Not sure how many liquor stores have to come and go from the southeast corner of Palomares and Holt before entrepeneurs everywhere realize that corner will no longer support a liquor store or a smoke shop.
The latest venture there was a liquor store catering to the Holt Street crowd that called itself "Pomona's Finest." This always made me laugh (still does since the sign and spiffy red and white paint job remain behind). I always wondered if the business owner meant it to be ironic, or if it just came out that way.
The name worked on several different levels actually, given that Pomona's other Finest (the police) were often out in front of the place questioning people.
Thanks to Daniel Ross for today's photograph of Pomona's Finest. Seems the now deceased business inspired him to write a $75 book entitled Pomona's Finest.
THE END
10 comments:
Thanks for the new posts. I remember when that building used to be a restaurant that sold chicken.
remembering Mel Hull:
That building was originally, and for many years, Mel's Hamburgers... Buy the Bagful. Hamburgers were sold from one window, french fries from another, and ice cream from a third. We ate there sometimes in the early 1960s, years before the golden arches came to Pomona.
My family's construction business did work for Mel Hull, including remodeling the hamburger stand and building the coffee shop.
Mel Hull used to own a waffle and pancake restaurant on Garey south of Monterey. When the underpass was built, the restaurant lost road front access. The old abandoned waffle restaurant on Garey was finally torn down when the School of Arts and Enterprise was built.
Mr. Hull built a 'coffee shop' restaurant, Hull House Restaurant on Mission at White (now Mission Family Restaurant). Hull House was a favorite stop for ice cream sundaes after youth group events. Imagine tables full of Camp Fire Girls in the back booths.
Mr. Hull also built a nice sit down restaurant on Holt (x Palomares) across the street from Mel's Hamburgers. I don't recall the name at this moment. The building still exists, and several different restaurants have come and gone at that location.
It make me sad to see the old hamburger stand burdened by it's troubles of the past decade or two. It was always a humble little building, and time has not been kind to it.
Pomona historical trivia:
Garey Ave. x Commercial prior to underpass construction, looking north from the tracks. The original Hull House is seen in this photo. This site is now the School of Arts and Enterprise. Hull House
Here I found a photo of Mel's .
Now it's just a sad, vacant little building. It was never at all fancy, but we liked it back in the 60s and 70s.
I played little league in Pomona 1960 for Mel's Fast Snacks... our opponents. would chant Mel's Smells!!!
My first little league baseball sponsered team was Mels fast snacks. The other teams would tease us with Mels smells. During the sponsership as season was over the whole baseball team would come over and he let us order anything we wanted for free this was 1962.
The Hull House i loved it. I got in trouble with my dad once for ordering the huge hamburger called the Belly Buster
Hull House Palamares. I bussed tables there in 1965.
I lived on Mels 15 cent burgers in the 50s, and cruised Mels in the 60s. It was a favorite cruise spot. Then everyone would head out to Diamondbar Blvd to race. Mel had a son Jimmy and a daughter Candy. Candy seamed to drop off the map, she would be in her seventies now. Beautiful girl, high school qween at Ganisha high. Wonder what ever happened to her. Heard some rummers but was told never to ask. Hmmm?
The writer of the above was me, Larry T. I met Mel and his family in Rock Creek in the mountains above Bishop. Candy and I hit it off and enjoyed our short time there.
We met again the next year in Rock Creek and again enjoyed our short time together. She had a friend nicknamed "Tada" . Both were very sweet girls.
This was the summers of 60 and 61. Candy was a beautiful girl and loved to dance the surfers stomp! Saw her in passing several years later in Balboa. Her family had a house on the island. We spoke briefly and I never saw her again. I often wondered what happened to her. Once I tried to start a Candy hunt and was told to stop? I was told some people were not ment to be found. I was told more in confidence. That said, I hope she is well and enjoying life! Still, I think of that beautiful girl and I'm 80 years old now. She must be about 76. I would bet she is still beautiful and still loves to dance!
I worked at the 31 flavors ice-cream on Holt, about 4 minutes from.Mel's. I sure would like to know what wasnin his sauce. Those were great burgers we got all the time. Simple, juicy and the sause made those just great.
Does anyone know the recipe for his sause?
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