Henke & Pillot
| File:Henke's Logo.PNG | |
| Company type | Subsidiary of The Kroger Co. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1872 |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Fate | Rebranded as Kroger |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor |
| Parent | Kroger |
| Website | Kroger.com |
Henke & Pillot was a supermarket chain based in Houston, Texas.[1] Established in 1872,[2] the company eventually became a subsidiary of Kroger following its acquisition in 1955. The Henke & Pillot brand was phased out in 1966 when Kroger decided to retire the name.
History
The origins of the company trace back to 1872 when Henry Henke, a grocer originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, traveled to Houston with plans to establish a new grocery chain. A decade later in 1882, Camille G. Pillot joined as the company’s bookkeeper and subsequently became a full partner several years afterward. By 1925, the business operated two outlets: one located at 302 Milam in present-day Downtown Houston and another in what is now known as Midtown Houston. In May of 1955, The Kroger Company purchased Henke & Pillot.[1] Following the acquisition, Henke's logo was redesigned to resemble Kroger’s branding.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] By 1956, the chain had expanded to 27 stores across Greater Houston, including cities such as Houston itself, Galveston, Pasadena, and Velasco, as well as in the Beaumont-Port Arthur region—covering Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange. As of 1965, the corporate headquarters remained in Houston with twenty stores operating within the Greater Houston vicinity (covering Houston proper along with Seabrook and South Houston); one notable location was situated inside Meyerland Plaza. In 1966, Kroger announced plans to grow its footprint throughout Greater Houston and officially retired the Henke & Pillot brand name just six years shy of its centennial anniversary.[1]
Pillot House
The Pillot family once resided in the Pillot House—a mid-Victorian residence originally located at the corner of Chenevert and McKinney streets within what is now Downtown Houston. Constructed by Eugene Pillot in 1868, this historic home was relocated around June 1965 to Sam Houston Park downtown and is currently maintained by the Heritage Society. The structure suffered damage during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001; while the exterior has since been restored by the society, as of 2011 interior renovations remain pending due to funding constraints. The original site where the house stood is now part of the grounds occupied by the George R. Brown Convention Center.[3]
Gallery
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Brochure commemorating Henke & Pillot's 50th anniversary, 1922
References
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gonzales, J.R. "Houston's own Henke & Pillot." Houston Chronicle blogs. October 20, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2011. "Offices at 3021 Washington"
- ↑ Gonzales, J.R. "Comment of the week: Your Henke & Pillot memories, plus the Fifth Ward." Houston Chronicle blogs. October 23, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
- ↑ Gonzales, J.R. "Then & Now #25: The Pillot house." Houston Chronicle blogs. October 4, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2011.