch at good ole Woolworths. It was always a special day. It was in the 60's and 70's. There was a great toy dept, pet dept was kool too. Always a loose parakeet flying around. DONT TOUCH THE TURTLES, the old lady employee would say.... At the food counter, you would get your grilled cheese,with pickle spear, or a grilled hot dog. For dessert, it was a big ball of ice cream with thick hot fudge, or the best of all, you would pick a colored balloon from the above counter close line...the counter lady stuck it with a big hat pin....whatever price was seen on a small folded piece of white paper, was your cost of the banana split....the most you could pay was 69 cents..!!! Y E S. It was magical. You thought you were in another world in Woolworths. The nostalgic memories pull at my heart strings....R I P Mom.....TY for all your care, and treating me sooo well......🙏❤❤❤❤❤❤
I grew up in San Jose, CA, in the 50s, and eating at the "Woolworth" fountain was always such a big treat to me. Loved the club sandwiches with the chips in the middle. Just watching the toasters make toast was fascinating to me as a kid. Great memories !
And also 7up in a bottle, wow, that's a blast from the past!! Does anyone remember Tab soda and Green River soda? I hear that Tab is being discontinued. Does anyone remember Green River soda? That was my FAVORITE, Green River soda was so refreshing anytime, but, boy oh boy, those hot summer days and an ice cold Green River soda was so awesome together!
@@williamhayes834 Well, Green River soda came in a green bottle, in a 6 pack at our local Safeway grocery store and it was kind of expensive, but, it was a treat, a very special treat! The taste was delicious, a fuller and more bold flavor than 7up, I don't know what else that I could describe it to, it was really good, I hope this kind of answers your question. Google Green River soda just to see what comes up, you might get some more information, just saying, good luck my friend! 😆 😉 😄
YES YES!!! many memories I remember the layout of the department’s back in the 60ths since I was born here in Bakersfield, came to buy my paper dolls then came to buy my make-up then came to buy for my home 😢😫😢
Paper Dolls, oh how I remember playing with my paper dolls, changing their outfits was so much fun! I really feel sorry for girls these days, they'll never know how much fun you can have with paper dolls!
I’m so happy that you have shared this video with your subscribers! I remember shopping here with my mom when I was a child. Great memories! Thank you!
The Stairs! They were marble with steel strips on the edge. I would sit and straighten my legs, lift my heels and slide down the stairs to the bottom. I Loved Woolworths!!!
Instantly stepped back in time by walking in. Everything is preserved and kept the very vintage aesthetics. Only way to know it's 2020 when capturing is seeing people wearing face coverings or looking at smartphones. Hardy see this because it's either demolished or updated where the vintage aesthetics are altered.
Wow I now have memories from childhood that came back. I remember the lemonade and trying to go up and down those big steps. Mom would promise to get me something to eat and drink if I was patient will she shopped.
Which Woolworth's was that Bryan? I know that the Woolworth's store in Aurora Village in Seattle Washington (gone now), had ceiling fans, I'm not sure about the Northgate Shopping Mall Woolworth's.
This makes me so sad.... I'm miss the good old days. What a gem! The handrails! Omg! And that employee door. I could go on and on. Thanks for sharing some good memories from my childhood. 👍
Cool. Added to my list of stops for whenever we get around to my dream trip of driving the Route. I only regret that you did not put a quarter in that chicken gumball-machine thing, lol. Also, as a former manager of a department store, just thinking about doing inventory at this place gives me PTSD by proxy! Cool cool spot, thanks for sharing!
Here's the menu. Not 1960s prices. My aunt used to take me to Woolworths. I remember it was the first time I saw German Chocolate Cake! www.zmenu.com/woolworth-diner-bakersfield-online-menu/
@@winddmmy Nope. It was always a grilled cheese and a vanilla frappe til I discovered German Chocolate Cake but when my aunt was taking me to Woolworth's I was 3!
Oh my.. what memories.. 1968-73 Pembroke Mall Va Beach. Woolworths there had this awesome hotdog that as a kid I thought were the best and so different from any other with buttery toasted buns. The buns were toasted to order as well. I learned decades later via the internet that they used New England-style buns. Thank you for your work with this video.
I ate there as a kid, it smells good near the diner, vintage buildings stand the test of time, the feeling in there is grand every time I go there It's nostalgic 💓
I'm 67. Lived on both coasts of US and several places in between. Always looked for Woolsworth as my go to five and dime. Last time i was in a Woolworth was in 1983. It was and always will be the best store I ever shopped in for many reasons. And the lunch counter will always hold a special place in the hearts of anyone lucky enough to eat at one. This one in Bakersfield is amazing. Those Civil defense rations were dated 1964. Saw an old school desk too.. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Yes there are 3 of the Cafes still left in Mexico. There are several Woolworth stores in Mexico but nothing like we had here in the USA. I have personally been to 2 Woolworth locations in Mexico. The stores are way different these days and have a big focus on apparel. I would say close to 75% of the stores is apparel and the remaining part of the store has a variety of departments including electronics, housewares, toys, sporting goods, health and beauty, candy, and seasonal items. Some locations have the original old school exteriors, but the interior of the stores is modern.
I remember having lunch at the local Woolworths here in Tampico, Mexico in the late 90's, the luncheonette remained in the store probably until the early 2000's, and even when it disappeared, the store continued for a few years, but it closed around four or five years ago.
I remember having lunch at the local Woolworths here in Tampico, Mexico in the late 90's, the luncheonette remained in the store probably until the early 2000's, and even when it disappeared, the store continued for a few years, but it closed around four or five years ago.
I used to absolutely love picking out candy at Woolworth’s when I was kid. There was something different and special about that store. It even smelled different inside than other stores, like, and old wood floor comforting smell or at least the one I went to always did. This was the mid 80’s and I was really little, I always wished I could remember more of what it looked like but these videos really help! Thank you for this, sir. Excellent work.
I'm an Australian learning about the history of America and this is absolutely amazing seeing a bit of American history still in existence.
Please came to Fresno international
Sitting and having lunch in a department store. There was nothing like it!
This isn't quite the actual experience of the Woolworth's Lunch Counter. It is similar but I don't remember them having burgers and fries. I remember sandwiches - both sliced meat and the "salad" type sandwiches (egg, chicken, tuna..) - as well as coffee, hot chocolate, fountain drinks, and desserts like apple pie and ice cream.
@@bncsmom1 Oh my. You're gonna complain about burgers and fries?
When I was very little in the 1970s my Mom would take me to eat at Woolworth's. I'd always get a hot dog and a grape drink. I remember the drink was served in a cone shaped paper cup that was held up with a metal holder with a small handle on it. This fascinated me for some reason. I think the last time I was in a Woolworth's was in the mid 1980s, when I was a teen. I miss it to this day.
I remember those paper cups in the metal containers!
My dad would always take my sister and I to Woolworth’s back in the 60’s. We went a lot. Always went to the lunch counter. My favorite was the hot chocolate with the whipped cream and they gave you two little cookies with it. So good. Love those memories.
The owners were so kind to let you tour the whole place
@97RAVINEAVE yes hopefully. this place is so historic
Way to represent Bakersfield! I love this gem!
Miranda Javner yeah some areas in there feel creepy great setting for a scary movie
@@foff2246 I definitely agree! Or Kernville, their antique shops.
Miranda is a last name.
@@pumasgoya traditionally, yes. It's a Spanish, Portuguese, Jewish, Swiss, Italian & maltese surname. I guess I am just lucky to have it as a first name. Thanks for caring! 🤗
@@TheeJavv that’s funny because being Hispanic, I’ve always know Miranda to be a first name lol. Then I met people with it as a last name and was confused 😂
That was neat, they've turned it into a cool antique store while still keeping the memory of Woolsworth's alive!
I don't like antiques but, I LOVED Woolworth's, Grants, Wigwam, Ben Franklin 5 & 10, Meredith's 5&10 !!
All their doing is keeping the old sign out front going is all... thoroughly disappointed in this come-on video...click bait!!
@@janlovesmany6058 You're totally and completely wrong!! The diner is just as it was 50+ years ago, I know because I live in Bakersfield California and have been going to this luncheonette since I can remember being a 5 year old child. My parents use to eat here when they were teenagers and they said that it looks the same as it does now. Have you even eaten here to be making lame comments??
I remember going to Woolworth with my Mom. After shopping we always ending our shopping trips with a sundae at the lunch counter. They had balloons at the counter that you would chose to pop and a piece of paper was inside with the price of how much money you would have to pay for your sundae. One time I actually choose a ballon that said one penny inside, so I paid one penny for a delicious sundae. Woolworth was the best, fond memories. It was so much fun to shop there. Thanks for the great memories!
I truely miss The Woolworths here in NYC. The food at the diner was great and the bargains on retail items couldn't be beat. Really wish the remaining family members would revive the chain of stores.
My father drove for McDonald's brothers trucking company green Ford cabs 48' trailers said Woolworth's on the side do you remember best 🍟 fries and a hot dog 🌭 yummy man I miss those days & my parents
I'm 40 now and still remember my mother and me taking public transit from our city up into Atlanta so we could shop in Woolworth. It was always an adventure! I'm glad an antique's dealer got to this store before a modern chain or just someone who would have changed the aesthetic did. What a cool place to visit.
what part of atlanta? i used to go to the one in mableton ga.
@@williamhayes834 Five Points on Broad St. Not far from the marta station I think there was a Kessler's near by as well and one store still has the Buster Brown neon sign up, but the neon is gone...Its all independent non-chain stores now. Nothing to travel out for but it used to be nice.
@@recycledreanee9322 thank you
My grandfather was the manager there and my grandma worked next doors at Brock's.... I spend many a time at the lunch counter and anywhere else I wanted to be in the store, I knew to behave and not touch, after all my Papa managed it!! Haven't been able to go in since I was kid, and it was closed and then reopened it feels to emotional to go in since my Papa is gone now seems like it might feel empty even with all the stuff in it. However I really want to go that lunch counter one more time!!! Maybe soon I will.. loved it when I was little and was so happy there!! Just so thrilled it's well loved and taken care!!
I would go to this very store with my grandparents in the 80s. Moved out of Bakersfield 16 years ago. Didn't know they reopened this place
First ate there when I was 7. Last time I ate there I was 70. Also remember Newberry's Department store and diner a couple of blocks to the West. Bakersfield Woolworth is a cool place to step back in time. Great job
Haha
Yes on So. H
I loved going there with my mom in the 80s 😂
Oh my gosh NEWBERRYS...did all my shopping there in the 60's. Would buy gifts for my mother there for mere pennies and they were good made in the USA!!
Oh yeah, Newberry's and Lerner's department stores, I sure do remember them! They were next door to each other in the Northgate Shopping Mall here in Seattle Washington, mom took grandma and I to do our Christmas shopping there (I was just little maybe around 6 or so), and grandma had just bought my mom and my 2 aunts some sweaters with her "charge-a-plate", and we turned around to leave the high cashier counter that they had), and grandma bent down to pick up her package and it was gone, someone had just stolen those sweaters! So, my mom and my 2 aunts didn't get anything for Christmas that year.
I remember newberrys too
@@didibolter9362 Unfortunately, it seems Seattle hasn't changed much since then.
Respectfully, Ben
You are walking through my childhood. I can still smell the wood and feel the lunch counter under my fingers. The bana splits were outstanding and we could wander for hours just going in to buy safety pins.
This is absolutely amazing. I love how it has remained a time capsule.
All I can say is WOW! Preserved and not hacked to pieces.
when i was a wee lad, my mom worked for Woolwoth's... use to eat in the Harvest House all the time... food was great...
I love that architecture, especially the facade, rails and the stairs. The diner is amazing!
I remember the Woolworth diners when I was a little kid. They had the best hot dogs in the world, as I recall...
I had no idea this had been restored. I used to take care of the HVAC there until they closed in the early 90’s. I worked for York as did my father and grandfather. All 3 generations of us worked there since the 50’s as the equipment in the Air Conditioning room was York. When you walked up to the second floor it brought back a lot of memories. It sounds like the original refrigeration compressor is still operational. I have to get down there to check it out and have some lunch! Thanks so much for this vid!
@Charlie Messenger
Wow. That's amazing you found this video of the place re-opened, could you come back and give us your impressions of the place today compared to when you worked on the HVAC? Thanks!
I would love to some time. I’m up in Clovis. I’ll have to make some time on a Mon (my day off).
This is absolutely amazing. I wish there was something like this on the east coast. I miss Woolworth so much. Outstanding job Anthony. Thank you.
I sure wish that they would bring back all of those GREAT stores that we used to have and their prices! You could buy a real nice boxed candy dish for a wedding gift for .79, this was at Wigwam, another awesome store was Grants, FANTASTIC prices as well, I also LOVED Meredith's 5 &10 and Ben Franklin 5 & 10 as well as Woolworth's!! But, I guess those stores and days are long gone!! 😢
@@fgt2078 Yes, I truly and sadly agree with you.
@@fgt2078 nowadays stores like this now is being vandalized... very sad the old days are truly gone
Mhm would love to come on down there and go shop there
Maybe like in Greensboro, NC? Then it could commemorate some real history!
I live in Bakersfield so I remember going to this Woolworth when I was a kid. I loved when we ate there at the luncheon counter. They had such good hamburgers. That was about fifty years ago. Good ole days.
I am from Bakersfield too. I would go here with my grandparents in the 80s.
50 years indeed!!😷
Sound good .i remember the Woolworth we went to in laurel md and Baltimore County. I remember the cafe.and how the stores where inside .i say the seventy where great
Is it still opened as an antique store?
@@suzannelawson9215 I guess it's still. Open never bern
Way way back to the 50's...the smells of a turkey plate with mash, brown gravy, beans at the lunch counter permeated the store; the green malt blenders whirring; the swivel chairs. Those were the days. Thanks for the walk into a humbled past. Will definitely make a days trip up from LA. Maybe take the Greyhound!!
Wow I forgot all about this being in Bakersfield I remember going there as a little kid with my mom thanks for the nostalgia
This was amazing...My memories of Woolworth's are of the one in Seattle. I remember going to the lunch counter with my Grandma and getting to pick treats from the revolving dessert cabinet.
I remember the one in Bremerton 😊
WOW, I live in Bakersfield and used to go there all the time when I was in High School. I think it's time for another visit, as I haven't been in a while. Love going here, you can get lost for hours on end!
Lucky you.
I remember going to Woolworth's and TG&Y with my Mama and Auntie when I was a kid, thanks for churning up some fond memories!
I work near downtown Bakersfield and eat here on a regular basis. The burgers are really good (ask for “cowboy style”).
Those are legit fallout rations from when that building was a designated fallout shelter. They are not for sale.
It’s not a museum. It’s now an antique store.
And will probably last another 50 years!!
It would be nice if someone would buy the rights to the Woolworth's name and open the stores up again but with the decline of JC Penney, Sears and Kmart, I doubt that will ever happen.
I believe Australia has done that but they aren't the same type of store.
sadiejosiemom This true. Woolworth’s in Aus is basically a grocery store, however (like Kroger, Harris Teeter etc.).
Yes...that should also apply to the stores name out front as well!!
@John Becker
There definitely is a market for these types of stores, but greed is so strong in the USA that all anyone cares about anymore in the USA is the last red cent of shareholder return, it wasn't that way up until the 1970s.
Problem is the Woolworths company still exists. They renamed themselves as Foot Locker in 1997. Recently Foot Locker reregistered the Woolworths trademark
My dad bought an alligator at the store, back in the 50’s. You could buy anything there. I go there once a month and have a burger. Best in town
And they used to sell baby turtles, too...complete with their little pens.
You’re kidding right.?
@@PuntaPacifica507 War Dog isn't "kidding" about buying an alligator there.
My best friend bought a Pirana at Woolworths in Louisville, Kentucky.
I think it was the Summer of 1965 or 1966. I was with him.
He wanted a baby alligator...BUT...his mom said HELL NO!!!! :-))
Kind regards, Ben
Best burgers for sure
I can remember having a soda there with my Mom in the mid 1950's!! :)
THIS WOOLWORTHS MUST NEVER CLOSE AND ALWAYS REMAIN OPEN NO MATTER WHAT, THE CITY CAN EASILY DO THIS BY NAMING IT A HISTORICAL BUILDING AND BUSINESS.
Only cosmetic. It's not even close to a Woolworth's department store.
Wow when I was in hair school in St Petersburg Florida. There was a Woolworths right next door to us. I went there every single day for lunch at the lunch counter. It was one of the most amazing times in my life. I love this video. The smell when you would walk into a Woolworths was amazing.
I'm from Bakersfield and I remember this place! What a blast from the past!
My last Woolworth purchase was a TV stand from the Berkshire Mall (Wyomissing, PA) location during liquidation in '97. I still use it, too. It was great you could get a "behind the scenes" look at that place, Ace.
It's ashame what has happened to Berkshire. Really went downhill fast.
Woolworth was in the current Boscovs right?
@@QuinnDickinson2610 IIRC, Woolworth was between the current Boscov's and the former Bon Ton.
Omg..this store brought back memories and tears..I remember going there as a little boy..o how I wish these stores are still around here..it bring so much sadness that times have changed so much..the current stores are so sterile and cold..loyal employees are definately gone...best of health to the elderly who remembers this..
A retail gem indeed, it's like I struck gold while watching this, love the '50s style diner too :)
I bet most of the 50s Diner is original..
We used to shop at Woolworths in downtown Miami circa mid 1970's. When that front door open you'd get a blast of cold air with the aroma of fried chicken. I remember there always being many women and children shopping and going about their business. I'm 50 now and those days are gone. Thank heavens for our memories. Thanks for sharing this.
Wonderful. My mother worked for Woolworth, in Southgate, Michigan,from 1958 through 1961. My mother worked the lunch counter. At the time it was a good company to work for.
I’d go here during high school at lunch it’s pretty good
Haven’t gone since the whole pandemic but still nice to visit now and then
The last time I shopped at Woolworth's was back in '80's when I was a kid at the Southgate Mall (no longer exists). I remember getting a few goldfish there and my big wheel. Next to the store was the luncheonette and we ate there too.
Assuming you're a Michigander like myself. :) Our local Woolworth was at Oakland Mall.
@@crawford586 Nope, I am your neighbor to west of you across the lake. :)
@@genxerkim5073 Ah ok. We have a defunct Southgate Mall here in SE Michigan as well. My best to you in the Badger State.
@@crawford586 That's cool. Thank you! Wishing you the best as well.
I suppose you people in the United States nowadays have Walmart & Target
Thank you this wonderful trip takes me back to my youth. My aunt would treat me to a turkey club sandwich and vegetable soup at the lunch counter. One of my favorite childhood memories.
Steve S - I remember always longing for a club sandwich, but my Dad’s budget only ever allowed me a grilled cheese or hot dog. This was in the 50s-60s.🙂
We used to have a Wolco in North Haven CT in the 80s and it had a restaurant called The Red Grille in the back of the store.. This video took me back 40yrs to my childhood.. Thanks Again My Friend.. The last vid I watched of yours took me back to The Playboy Club and now Woolworths.. Unreal. Thank You
Actually this isn't the only Woolworth's that's still around. There's one in Asheville, NC. It has also been repurposed into an antique mall/gallery. It's luncheonette counter was restored in the early 2000s and you can still grab soda fountain "eats" there.
Back in the 1990's my husband and I vacationed on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, and we found a Woolworth's, we were shocked and very happy! We were looking to buy some souvenirs, cause we were leaving the next day to come home, and we just got inside and looked around then the closing announcement came on saying that they were closing, so we had to grab some souvenirs quickly and head to the cashier.
I visited the one in the Nashville, Tenn. "gulch" area 2 years ago.
Do they have food
@@johnnyyuma3878 They do indeed 🍽️
What's the name of the repurposed woolworth's?
When Woolworth closed down, Kmart basically took its place. Now Kmart is on the verge of disappearing as well. 😞
There are less than 40 remaining Kmart stores.
Didn't know there were any K-Marts left.
No Kmart in Bakersfield. All gone.
They already disappeared from my area at least 20 years ago or more...
@@GinaBush-gb6tk Me neither.
Wow like stepping into my childhood thanks so much for this. Amazing 👏
I absolutely loved shopping with my mom at a Woolworths and dining at the lunch counter. They used to have these little juke boxes on the counter and you could put a quarter in and hear three songs.
I got my first ear piercing at a Woolworth back in the 80's. Great Video!.
I got my ears pierced at my work place (A &H Drugs) by Lorna, she was the store's cosmetician, back in the late 70's here in Bothell Washington.
This was one of my grandma's favorite places
Awww I miss Woolworth, there was one a block away from my house growing up. We would go there all the time. My friends and I (teenagers in the late 70’s) would look at makeup and hair products, it was awesome. And the kitchen made THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE.
Absolutely amazing. This place is a national treasure.
I got to shop at a two story Woolworths 5NDime in Birmingham Alabama, fantastic video!
This place is amazing. Too cool and awesome. I wish it was near Chicago. The luncheonette is beautiful. I loved the video. Thanks for such a nice tour of the store.
All the Woolworths I grew up near in chicago only had 1 floor .
Mama and I would go to Woolworths. I remember the lunch counter!! I'm 76 now but I have such good memories of me and Mama.
Our little town in Kansas had a Woolwoth as well growing up. My sister and I would race up there every Saturday morning to buy a 45 record and then go to the drugstore counter for a shake. We loved It. Such good times and memories
My husband and I love browsing and shopping here! I highly recommend eating at the diner if you have an opportunity. Great food, great people!! 😊💖
I love this place!!! I live in bakersfield and have been coming here for years. I love the huge antique mall and the burgers at the lunch counter are in my opinion the best local burgers in town.
Hi. Thanks SO much for the trip back in time. My Mom and I would walk up the avenue here in NE Philly, on Saturday to go shop and eat lunch at good ole Woolworths. It was always a special day. It was in the 60's and 70's. There was a great toy dept, pet dept was kool too. Always a loose parakeet flying around. DONT TOUCH THE TURTLES, the old lady employee would say.... At the food counter, you would get your grilled cheese,with pickle spear, or a grilled hot dog. For dessert, it was a big ball of ice cream with thick hot fudge, or the best of all, you would pick a colored balloon from the above counter close line...the counter lady stuck it with a big hat pin....whatever price was seen on a small folded piece of white paper, was your cost of the banana split....the most you could pay was 69 cents..!!! Y E S. It was magical. You thought you were in another world in Woolworths. The nostalgic memories pull at my heart strings....R I P Mom.....TY for all your care, and treating me sooo well......🙏❤❤❤❤❤❤
I love your video of the Woolworth store .thank you for tapering it .ill never get to go see it in person .it brings back memories
This brings back a lot of childhood memories. I'm defiantly paying this place a visit. Thanks for for this.
Man I haven't been to this store in years and I live about 5 miles from it... I need to go there again
Come for a burger 🍔 🍔
YES, the more who go there, eat & do a bit of shopping, the longer it will remain open.
Kind regards, Ben
I am from Bakersfield a friend of mind had a 50s wedding and they had their reception there. I love this place
I grew up in San Jose, CA, in the 50s, and eating at the "Woolworth" fountain was always such a big treat to me. Loved the club sandwiches with the chips in the middle. Just watching the toasters make toast was fascinating to me as a kid. Great memories !
Omg, Pepsi in a bottle! I remember going with my mom to the grocery store to return the empties for a deposit refund.
And also 7up in a bottle, wow, that's a blast from the past!! Does anyone remember Tab soda and Green River soda? I hear that Tab is being discontinued. Does anyone remember Green River soda? That was my FAVORITE, Green River soda was so refreshing anytime, but, boy oh boy, those hot summer days and an ice cold Green River soda was so awesome together!
@@didibolter9362 what did green river soda taste like. never herd of it.
And soda tasted better back then in a glass bottle .
Does anyone remember peeling the cork off the bottle top and sometimes you'd could get the winning cap?
@@williamhayes834 Well, Green River soda came in a green bottle, in a 6 pack at our local Safeway grocery store and it was kind of expensive, but, it was a treat, a very special treat! The taste was delicious, a fuller and more bold flavor than 7up, I don't know what else that I could describe it to, it was really good, I hope this kind of answers your question. Google Green River soda just to see what comes up, you might get some more information, just saying, good luck my friend! 😆 😉 😄
YES YES!!! many memories I remember the layout of the department’s back in the 60ths since I was born here in Bakersfield, came to buy my paper dolls then came to buy my make-up then came to buy for my home 😢😫😢
Paper Dolls, oh how I remember playing with my paper dolls, changing their outfits was so much fun! I really feel sorry for girls these days, they'll never know how much fun you can have with paper dolls!
Very nice of the owner to give you a tour of the upstairs.
I’m so happy that you have shared this video with your subscribers! I remember shopping here with my mom when I was a child. Great memories! Thank you!
Behind the locked candy door, there’s about 50 vintage creepy manikins from the 50’s-60s.
Oh wow, yes, that would be creepy! 😨 😲
How do you know?
@@lauragodines8939 I used to work there
@@CanvasCam wow...one of this days i will go and visit the place...and go and relax at the dinning area..
I'd like to go there at night with a video camera and wait for something that goes bump in the night.
The Stairs! They were marble with steel strips on the edge. I would sit and straighten my legs, lift my heels and slide down the stairs to the bottom. I Loved Woolworths!!!
I was there last month, it was over 50 years since I had last visited. I love it.❤️
I've been there many times. Cool place. I always liked the Civil Defense containers upstairs. Thanks for posting.
Instantly stepped back in time by walking in. Everything is preserved and kept the very vintage aesthetics. Only way to know it's 2020 when capturing is seeing people wearing face coverings or looking at smartphones. Hardy see this because it's either demolished or updated where the vintage aesthetics are altered.
TRUE 😷
Wow I now have memories from childhood that came back. I remember the lemonade and trying to go up and down those big steps. Mom would promise to get me something to eat and drink if I was patient will she shopped.
My mom worked at Woolworths in the 1960s. I would go there to eat lunch as a small child..all of these wonderful things are just memories now.
OMG!!!!...AMAZING!!!!...what a time capsule.Great video!!!
Their burgers and fries are great. One of my favorite lunch spots.
I love going there! The food is so good, also it was the first Woolworths to have AC on the west coast!
Which Woolworth's was that Bryan? I know that the Woolworth's store in Aurora Village in Seattle Washington (gone now), had ceiling fans, I'm not sure about the Northgate Shopping Mall Woolworth's.
This makes me so sad.... I'm miss the good old days. What a gem! The handrails! Omg! And that employee door. I could go on and on. Thanks for sharing some good memories from my childhood. 👍
I remember my sister, mom and I sitting at the counter in the 70’s eating their hot dogs. They had theses special rolls.😊
Neat video. In my CA city we had Woolworths, Kresges and Newberrys. Fun stores.
Yes in Bakersfield downtown also we still have the sign for Kress across from Woolworths
I remember when I was little going to woolworth's wonderful store
Really great inside flea market/ antique shop and to have the lunch counter still operating!wow.the building itself is unique.
After reading all the comments, its astonishing of how many were made from such simple things, and gentler times...
Cool. Added to my list of stops for whenever we get around to my dream trip of driving the Route.
I only regret that you did not put a quarter in that chicken gumball-machine thing, lol.
Also, as a former manager of a department store, just thinking about doing inventory at this place gives me PTSD by proxy!
Cool cool spot, thanks for sharing!
Each one of theses "booths" are operated by a regular person who pays a monthly fee
I thought the same thing.
That ad in the beginning... Walmart has basically those same prices thirty years later. What a trip.
And they both begin with the letter "W"
I was thinking that same thing
Amazing! So nice of her to take you around! This is on my list of places to visit. Great video
My favorite place for lunch! (after browsing the antiques ) The vintage music from '40s and '50s provides atmosphere too.
You went all the way there, and didn't eat? I'd like to have seen the menu, food, etc. Did they use vintage plates and silverware?
Here's the menu. Not 1960s prices. My aunt used to take me to Woolworths. I remember it was the first time I saw German Chocolate Cake! www.zmenu.com/woolworth-diner-bakersfield-online-menu/
@@martyrose what no patty melt?i had that whenever i met my mom for lunch at woolworth.
@@winddmmy Nope. It was always a grilled cheese and a vanilla frappe til I discovered German Chocolate Cake but when my aunt was taking me to Woolworth's I was 3!
@@martyrose still pretty cheap as a combo.
My grandmother worked there in the 50's
Truly a great way to represent my town. Used to come here every once in awhile with my grandmother. I think it's time I visit again.
I used to work at Woolworths cafe,called the Harvest House when I was 16 years old in Downey, California . That was my first job. I’m 58 now.
I live in Bakersfield and one of my best buddies had a store just west of there. We always stop in there to shop and have lunch.
When I was a young working gal, i would eat lunch everyday at Woolworth's. Those days are never really coming back. Sad.
Oh my.. what memories.. 1968-73 Pembroke Mall Va Beach. Woolworths there had this awesome hotdog that as a kid I thought were the best and so different from any other with buttery toasted buns. The buns were toasted to order as well. I learned decades later via the internet that they used New England-style buns. Thank you for your work with this video.
I ate there as a kid, it smells good near the diner, vintage buildings stand the test of time, the feeling in there is grand every time I go there It's nostalgic 💓
'And stay out of Woolworth's!' - O' Brother Where Art Thou.
I remember going with my parents and grandmother to the Woolworth’s in downtown Erie on State Street.
I'm 67. Lived on both coasts of US and several places in between. Always looked for Woolsworth as my go to five and dime. Last time i was in a Woolworth was in 1983. It was and always will be the best store I ever shopped in for many reasons. And the lunch counter will always hold a special place in the hearts of anyone lucky enough to eat at one. This one in Bakersfield is amazing. Those Civil defense rations were dated 1964. Saw an old school desk too.. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Wonderful. Some of the storeroom stuff and the old railing reminded me of early 70s.
When woolworth closed in 1997 they sold off their mexico stores. Those stores are still open to this day. I don't know if they still have the cafe's.
Yes there are 3 of the Cafes still left in Mexico. There are several Woolworth stores in Mexico but nothing like we had here in the USA. I have personally been to 2 Woolworth locations in Mexico. The stores are way different these days and have a big focus on apparel. I would say close to 75% of the stores is apparel and the remaining part of the store has a variety of departments including electronics, housewares, toys, sporting goods, health and beauty, candy, and seasonal items. Some locations have the original old school exteriors, but the interior of the stores is modern.
Mexico stii have woolworth stores ... Woolworth store tijuana is the closer
I just saw a Woolworths in Mexico on harold balder channel
I remember having lunch at the local Woolworths here in Tampico, Mexico in the late 90's, the luncheonette remained in the store probably until the early 2000's, and even when it disappeared, the store continued for a few years, but it closed around four or five years ago.
I remember having lunch at the local Woolworths here in Tampico, Mexico in the late 90's, the luncheonette remained in the store probably until the early 2000's, and even when it disappeared, the store continued for a few years, but it closed around four or five years ago.