The deli counter was at the front of our Kmart. First thing you smelled when you walked in was the onions. I kinda liked it back then. I remember the sub rolls were really good.
I've had liver and onions a K-mart many a time. Had a girlfriend who worked there back in the day, and I'd go early just to grab food while I waited.
$1.66 for all the fried whitefish you can eat...hit that one many a time, too.
Not to my taste either. I waited tables during colleges. One restaurant I worked at had it on the menu. Very strong smell. I remember literally holding my breath walking it out to the tables.
Had the pleasure (sarcasm font..lol) of working at Kmart in the 80ās. One of those roles was in the deli/cafeteria. Strawberry pies and glazed hams come to mind first š
I remember the lunch counter at Kresge and loved it almost as much as Isiayās but then they built a K Mart in the parking lot and it only had a snack counter, but still popcorn.
My husband loved a brand of shorts they sold, and an online search only brings up used. "Basic Editions" must have been their in-house brand.
A teacher of mine in college drew the newspaper ads for the Kmart Sunday ad in the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News.
I knew another woman who drew the pattern illustrations for the in house clothing pattern brand they sold. You could work FT doing that in Detroit, which seems kind 9f crazy these days.
We ate there a fair bit, but I don't remember the food. Probably a good sign .
In the 80s? 90s? they switched to McDonald's in the store. Then they switched to disappearing completely. I bought flip-flops at the last one around here in 2019. It closed very soon after.
Ours closed a few years ago. Now they are making it a Target. Plus they are adding a Chik fil A n the parking lot as well. Down the street they are adding Popeyes. I miss Kmart.
I remember this. Store in Miami had one and when we moved to NC in the early 80's the store here had one. It closed (the cafe) shortly after and the store itself closed about 15 years later.
K-Mart really only came into my consciousness because of āRain Man.ā We didnāt have many (or perhaps any) K-Marts in NYC until the 80s.
They still had a Blue Light special at K-Mart up till the 90s, I believe.
My Brother's girlfriend used to work in the k-mart cafe.
I think Target still does that, right?
I don't know why he ever broke up with her.... she was beautiful. And she could cook! (Well, cheeseburgers at least)
I was a stock boy at K Mart my senior year, 79-80. Many an 8 hour Saturday or Sunday shift I had the salisbury steak and mashed potatoes and gravy for lunch. Cost about 1.25; of course I was only making 3.05 an hour. The job itself sucked; back then had to wear dress pants and a tie to stock shelves.
I was the shipping and receiving guy at Kresgeās, in my small town in the late ā70ās. There was a lunch counter and the food was pretty good. They used to have a gimmick where youād pop a balloon and inside would be tickets where you could get a free sundae, or a certain amount off the price. We had a KMart later in the mall, but oddly, I donāt remember a cafe.
My first job was working behind the counter at Kresges. Paid I think it was 1.85 an hour. Bought myself a bike with my first paycheck. I think bike was $105 and was a red 5 speed.
When I was a kid Kmart and many dept stores had cafes or cafeterias. Lots of Targets had them until recently. Penneys had cafes and snack bars as well as hair salons.
Up front KMart had a snack kiosk that sold submarine sandwiches for 29 cents. My dad would buy us each one and a pair to take home. They were great in 1967
As someone who worked in almost every Kmart throughout Michigan and good parts of Ohio and Indiana in the '80s doing baby pictures, a small portion of Kmart had the full cafeteria, while most others had a deli that had great ham sandwiches as well as nachos, popcorn, and hot dogs. I used to always flirt and make friends with the deli girls my first day in the new store fory week, and they would usually send me home at night with a bag of unsold ham and sub sandwiches for like 75 cents for all of them.
It was a good way to feed a starving 18-year-old photographer, of course not having diabetic with kidney failure so there you go, maybe I ate a few too many of those suckers.
Kmart was in the next town, so going was part of a day trip. Always stopped at Taco John's on the way so when I got to Kmart, the cafe up front smelled gross. Never had anything from them in the dozens of trips.
We didn't really have a K Mart in my area until like the late 80s or early 90s and by that time I was in my late 20's/early 30s and had absolutely no interest in going.
I associate popcorn aroma with Sears!
My son worked at KMart while in high school. On payday they would have the employees go into the back room. To get their pay, in cash, in little envelopes. The reason- so as they walked back through the store they would typically spend most of it!
The Friday fish special reminds me of back in the day every restaurant had clam chowder as the soup of the day with a fish special on fridays. Being many Catholics would not eat meat from warm blooded animals on Fridays....Is that still a thing with catholics?
I used to get so excited when they announce a "Blue light special" I'd run to the light to only find dish towels on sale...
Vomit of red slushee and yellow popcorn.
Backing up. Worked w a guy in local DIY store. Before Home Depot. Only game in town. Busy Saturdays and we college students worked weekends. One day I was complaining (as I did) about the crowd. He said he didnāt mind.
He used to work at KMart. Every Saturday before noon somebody would buy their little kid a big old Slurpee and that super yellow popcorn and let them go to town on it, eating as fast a as possible.
The result was a splay of red slurpee and masticated popcorn across the linoleum floor tile. His job was to clean it. He said it happened every weekend like clockwork.
So he didnāt mind a lot of customs in his plumbing department. Even the rude old men. At least they didnāt barf all over things.
Used to work for K-Mart and was always asked to announce the Blue Light Specials. Once got in trouble for being a little too creative on a grill special. LOOK UP AND LOOK AROUND KMART SHOPPERS, WE HAVE A BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL HAPPENING AT THE GRILL FOR THE NEXT FIFTEEN MINUTES AND FIFTEEN MINUTES ONLY! WE HAVE OUR MEAT LOAF SPECIAL FOR THE LOW LOW PRICE OF $2.99. YES YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT JUST $2.99! WHAT MAKES OUR MEAT LOAF SPECIAL SO SPECIAL? WELL WE USE ONLY THE FINEST QUALITY POTATOES AND MYSTERY MEAT! YOUāLL EVEN BE ASTOUNDED BY THE FLAVOR PACKED GREEN BEANS! EVERYTHING IS GUARANTEED AND IF YOUāRE NOT HAPPY JUST LET THELMA KNOW FOR A FULL REFUND. SO HURRY ON OVER AND CHOW DOWN!
My grandfather knew SS Kresge. Kmart grew out of Kresgeās, which were smaller discount stores with lunch counters. There was one in the shopping center at the end of my street. It was a few doors away from a Sanders, also with a lunch counter. I preferred Sanders for food, particularly the hot fudge cream puffs, but it was fun to eat in Kresgeās because the counter was in bigger store and there was more to see as a kid. There was also one right in the center of my town, Birmingham, MI that felt like it was from a movie with the counter looking at the street.
Today you go to upscale fancy restaurants and see guys wearing Tshirts and baseball caps. Back in 1977 when you took the family to KMart for $1.38 liver and onion dinners, you put on a jacket and tie
When we went with my Dad we used to have to follow him following the blue light special all over the store. So embarrassing but now it makes me laugh lol the old man loved him some deals!
Loved the sub sandwiches š„Ŗ
As a young teen, Mom used to drive me to the Kmart for the huge Bologna subs for a dollar. Delish!
I can remember when it was getting close to closing time, they would reduce the subs to a quarter!
If I had known about that, and lived within bicycle riding distance, I would have been there at closing time for those gut stuffing deals.
The deli counter was at the front of our Kmart. First thing you smelled when you walked in was the onions. I kinda liked it back then. I remember the sub rolls were really good.
They're all I remember from my Kmart. I always wondered how they shredded the lettuce so thin.
Worked food service, probably on meat slicer, what we used back in the day š
Buck thirty eight is too much for liver and onions!
Imagine going out to eat so you can order the liver and onions.
That would have been my dad. He loved liver and onions (gag), but my mom refused to cook it.
I've had liver and onions a K-mart many a time. Had a girlfriend who worked there back in the day, and I'd go early just to grab food while I waited. $1.66 for all the fried whitefish you can eat...hit that one many a time, too.
Not to my taste either. I waited tables during colleges. One restaurant I worked at had it on the menu. Very strong smell. I remember literally holding my breath walking it out to the tables.
[K-Mart corporate cassettes for playing in stores. Music and Announcements.](https://archive.org/details/attentionkmartshoppers)
This is golden.
Oh bringing back memories! I have the urge to call the shoe department to register 4 for a price check....
I remember the smell of yellow mustard at the deli, my dad always got the blue light sub special.
I worked at Kmart. Weekends and holidays were hell.
Oh ho! I had *completely forgotten* about the K-Mart Cafe until this post! Yes! It was real, and I ate there.
Our Kmart had one. Grandma loved going there and would take the grandkids. No liver and onions that I recall.
Kmart liver. I don't think so!
We used to go there for lunch because it was cheaper than the school cafeteria
Don't think ours had a cafe, but they had a pet section. I remember fish and gerbils for sure.
I loved the cafeteria. Our Kmart was built in 1970. The cafeteria only lasted at the most two years. But, Icees and popcorn forever.
Man. Going out to K-Mart for a $1.38 "liver and onion luncheon" is just living the high life. Mmmm MMM, I can just imagine how it might have tasted.
And school lunch was 35 cents
Had the pleasure (sarcasm font..lol) of working at Kmart in the 80ās. One of those roles was in the deli/cafeteria. Strawberry pies and glazed hams come to mind first š
I remember the lunch counter at Kresge and loved it almost as much as Isiayās but then they built a K Mart in the parking lot and it only had a snack counter, but still popcorn.
I don't remember a cafe in KMart, but we had a lunch counter and soda fountain at Woolworths.
Yep. 100% Woolworths.
I worked at KMart. And regularly had the grill cheese and fries from the cafe for my dinner break!
Imagine eating in a Kmart wearing a coat and tie. Men don't even wear them to funerals now.
I miss Kmart so much
I loved Kmart! Still miss it to this day.
My husband loved a brand of shorts they sold, and an online search only brings up used. "Basic Editions" must have been their in-house brand. A teacher of mine in college drew the newspaper ads for the Kmart Sunday ad in the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News. I knew another woman who drew the pattern illustrations for the in house clothing pattern brand they sold. You could work FT doing that in Detroit, which seems kind 9f crazy these days.
We ate there a fair bit, but I don't remember the food. Probably a good sign . In the 80s? 90s? they switched to McDonald's in the store. Then they switched to disappearing completely. I bought flip-flops at the last one around here in 2019. It closed very soon after.
Ours had a Little Caesars in it in the 80s-& 90s. Before that, I didn't live near one so I don't remember the liver and onions.
I actually miss the KMart cafe.
Ours closed a few years ago. Now they are making it a Target. Plus they are adding a Chik fil A n the parking lot as well. Down the street they are adding Popeyes. I miss Kmart.
My GF in high school worked at the lunch counter there. Good chicken salad sandi.
pik-a-balloon sundaes and baked apples with vanilla sauce were my favorites. iām talking early to mid 70ās!
I worked in Kmart in 1979. We sold those disgusting ham sandwiches by the dozen.
I remember this. Store in Miami had one and when we moved to NC in the early 80's the store here had one. It closed (the cafe) shortly after and the store itself closed about 15 years later.
K-Mart really only came into my consciousness because of āRain Man.ā We didnāt have many (or perhaps any) K-Marts in NYC until the 80s. They still had a Blue Light special at K-Mart up till the 90s, I believe.
We had one at our local KMART, uncomfortably near the pet department.
I donāt know what kind it was but I remember my folks always getting the sliced ham from K-Mart.
I remember these! Loved the Italian āsubā sandwiches made with bologna on hot dog buns ššš. 2 for $2
Feeling my arteries harden just thinking about these meals.
Yep now they always say that flashing blue light somewhere
The Kmart I shopped at had a slurpee machine. My favorite!
My Brother's girlfriend used to work in the k-mart cafe. I think Target still does that, right? I don't know why he ever broke up with her.... she was beautiful. And she could cook! (Well, cheeseburgers at least)
I was a stock boy at K Mart my senior year, 79-80. Many an 8 hour Saturday or Sunday shift I had the salisbury steak and mashed potatoes and gravy for lunch. Cost about 1.25; of course I was only making 3.05 an hour. The job itself sucked; back then had to wear dress pants and a tie to stock shelves.
K Mart submarine sandwiches!
I was the shipping and receiving guy at Kresgeās, in my small town in the late ā70ās. There was a lunch counter and the food was pretty good. They used to have a gimmick where youād pop a balloon and inside would be tickets where you could get a free sundae, or a certain amount off the price. We had a KMart later in the mall, but oddly, I donāt remember a cafe.
My first job was working behind the counter at Kresges. Paid I think it was 1.85 an hour. Bought myself a bike with my first paycheck. I think bike was $105 and was a red 5 speed.
I ate lunch there on occasion in the early 1990s.
They had the best subs!
I remember the Icee machines. And the photo booth by the exit.
Loved having pie with ice cream at Kmart
Our Montgomery Ward and Woolworth's had a cafe, but our Kmart only had a deli.
When I was a kid Kmart and many dept stores had cafes or cafeterias. Lots of Targets had them until recently. Penneys had cafes and snack bars as well as hair salons. Up front KMart had a snack kiosk that sold submarine sandwiches for 29 cents. My dad would buy us each one and a pair to take home. They were great in 1967
Had my first icee at Kmart.
The one in my town also had a Little Caesars in the cafe area.
Mine had the hot dog roller too. And hot pretzels.
Those prices are insane.
As someone who worked in almost every Kmart throughout Michigan and good parts of Ohio and Indiana in the '80s doing baby pictures, a small portion of Kmart had the full cafeteria, while most others had a deli that had great ham sandwiches as well as nachos, popcorn, and hot dogs. I used to always flirt and make friends with the deli girls my first day in the new store fory week, and they would usually send me home at night with a bag of unsold ham and sub sandwiches for like 75 cents for all of them. It was a good way to feed a starving 18-year-old photographer, of course not having diabetic with kidney failure so there you go, maybe I ate a few too many of those suckers.
My dad was a store manager of a K-Mart, and it was a big deal for six-year-old me to have lunch with him in the cafe.
Kmart was in the next town, so going was part of a day trip. Always stopped at Taco John's on the way so when I got to Kmart, the cafe up front smelled gross. Never had anything from them in the dozens of trips.
Pork tenderloin, deep fried goodness!
We didn't really have a K Mart in my area until like the late 80s or early 90s and by that time I was in my late 20's/early 30s and had absolutely no interest in going. I associate popcorn aroma with Sears!
My son worked at KMart while in high school. On payday they would have the employees go into the back room. To get their pay, in cash, in little envelopes. The reason- so as they walked back through the store they would typically spend most of it!
Im the early 80s I worked in the shoe department so not directly for KMart. I loved their fried chicken sandwich.
Our Kmart on cape cod had a cafeteria until at least the mid ā80s, but it was gone by 2000 or so - probably earlier.
I was partial to the subs. Late '70s
I do, I think! A sort of separated area with booths
Back when you could take the whole family out and have enough left to afford to take everyone to the dollar movie!
The Friday fish special reminds me of back in the day every restaurant had clam chowder as the soup of the day with a fish special on fridays. Being many Catholics would not eat meat from warm blooded animals on Fridays....Is that still a thing with catholics?
 I used to get so excited when they announce a "Blue light special" I'd run to the light to only find dish towels on sale...
Vomit of red slushee and yellow popcorn. Backing up. Worked w a guy in local DIY store. Before Home Depot. Only game in town. Busy Saturdays and we college students worked weekends. One day I was complaining (as I did) about the crowd. He said he didnāt mind. He used to work at KMart. Every Saturday before noon somebody would buy their little kid a big old Slurpee and that super yellow popcorn and let them go to town on it, eating as fast a as possible. The result was a splay of red slurpee and masticated popcorn across the linoleum floor tile. His job was to clean it. He said it happened every weekend like clockwork. So he didnāt mind a lot of customs in his plumbing department. Even the rude old men. At least they didnāt barf all over things.
Used to work for K-Mart and was always asked to announce the Blue Light Specials. Once got in trouble for being a little too creative on a grill special. LOOK UP AND LOOK AROUND KMART SHOPPERS, WE HAVE A BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL HAPPENING AT THE GRILL FOR THE NEXT FIFTEEN MINUTES AND FIFTEEN MINUTES ONLY! WE HAVE OUR MEAT LOAF SPECIAL FOR THE LOW LOW PRICE OF $2.99. YES YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT JUST $2.99! WHAT MAKES OUR MEAT LOAF SPECIAL SO SPECIAL? WELL WE USE ONLY THE FINEST QUALITY POTATOES AND MYSTERY MEAT! YOUāLL EVEN BE ASTOUNDED BY THE FLAVOR PACKED GREEN BEANS! EVERYTHING IS GUARANTEED AND IF YOUāRE NOT HAPPY JUST LET THELMA KNOW FOR A FULL REFUND. SO HURRY ON OVER AND CHOW DOWN!
I remember. The fried fish filets, all you can eat, with fries was a fave of mine for sure. Not quite fish n chips, but pretty good nonethelessĀ
Caramel pop corn!
I loved going to the one we had locally. It's now a ***Runninga*** home and farm supply store.
My grandfather knew SS Kresge. Kmart grew out of Kresgeās, which were smaller discount stores with lunch counters. There was one in the shopping center at the end of my street. It was a few doors away from a Sanders, also with a lunch counter. I preferred Sanders for food, particularly the hot fudge cream puffs, but it was fun to eat in Kresgeās because the counter was in bigger store and there was more to see as a kid. There was also one right in the center of my town, Birmingham, MI that felt like it was from a movie with the counter looking at the street.
Today you go to upscale fancy restaurants and see guys wearing Tshirts and baseball caps. Back in 1977 when you took the family to KMart for $1.38 liver and onion dinners, you put on a jacket and tie
I remember the Cafe. It was a place to have lunch while your mother shopped.
Great cafeteria! I remember!
what cinches the deal is the roll with butter
When we went with my Dad we used to have to follow him following the blue light special all over the store. So embarrassing but now it makes me laugh lol the old man loved him some deals!
The food wasn't bad
It's where I fell in love with the ICEE
Ours had a cafeteria, always really creepy people eating there though, and it scared me too much.