Two Guys

[greg8370]

The stores in New London and Newington, CT both became Bradlees.  Both buildings are gone now.  There was a third store in Waterbury, CT; does anyone know it''s fate?

[Chris]

Do not know. Newington is now Wal-Mart. Bradlees closed in 1996. Does anyone know when Two Guys closed and Bradlees opened?

[greg8370]

Two Guys closed in 1982.

[store215]

Locations sometime in the 60's:

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by greg8370
The stores in New London and Newington, CT both became Bradlees.  Both buildings are gone now.  There was a third store in Waterbury, CT; does anyone know it''s fate?

Greg:

     I believe it became Railroad Stores in the 1980s (Boy, another store chain in Connecticut, which is dead or just barely in business). I think the city of Waterbury took the building down - circa 2002.

Just me

[BillyGr]

Found this tag on a box of christmas ornaments at a flea market today :

[Jag67]

I have a calculator from 1976 that was bought there..orginal recipt and everything..

[BillyGr]

This is a photo of the store listed in the guide above as Menands - this store has been a variety of things over the years (flea market, offices, banking, tax return processing) but appears to be empty now (this was a weekday shot and cars are not to be seen - well not many):

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by BillyGr
This is a photo of the store listed in the guide above as Menands - this store has been a variety of things over the years (flea market, offices, banking, tax return processing) but appears to be empty now (this was a weekday shot and cars are not to be seen - well not many):

do u have any Caldor pictures???????????????????

[BillyGr]

Originally posted by Caldor1999

do u have any Caldor pictures???????????????????

Sorry - not that I know of - note that all the shots I posted just recently are current photos (taken in the last week or so) - as noted by Amesman most of the former Caldors in this area have been demolished or converted into other things - the Schenectady one might still be recognizable but that's about it.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by BillyGr

Originally posted by Caldor1999

do u have any Caldor pictures???????????????????

Sorry - not that I know of - note that all the shots I posted just recently are current photos (taken in the last week or so) - as noted by Amesman most of the former Caldors in this area have been demolished or converted into other things - the Schenectady one might still be recognizable but that's about it.

o kk there one in Middletown New York its still there the logo has been takeing off though but there a hallway entrice that still has the logo up and it still lights up too im gonna go see it sometime heh

[storehistoryguy]

Two Guys match books!


http://countryjoe.bizland.com/match_books-1.html

[storehistoryguy]

Marlton, NJ. in the 1970's.



http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/60sdiscountstores/page2.html

[d_fife]

what where their stores like? and how big where they? The one in new london becoming bradlees makes no sense because the first bradlees in new london opened in 1958. 1982 they closed, eh. what stores where they similar to.

[greg8370]

I worked the last year the orginal New London store (#880) was opened.  The building was small; 2 levels, a conveyor belt running downstairs and small stockroom/rec'ving areas.  The Two Guys across the street was a newer building,single floor, better parking, much bigger and in a mall as opposed to the strip plaza 880 was in.  The parking lot at the old store was on a hill so shopping carts were always down into cars.  Amazingly 880 still lives as a Burkington Coat Factory while the "new" New London store (837) was knocked out in 1998 when the mall was reconstructed.

[Scrabbleship]

Originally posted by BillyGr
This is a photo of the store listed in the guide above as Menands - this store has been a variety of things over the years (flea market, offices, banking, tax return processing) but appears to be empty now (this was a weekday shot and cars are not to be seen - well not many):

Menands is still by Bank of America for processing state tax returns (and diesel fuel taxes for much of the US). Only thing is that much of the year it doesn't look active because they only employ a relatively small staff of full-time workers; much of their workers are there on a seasonal basis. Given that picture was taken in June, it was one of those down times.

Having worked there on and off for most of 2006, I can say that from mid-February to early May, that building is active near 24/7 given the volume of stuff that comes in. Still doesn't fill a HUGE parking lot though which sometimes goes to other uses.

[amesman]

What does the place look like inside? Is it still original at all? I stopped to take pictures last year. The only person that really bugged me was this lard security guard who asked me what I was doing.

[Scrabbleship]

Originally posted by amesman
What does the place look like inside? Is it still original at all? I stopped to take pictures last year. The only person that really bugged me was this lard security guard who asked me what I was doing.

I hate to burst a bubble, but the guard had somewhat good reason to do so--VERY sensitive information is handled in that building. If you asked him to use the bathroom outside of security, he'd be happy to oblige.

Nothing is original, it's basically offices and large rooms where the various tasks take place. The eastern half (431C Broadway) was remodeled ca. early 1990s when Fleet came in with a green and pink pastel scheme, the western half (431B) is white and blue and dates back to a couple years ago.

If anything is left over from Two Guys, it might be some of the bathroom stuff on the C side plus the breakroom floor looks early 80's vintage. Other than that, Fleet did a overhaul on C and a total redo on B.

[amesman]

well, I was only doing exterior pictures from the parking lot. I pretty much was not near where the banking center's entrance is. I was more towards the old grand union/apm. Thanks for your info.

[hojoland.com]

The Waterbury, CT Two Guys building is still partially standing on Wolcott Street. It now houses Price Chopper (that part is new), American Steak House and AJ Wright.

[XISMZERO]

Originally posted by hojoland.com
The Waterbury, CT Two Guys building is still partially standing on Wolcott Street. It now houses Price Chopper (that part is new), American Steak House and AJ Wright.

Thanks for shedding light on that plaza. So we know Toys R Us and Two Guys made up the plaza. My question is what did it become after most Two Guys stores submitted to Bradlees? There were already two stores in Waterbury by then (I'm guessing)...

[hojoland.com]

I recall that when Vornado bought Two Guys and closed them all, that the Waterbury one (whose co-anchor was Finast, later Edwards) was subdivided and became home to such stores as Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater and American Steakhouse and others.

[JimSawhill]

Originally posted by greg8370
I worked the last year the orginal New London store (#880) was opened.  The building was small; 2 levels, a conveyor belt running downstairs and small stockroom/rec'ving areas.  The Two Guys across the street was a newer building,single floor, better parking, much bigger and in a mall as opposed to the strip plaza 880 was in.  The parking lot at the old store was on a hill so shopping carts were always down into cars.  Amazingly 880 still lives as a Burkington Coat Factory while the "new" New London store (837) was knocked out in 1998 when the mall was reconstructed.

Greg:

    IIRC wasn't #837 the old OUTLET store in the New London Mall? I beleive #880 was  across I-95. I'm I correct?

JimS

[XISMZERO]

Any idea what this building is behind the New London Mall? It looks like an indoor recreation building and has been vacant for years now.

[greg8370]

It was a bowling alley;  now used as a warehouse.  There was a restaurant next to it but it was knocked down about 15 years ago.  The bowling alley has been closed about 20 years or so now.

[coolbabes]

Although it's not listed on that list, there was a Two Guys in Milford, MA.  I remember going there  many times as a little kid and many more after it turned into a Bradlees in the 80's. My mom still has a bottle of nailpolish remover from Two Guys in the closet hall (although I think it dried up by now)

[greg8370]

Originally posted by JimSawhill

Originally posted by greg8370
I worked the last year the orginal New London store (#880) was opened.  The building was small; 2 levels, a conveyor belt running downstairs and small stockroom/rec'ving areas.  The Two Guys across the street was a newer building,single floor, better parking, much bigger and in a mall as opposed to the strip plaza 880 was in.  The parking lot at the old store was on a hill so shopping carts were always down into cars.  Amazingly 880 still lives as a Burkington Coat Factory while the "new" New London store (837) was knocked out in 1998 when the mall was reconstructed.

Greg:

    IIRC wasn't #837 the old OUTLET store in the New London Mall? I beleive #880 was  across I-95. I'm I correct?

JimS

[greg8370]

That was the Inside Outlet/Edward Mallay's end of the mall.  837 was the Two Guys building.  That part of the mall remains today as the Marshalls store which is built into that shell.  The stairwells of the old Malley's remain outside of the Marshall fire exits and also serve the various business offices that have rented out the second floor of Malleys'

[XISMZERO]

Originally posted by greg8370
That was the Inside Outlet/Edward Mallay's end of the mall.  837 was the Two Guys building.  That part of the mall remains today as the Marshalls store which is built into that shell.  The stairwells of the old Malley's remain outside of the Marshall fire exits and also serve the various business offices that have rented out the second floor of Malleys'

Bradlees at the Mall closed in 1996, right? Seems to have been yet another closing wave year for the company following 1992 when they were dumped by S&S and entered Ch. 11.

Here's the Marshalls at New London Mall.

[beachgal26]

I remember Two Guys stores while I was growing up in MD in the 60's and early 70's.  They seemed to just disappear and since there were no big waves of stores going out of business, I didn't think much about it at the time.

The stores were nice and neat and had a good variety of items.  I have managed to get a toy truck of theirs on an ebay and the back doors still open and everything.

;)