Grices Fruit Baskets, Huger Street: Spring 2006 9 comments
Grices (their sign doesn't use an apostrophe, so I won't either) was a long established open-air market on Huger (that's "You-Gee" for you non-natives) Street downtown betwen Gervais & Blossom. I visited so few times, and those all when I was a kid, that I confess I'm a little fuzzy on their whole concept, but I think they had produce, some plants and crafty things like grapevine wreaths. I know my mother liked to stop there from time to time, but I can't really recall anything specific that she bought.
The sign suggests that they thought their main business was "Fruit Baskets", but this Columbia Star story suggests they were a "produce, flower and accessory market". The story also establishes that they closed in 2006; I would have put the date lots earlier. I guess it goes to show "out of sight, out of mind".
9 Responses to 'Grices Fruit Baskets, Huger Street: Spring 2006'
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Fish
7 Jul 08 at 11:11 pm
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Yeah, I would have said longer too, but the Star story sounded pretty certain. On the other hand, the article body doesn't mention the date, just the page heading, and the article could predate the web-site and be mis-filed. That would make the "15 years" headline make sense. 15 years back from 2006 only takes us to 1991 which doesn't make sense as I know my mother shopped there, and she passed in 1989.
ted
7 Jul 08 at 11:23 pm
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It closed in the past 10 years or so. Mrs. Grice (the namesake) went to the church I grew up in and the and when she died, the business soon closed. That was after I went off to college so it's been since '97.
Jonathan
19 Aug 08 at 1:57 pm
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As a kid, 70s/80s. I remember Grice's as an open air market replete with fruits and vegetables. Seems to me hearing that Ms./ Grice had passed away, a new ownership took the spot and kept the Grice name focusing more on a flower/garden shop with lawn decorations. The closing date hangs in my mind as early 2000's but driving by it daily may have allowed me to take it for granted it was open longer. With an advertised price tag of 1.1 million for basically a concrete pad and metal building, it may be vacant for quite awhile!
Mike
3 Jun 09 at 11:15 am
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Also, for a long time this was "Grice-Govoni's." Apparently Mr./Mrs. Govoni moved on at some point.
badger
3 Jun 09 at 12:11 pm
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My mother used to shop there all the time starting around 1960. She bought fruit and vegetables at the market and always complained about the price but she said the quality was worth it. In the little building in the back they, for some reason sold day old baked goods and she bought the day old bread for toasting.
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Yes, I remember Grice's being a nursery/florist shop. I would occasionally wonder why the sign mentioned fruit baskets. I had them do my wedding flowers (2001) and I guess they were gone not too many years after that. I used to work in the building next door (Appliance Parts Co, Inc.) and my supervisor and I would go shopping there on our lunch break sometimes. Good times!
Becky
14 Sep 10 at 1:46 pm
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Oh I remember the fruit baskets. They remained popular here even after Hickory Farms came to Dutch Square offering a main stream option to their standard. That is, if you're not giving flowers... then get a fruit basket from Grice's!
John R
14 Sep 10 at 4:57 pm
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My grandfather John J Hair started Carolina Fire Safety in 1959 and it was located directly across the street from Grices. I frequented it during the '70-'80's as a child. Fruits & vegetables and boiled peanuts etc. Very friendly people. What I remember most is that they had an old glass bottle soda machine that you pulled the bottle from. I would save up my bottles for the 5 cent returns.
Trey Hair
10 Aug 20 at 2:10 pm
Ted,
I think Grice's has been
shuttered for more like
5+ years .. I've been gone
from the area for 4 plus
years and it was closed
before I left .. maybe
it will be revitalized
with some future resurgence
of the USC project and
continued expansion and
dev't of the Vista .. one
can only hope it will be
cleaned up sooner, rather
than later ...