A&P was earliest supermarket

To the editor:

I enjoyed the article on the Plaza Galleria and the opening of the Kroger store as one of our first supermarkets in Cape Girardeau. It was a grand building and beautiful store at that time. Perhaps it was the largest and grandest supermarket in Cape at that time, but it certainly was not our first supermarket, as stated in the article.

Some earlier ones included the Kroger store in the 700 block of Broadway, Child's IGA in the 1700 block of Broadway, another Child's -- Mr. C's -- in Town Plaza, the A&P supermarket in the South Plaza area, the National Food store on South Sprigg Street and the granddaddy of them all -- Cape's first supermarket: the A&P store at 19 N. Spanish from the 1940s. It seemed to me back then when I was employed there that we had all the business in Cape, although we didn't, and we did a whopping $30,000 a week in business.

It is so much fun to reminisce. Thanks to the Missourian and Scott Moyers for a well-written, interesting article.

An aside to Frank Nickell: Did you know we once had four open and operating Kroger stores at once in Cape?

JACK CRACRAFT, Cape Girardeau