Sing Oil Blog

Tallahassee #6

Sing Food Store | Deli | Sing Sportswear

3610 Shamrock Street West

Tallahassee, FL 32309

Scroll Down for today's MTC post on Harveys #1631

Well, here I am again – long time, no see! The last few months have been a bit crazy for me, but not necessarily in a bad way; I just haven’t had much time to write long-winded posts. The time I have been able to spare has gone toward further research on the ongoing fallout from the ALDI / Winn-Dixie deal. More on that in a bit.

I may not be “Drunk on a Plane,” as Dierks would say, but I am on a plane as I write this and reminisce over my last few months. I’ve been to five states, taken on many personal projects, visited several old friends, attended a couple of concerts, stopped by an auction or two, and of course, visited plenty of new places for the blog. When I’ll get to share those places, I don’t know, but I do know that we will at least get to cross off two of my circa 2022 adventures today.

This post also marks a first for me given that I’m testing out Open Live Writer to draft my post. You can think of it as an open-sourced version of Microsoft Word for blog posts, but the key factor is it allows me to draft posts while offline and not worry about my changes getting lost. The software itself is a bit odd considering how it is a mostly forgotten about fork of Windows Live Writer, a free blogging program from Microsoft that was discontinued in 2012, but it seems that Open Live Writer still works, for the time being, thanks to some dedicated bloggers who also know how to write code. Hopefully this post doesn’t turn into a disaster, but we shall see! I already know that the way OLW handles images doesn't quite agree with Blogger . . .

We’ll begin today with my January 2022 tour of Sing Oil Company’s sixth location in Florida’s Capital City: the Killearn store. I feel certain that I could write an entire post on the history of Killearn Estates; however, I’ll have to keep my overview brief due to my short turnaround time on this post (I’m writing this on Friday, if you are curious).

The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - February 14, 1965

You’ve probably seen me mention it before, but Killearn is a large, mid-century neighborhood located just north of I-10 along Tallahassee’s Thomasville Road. The subdivision has been home to many grocery stores over the years, such as a failed Food Lion or a Bruno’s-turned-Winn-Dixie, but one could argue that Sing was the first, and most successful attempt. Yeah, yeah, the old Sing may not be much more than an oddly large Circle K today, but when it opened in 1971, this store featured everything from standard grocery staples to fresh fruits and vegetables. There is a reason why the original March 22, 1968, deed to Killearn Estates included restrictions barring, "the construction and operation of any store for the sale of groceries, produce, dairy products, and all other edible products," within a half-mile radius of the Sing.

The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers) -

Is it just me, or does the idea of buying “fresh” canned oysters from a convenience store sound disgusting? Anyhow, my most interesting takeaway from the newspaper ad above is how “SINGS QUALITY GASOLINE” is only advertised as being available at #3 on Thomasville Road and #4 on Pensacola Street. I know that #5 on Orange Avenue was exclusively a convenience store, but it is hard for me to believe that #6 didn’t sell any gas based on how large the lot is. Sing could have either angled this “Stop N Shop” as the neighborhood grocer or arranged for the convenience store to sell Chevron gas during its early years.

The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - June 13, 1983

Of course, during my eleventh-hour research, I uncovered a mysterious ad for "Sing Sportswear" in The Democrat. Not only did Sing Oil Company operate delicatessens, laundromats, fast food malls, discount grocery stores, and hardware stores, but they also apparently dabbled in sportswear sales and movie rentals!

The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - May 4, 1985

I just have to say that these business tangents never cease to amaze me; it goes to show that whenever Sing occupied an abnormally large building, there was probably some strange side quest involved.

The thing I have to wonder is whether this venture was contained within the convenience store, whether it operated from an adjacent storefront, or whether it was situated in the commercial plaza next door.

The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers) - September 19, 1986

In any regard, it seems that the sportswear idea only lasted from 1983 through 1986 considering how I haven't found anything beyond the "sidewalk sale" ad shown above. It is worth noting that January 1986 ads for the retailer showcase the 1964 Sing logo while the one above had switched to the final variant.

Oh yeah, and it looks like Sing swapped out sportswear for movie rentals in its Tallahassee stores. How did they even have room for all of those tapes? Did they use the old Capital City Bank space in Tallahassee #3?

The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers) - February 25, 1999

I surprisingly don’t have any historical images of the store, but I did manage to find a singular interior shot from the Amoco era of this station. You’ll remember that Tallahassee was the reason why Amoco wanted to purchase Sing Oil Company and was likely the only market where the yellow and blue brand survived to see the 1998 the BP-Amoco merger.

The article above spotlights Doris Cotton, an 86-year-old Tallahassee resident who had worked at the Killearn Sing since 1978. She was known for her big smile and her warm greetings, and despite her age, said that retirement, “isn’t in the picture.” She sounds like she was a very sweet lady and was dearly missed by the Killearn community following her passing in 2001 at the age of 88.

It is worth noting how Doris donned an Amoco name tag, yet she still wore a blue Sing apron for her uniform. The distinctive Sing orange tile is also visible behind the register counter, which was presumably situated in the center of the back wall of the store.

Courtesy of Mike Wingate (Flickr) - January 2010

Our final vintage photo comes to us courtesy of the Flickrverse. The photo seems to be a dual exposure shot of the Circle K convenience store on the left and the adjacent shopping center / Goodwill store on the right, paired with some markings for 35mm film. It has been a minute since I have looked at negatives, but something about this shot makes me think the effects are digital rather than a proper dual exposure. The main reason is that the image continues into the film guide holes, which means that you would lose a notable portion of your framing when making prints from the film. For that reason, I have to believe the “filmstrip” look is simply an overlay added in Photoshop.

Courtesy of schteiner (Flickr) - Tallahassee Sing #12 - July 1, 2005

Regardless of how that photo was captured, I know it was taken in 2010 and simply shows the station as a Circle K / Shell. Between Circle K’s 1999 acquisition of the Tallahassee Sing stores from Amoco and 2006, this station sold 76-branded gas

Unbeknownst to me, I managed to capture most all of the former Tallahassee Sing stores just before they ceased selling Shell-branded gasoline. Circle K migrated to private-label fuel within the next year as the Canadian company further entrenched itself into the Southeastern convenience store market.

I also happened to pick a beautiful winter day to photograph this store. It is always easy to identify a photo from a crisp winter day thanks to the bluebird sky, and I’m sure this was no exception.

The convenience store was built in the Spanish-revival style that’s common across the State of Florida, but very unusual to see at a gas station. I especially appreciate how Circle K respected the original architecture by simply adding two small logos to the façade.

The foreground of the previous shot reveals our first callout to the former Thomasville-based brand, the old air and vacuum station. Of note here is the original white light post (retrofitted with a new LED fixture), joined by the conventional appliances decked out in Circle K livery.

The above images also provide a glimpse of the adjacent commercial strip which was also once owned by Sing. Being as this was a central business district for Killearn, it comes as no surprise that Sing decided to offer additional storefronts up for lease. I seem to remember that some of Sing’s district offices were located in this space during the 1990’s, and this also could have been home to Sing Sportswear.

Turning back toward the store, one thing should stick out: this place was huge! This building is roughly 5,900 sq ft, or close to double the size of your average Sing store.

It is also crazy to see the line of stucco columns in place of our familiar wood posts. Anyhow, it appears that the store’s entrance may have been shifted off at some point since the larger archway just led to the ice chests. A set of swinging doors was positioned on either side of those.

Stepping inside, we find that the right third of the store is now home to the fountain machines and service counters.

Meanwhile, the left two-thirds of the space hosts the typical convenience items and drink coolers. I believe the cash registers were previously positioned against the white wall we see to the right.

Circle K nowadays has them nestled in the front right corner of the store, where Sing probably had its deli seating area.

To the left of the door, we find the expansive coffee counter atop what appears to be the original terra cotta flooring. It is amazing how well real floor tiles can hold up, isn’t it?

Beyond that, we see how the expanse continues with numerous promotional displays and pallet drops. It’s almost as if Circle K felt the same as Publix does when filling a former Albertsons!

The drink coolers protruded from the back left corner of the store to supply all of the water (and wine) your heart could desire. Just don’t count on the Bota Box being anything transformational . . .

Beer fans, rejoice! This Circle K unsurprisingly had enough room to stock a full beer cave, which featured its own custom branding when compared to the other backlit signage.

Spinning around, we find the lottery kiosk, ATM, and all of the other random stuff management didn’t know where to put. When was the last time you saw a bistro table inside of a gas station?

The snack aisle featured a wide assortment of Golden Flake chips, which were still produced in Alabama back in 2022. Unfortunately, the famous Southern brand has since cut its ties to Birmingham and become just another run-of-the-mill bagged spud.

We’ll dip back toward the Polar Pop fountains for a quick look at a subtle hint – the floor. Notice how the tile in front of me was patched at some point, lending credit to my theory that Sing’s register indeed once stood here.

That will conclude our time inside the store, but make sure to keep on reading to learn about a different old grocery store in the next county over . . .

Are you pumped up yet?

Street Views

Google Street View - December 2007

Google Street View - April 2016

Google Street View - April 2023

Aerial Views

Tallahassee - Leon County GIS - 1970

Future home of the Killearn Sing

Tallahassee - Leon County GIS - 1983

Sing convenience store and adjacent shopping center. I wonder why the store has two colors of roofing.

Additional Resources:

Leon County GIS

Google Earth Pro

Google Maps

Leon County Property Records

Parcel ID: 110250 0013

Transformation in Time

Harveys Supermarket #1631 | #2362 | #62

Green Acres Plaza

102 East First Avenue

Havana, FL 32333

Southeastern Grocers has recently stated they are embarking on a "transformational journey." Sound familiar?

I have yet to see any transformational actions taken, but I have heard and seen rumblings of change that seem to line the path forward (however long – or short – it may be). For starters, I can confirm the rumors that Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores have begun selling C&S' Best Yet private label products as of August 4, 2025. Thus far, it has been limited to paper towels and napkins, but I wouldn't be surprised if this expands to all non-food items. C&S relaunched its Best Yet brand in May, poising it to take on a more prominent position within Southeastern Grocers and the recently-acquired SpartanNash stores. The Know & Love brand also continues to roll out, most recently taking over the sliced and shredded cheese section, which leads me to believe these two private labels will eventually replace the existing SE Grocers items.

Winn-Dixie #439 - September 2025 - Notice the difference in package sizes and pricing.

Also, Southeastern Grocers has plans to complete 5 store remodels by the first part of next year. These will mark the first full refreshes since the ALDI deal was announced and seem to inspire a small amount of optimism for the company's future. As the Albertsons Florida Blogger recently spoiled, Winn-Dixie #2238 in St. Cloud, FL, will be the first of these five stores to debut, with a grand reopening set for November of this year. I’ve heard the current status of the look described as a hybrid between the existing Winn Win and Green Interior designs, so it will be interesting to see what the final product appears as.

Following #2238, Harveys stores #1710 (former WD #629), & #1712 (former WD #706) in Lakeland, FL, along with #1711 (former WD #2228) in Ocala, FL, are slated to convert back to the Winn-Dixie brand and receive a full remodel. The ALDI deal forced Winn-Dixie to exit these Central Florida markets, and I’d imagine the botched retooling of the Harveys format by former CEO Ian McLeod in 2016 has delivered lackluster results. SEG cited the positive results following the 2021 conversion of Harveys #1654 in Melrose, FL, (a store that ALDI has claimed) as one of the primary drivers behind these three remodels.

Winn-Dixie #439 - September 2025 - "Throwback Prices" are all the rage.

Lastly, and most surprisingly, the fifth remodel is set to take place at Winn-Dixie #2423 in Temple Terrace, FL. This store is a smaller, legacy location that was acquired from Delhaize as a Sweetbay in 2013, and remodeled to Winn-Dixie’s Down Down look during the late-2010’s.

So, what can we learn from this? Well, the first thing is that C&S Wholesale is actually spending money to improve stores. We may not know the long-term ambitions of the current regime, but spending any sum of money on store improvements is more than we have seen over the last two years. I will just be very curious to see one of these supermarkets once the remodel is complete (and have them all in my crosshairs for upcoming trips). The second thing to note is how all five of these remodels are in West Central Florida – an area hit particularly hard by ALDI. It still remains to be seen if Winn-Dixie will live to die another day outside of the Sunshine State.

Former Harveys logo (Delhaize era) recreation by The Sing Oil Blogger

Lastly, for the point most topical to this post, is the obvious move to sunset the Harveys brand. Following these conversions, Harveys will be left with fifteen locations, a severely tarnished brand, and an illogical footprint. I’ve continued to wonder why Ahold-Delhaize didn’t purchase the Harveys name back from SEG as part of the massive 2021 deal, but then again, I could see SEG embarking on this move as a way to allow Delhaize to acquire the remaining Harveys locations scattered around South Georgia and North Florida. Southeastern Grocers has no business in continuing to operate a single store in Augusta, Georgia, for example.

With that uncertainty, I feel that it is important to document the remaining Harveys stores before they inevitably disappear; the one we’ll explore today just happens to be one of the most interesting.

Situated several miles northwest of Tallahassee and south of Bainbridge on US Highway 27, Havana, Florida, is known for its quaint downtown area with numerous antique stores. It is also known in retail circles as being home to the former Harveys #62, which opened in January 1989.

The Tallahassee Democrat (Newspapers.com) - February 9, 1989

Back then, Harveys was an independent operator based in Nashville, Georgia, which focused on small towns and small stores. The local appeal of Harveys was still very much alive, as seen in this weekly ad featuring field peas, Harveys’ famous biscuits, and a recipe for blender coconut pie from the collection of Iris Harvey Smith, granddaughter of the company’s founder.

At the time, Harveys was known to mostly prefer the “hermit crab” method of expansion: that is, opening up stores in supermarkets previously inhabited by others. Havana was no exception to this, having been built as an IGA around 1986. Joining the IGA in Green Acres Plaza was Rite Aid #1831 and Family Dollar. The Rite Aid eventually closed and became a Movie Gallery, but the Family Dollar continues on to this day.

As we know, Harveys was sold to Belgian grocer Delhaize in 2003, meaning that Harveys #62 became Harveys #2362. Other than the expected back-office changes and improvements, I’m told that not much changed at Harveys and that Delhaize actually sent representatives from other regions to learn from the South Georgia brand. Harveys was reportedly a well-oiled machine that knew its niche and was attune to its customers.

Of course, we also know that Delhaize sold its Harveys, Sweetbay, and Reid’s stores to BI-LO Holdings in 2013, which was when this location received a new descriptor: store #1631.

Just look at that humidity.

BI-LO, and later Southeastern Grocers, would radically transform what it meant to shop at a Harveys store, ultimately alienating most previously loyal shoppers by delivering a disconnected experience. Gone were the Southern agricultural roots and in was the Magic School Bus. It was simply unrecognizable.

Thankfully, not all was lost. Despite the massive tirade of the 2016 rebranding efforts, several legacy Harveys stores managed to hang on, untouched. ALDI ultimately killed one of them, but the Havana Harveys and the Lake City Food Lion have held on as much needed reminders of what the chain once was.

Consequently, the independent conglomerate of Bob & Jeff locations has preserved and even adopted the “Southern Farmstand” look despite several mainline Harveys stores continuing to operate with the design package.

In typical Harveys fashion, the produce department is nestled in the front right corner of the space and still features Delhaize’s 2008 interior in its full glory.

This perspective also showcases one of the quaint aspects of this grocery store: the manager’s office positioned between the two vestibules. This was a common orientation for Winn-Dixie until the Marketplace stores began to roll out in the 1980’s, but it is surprising to find the trait in an active supermarket of the 2020’s. The fact of the matter is that this Harveys is tiny; ringing in at just under 18,000 sq ft, there was simply no room for it elsewhere.

Aisle 1 features a small selection of beer paired with the transition in flooring colors from green to red.

The red continues throughout the aisle to highlight luncheon meats and then turns the corner along the back wall to showcase fresh meat.

It still shocks me how Southeastern Grocers maintains custom signage, weekly ads, and even sale prices for the Harveys stores, but there must be some reason why the brand has not been rolled into WD completely.

Glancing down aisle two, you can get a perspective for just how small the space is. Then again, you don’t really need much for a small town like Havana.

I’ve always enjoyed the agricultural theme of this package; not only does it pay homage to the rural towns Harveys was known to serve, but it also provides a subtle nod toward the freshness of the food you are buying.

One way that Harveys has always positioned itself as a “discount” brand is by omitting service meat, seafood, produce, and floral departments. Then again, nothing about this store’s décor screams, “bargain basement.”

Thankfully, this store isn’t on the chopping block to become an ALDI, but you can bet that the Harveys Highest Quality meats & poultry are!

Glancing down aisle six, we find a selection of soft drinks and snacks. I remember snagging a bag of SEG pretzel sticks on this particular trip.

Aisle 7 hosts the unusual combination of cereal and pharmaceutical items. This store is inherently too small to feature a pharmacy, and likewise too small to have a full aisle of either H&BA or breakfast items.

Skipping over to aisle 10, we find our first row of frozen foods, along with the joint deli / bakery counter in the distance.

Let me just say that it was very hard to photograph the signage in this store due to its compact size. Likewise, we can barely make out the sign for “Milk & Juices” in the back left corner of the store. The pale blue flooring for dairy also comes into view.

The blue center squares from the dairy department give way to tan ones to round out aisle 11 on the left side of the store. We also find a selection of juice, eggs, ice cream, and frozen novelties over here.

Speaking of ice cream, it gets its own sign in this store! I really wanted to come home with one of those round wall signs from a different Harveys, but the opportunity simply did not present itself.

I was at least given the opportunity to photograph this store’s deli / bakery, and it is shocking to see how Delhaize was able to mimic the original Ocilla prototype store in this tiny building. The one odd thing is how the sign reads, “Fresh Bakery,” but the items below most certainly indicate that this is the deli. They even fit a hot foods bar here!

At least we have one table of baked goods. The fact is that I don’t believe many, if any, Harveys stores have in-store bakeries, so the prepackaged items here don’t differ much from what I typically see.

Meanwhile, the deli sign could be found on the wall above the door to the prep space. I wonder why they even bothered to have both signs.

Our final department is customer service, complete with a matching register light from the design package. It is really a shame that this is the only remaining Harveys to look like this because it has aged quite well!

Back outside, we find the checkered façade associated with the interior, along with the SEG-era logo. I wonder why they even bothered to update the sign when they left the rest of the space alone. Heck, I can’t complain!

Furthermore, the road sign was swapped out to bear the Harveys name in Foco rather than Jimbo font. I appreciate how the SEG designers at least kept the “supermarket” byline in a similar text to what Delhaize used.