KFC in Grafton, VA

KFC. When you hear that, what do you think of? Probably, you think of Kentucky, Colonel Sanders, Fried Chicken, Rotating bucket, right?

When you live in Grafton, VA, when you say "Heritage Square", the first thing that you might think of is "KFC".

This KFC:

Nice, beautiful, old KFC isn't it? I love KFC, their original recipe chicken breasts make me have to eat two pieces. And their popcorn chicken and boneless honey bbq wings, dee-lish! Its no wonder Hampton Roads has so many locations.

As you probably know, that look, with the biscuit box, is outdated. The restaurants are supposed to look like this now:

So, the first time I saw Grafton's new signs (June 2008), I thought it was odd to not have any rennovations (like the old Newport News store above).

Okay, I'll stop rambling, I'll explain my Kentucky Fried Knowledge from Grafton:

So, we all know what the KFCs looked like during the 60s and 70s, right? Of course, little boxes with striped roofs, like this:

So, Grafton, had one of these decades ago. I don't think my parents ever ate there, which is now a cleaners and tux rental, they had to be gone by the early 80s (my dad said he rented a tuxedo here back then).

Very cool, old black and white building. I don't know if it was a re-location, thats my theory, but Heritage Square was built in the 70s, one of the first in Grafton. So, KFC decided to open a store there.

That picture was taken in December 2007, when the store still had the 1991 logo (and they had the 80s logo before, note the "Kentucky Fried Chicken" sign. So along with Pizza Hut, First Virginia Bank, McDonald's, Revco pharmacy, and Giant Open Air supermarket, KFC was a main tenant. However, like most KFCs today, they didn't have a buffet, but I liked their old school atmosphere.

The food was okay here, the buffets are better most of the time. The place wasn't reall

y busy most times I went in. In June 08 I was sure they were going to get renovated. All they did was put up the current logo on the sign and biscuit box, and take down the window decals of the Colonel's face. I wasn't expecting them to close.

On the night of May 16, 2009, I was staying with my dad in Yorktown, and we were in Kiln Creek that night. We drove by the KFC on the way home, and I noticed the absence of the signs. I thought it was just changing the lights or getting them cleaned. I was wrong. We drove to the McDonald's in Tabb in front of the Wal-Mart, and I noticed the signs were still gone, al

l the ads in the window were gone, and there were no cars in the parking lot, only a big dumpster. It was obvious: the old KFC closed. Permedantly.

After we ate I told him to drive there to let me take pictures. Inside the lights were on, and a sign was outside of the door.

J Clyde Morris? That's NOT nearby!

The J Clyde Morris location is about 10 minutes up the road in Newport News. It is actually a conjoined restaurant with a Taco Bell, so that means no buffet. I don't like the food at the conjoined ones, its terrible, at least at Poquoson (KenTacoHut).

Back on subject, I called my mom and told her that we would have to start getting KFC from Riverdale (in Hampton on Mercury, not a buffet, but their food is good). A week later, we were in Hampton, and the KFC received a fresh coat of paint:

Inside, the lights were off, and the chairs were on top of the tables. All the faded old KFC art, except for the one of the Colonel (which was a photograph) was still on the walls, along with the classic tan wallpaper and wooden structures. The Pepsi machine was still on the counter, along with the black menu boards that once had pictures of chicken. The kitchen was pretty empty though.

Sad to see this one flip so soon. I don't know what will become of this, maybe another restaurant might move in since the furniture is still intact (maybe a Popeye's or Bojangles). IDK, but I'll stay updated.

RIP KFC fried chicken, 350 George Washington Mem Hwy, Grafton, VA‎.

I'm pro again

For those who didn't see, I'm a pro member as of May 9, 2009 on Flickr again. Thanks to Jeff! I don't have anything to really post right now, but what I'm wanting to shoot pictures of now is some cool local abandoned houses, something I've never really done. I'm still in school so theres less store ones, most being taken on the weekends. So I'm glad I'm back!

Subway restaurants: eat fresh anywhere in Hampton Roads

I'm sure you've heard of Subway, the no. 1 sub restaurant in America. Over here in Hampton Roads, they are everywhere!

A few older ones still have the 90s logo. You know, the one that was replaced in 2002 by the "slanty" one.



The above is the store in Tabb, VA, in Kiln Creek's Village Square shopping center. They opened in 1994-1995 if I'm correct.

This was a store in Hayes, Virginia that opened in 1998:

It moved to a new store later in 2008, and the old store is empty. The inside is completely wiped out, except for the bathrooms.

These stores had a green wallpaper that had a map of New York City, since there are subways there.

Some of them have the new logo and "brick" look with the yellow NYC wallpaper, as well as counters with deli items on it. The one at Patrick Henry Mall was recently renovated:


Something I recently noticed is that a few Subways are moving into former Taco Bells! They have one in Hampton like this. This one is in Richmond:

Another one closed recently, it was in an East Coast gas station in Gloucester Point (another part of Gloucester, right at the foot of the Coleman Bridge). Its used for storage now, I'm guessing.



A lot are opening in Super Wally Worlds. Wal-Mart apparently doesn't want obesity from McDonald's, so they want to remove Mickey Ds and put Subways in:


They're even in hospitals now! Mary Immaculate, the one I was born in, has one now:

Speaking of sub restaurants, locally we have "Subway Station". It is NOT a knockoff. When you first glance at it, you might see a copycat that looks like it came from the Beatles. It is NOT! We had one in YRC shopping center before Subway came. It closed in 1994 or 1995, and its Verizon now, see below. Another one closed recently, see below.






So, I think my point has been made, Subways are everywhere! And on my photostream! Pictures of Subway restaurants throughout Hampton Roads can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/ryanrules! And remember, eat fresh!

Hampton Plaza

The Hampton Plaza is a shopping center located in Hampton, VA, on West Mercury Boulevard, a major road that runs through Hampton. The shopping center is very old, but is still hip with people. It's also easy to spot, just look for the Krispy Kreme donuts shop, and across the street it is. The design had some red and blue stripes running on the top, and most of the small buildings have square windows.

The entire strip was formally a GEX Tire store, which had been dead by 1979, if I recall. In 1980, the Plaza received a hip main anchor, Toys R Us, appealing to the kids in Hampton. I remember as a kid walking on the right side of the sidewalk, and there was play equipment laying out, which was fun to play on. The actual store was HUGE! I remember walking in a little lobby, and the carts were lined up, then you'd enter, and have some aisles facing you on the left. The checkout aisles were to the right.

The bathrooms were on the left, in a little area. After you walked through those aisles facing you was a big video section, filled with VHS tapes. We used to buy many from there. Beside them was video and board games. In the back was the books on the left and the bicycles on the right. The preschool aisle was on the very right of the store, with stuff I enjoyed back then.
In 1981, another children's place which has been an obsession of me moved in two building beside TRU: Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. Large, yes, hip, yes. The gameroom was in the back, stage show in the front, and you get the drill.

At another 80s point, a T.J. Maxx moved in, along with the Hair Cuttery, Family Dollar, Pet World, and Blockbuster later on.

Boy was this a kids place: Toys R Us, Chuck E Cheese's, Pet World, Blockbuster, dang, it shouldve been named "Hampton Kids Plaza". However, in 1998 T.J. Maxx decided to move to the new Hampton Towne Centre nearby. So their owned store, A.J. Wright moved in in 1999.

So we still have clothes to get, right? Well, that wasn't a worry: In late 2001, Chuck E. Cheese's decided to move to the Hampton Towne Centre also, so in early 2002, they did. The old store was empty until 2004, when the Citi Trends clothing store moved into the old CEC.

So its more of a parent place now, but we still have TRU. Think again. In 2006, over 80 Toys R Us stores were going to close, one of them being in Hampton, VA. The old store had "Store Closing!" and "Huge Sale" signs in the windows to get people to buy Toys for cheap. In February, the store took its signs down, and was dead. How dramatic that was for kids and parents who loved the stores. The last time I'd been there was in Summer 2003, and I saw the dead CEC, and was like, "Mom, where's Chuck E Cheese?". Man I wish I took pics back then.

Anywho, if you were in the Plaza, a sign said to visit the Newport News location, but there were workmen inside. Maybe weeks later, Ollie's Bargain Outlet moved in, without even updating the outside. Man, it looks very cheesy with the tiles and enter/exit signs. The inside of the store still retains the original TRU look, though, there was a small long room you entered in with the carts behind you, 2 warehouses, a small hall leading to the bathrooms and employee room, a room in the right front corner of the store, and a tiny exit lobby with candy and toy machines.

Moving on, these are pictures of the other current stores below.

The Hair Cuttery occupies some of the space that was the Chuck E. Cheese's kitchen, and Family Dollar was apperantly once a Drug Emporium.

McDonald's is also an outparcel at the center. I've read that there was a restaurant called Po Folks there, then a Bojangles, then they tore them down and built McDs in 1998. The McDs was actually the first McDs in Hampton, in the 60s it was built a few blocks away which is now "Cap City" and re-located across the street which is now a Key Finance, and was used for Pomoco.

A Food Lion was also added later on.

So concluding, the Plaza is still strong, even if it isn't a kid's place. I loved it, and always will.