Hamady was an American

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more limit ...

chain based in

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of ...

, United States, which at its peak had 37 stores and 1,300 employees. Given the chain's pervasiveness in the area, paper grocery bags were known as “Hamady sacks”.

History

Hamady Brothers was founded in 1911 by Michael and Kamol Hamady, who were immigrant cousins from

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

and referred to themselves as brothers. The first store was opened on East Dayton Street and Industrial Avenue in Flint. Michael Hamady was the first CEO and was followed by his son Robert in 1954, his grand-nephew Jack in 1967, and by his grandson Robert Lee in 1969. Robert Lee restructured the company and sold it in 1974 to Alex Dandy. The chain expanded through Michigan in 1980 by purchasing 21 closed

Kroger The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinci ...

stores, primarily on the west side of the state. In July and September 1985, Hamady bought two Hutch's supermarkets in

Owosso, Michigan Owosso is the largest city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,194 at the 2010 census. The city is mostly surrounded by Owosso Township on its west, but the two are administered autonomously. The city wa ...

and in October bought Vescio's five stores in Saginaw County. The two acquisitions, which would be rebranded as Hamady stores, bringing the chain's store total to 30. As a result, an existing Hamady in Owosso was converted to a discount store called Price Rite. Price Rite was run by a division of Durant Enterprises, Dandy's parent corporation. The chain was hit with a seven-week strike in 1987. Dandy's company also acquired Chatham. Chatham and Hamady were embezzled from by Dandy. By 1988, the former Kroger locations, along with some former Vescio locations in

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greate ...

, had closed. Hamady declared bankruptcy in 1988. In March 1989, a reorganization plan by M&B Distribution board chairman James McColgan Sr. for Hamady Bros. was approved by Federal bankruptcy Judge Arthur J. Spector. McColgan Investment Co., a M&B subsidiary, purchased 21 Hamady Bros. supermarkets for about $17.9 million, to which Dandy objected. By May 1989, Dandy had approved the sale of Hamady assets to McColgan Investment. McColgan became chairman and chief operating officer. The chain closed the last of its stores in 1991. 13 locations were sold to

Kessel Food Markets Kessel Food Markets was an American supermarket chain based in Michigan. It began in 1981 when Owosso, Michigan, native Al Kessel, a former executive vice president of Hamady Brothers supermarkets, purchased Kroger locations in Corunna and Sagi ...

, which was founded in 1981 by former Hamady vice president Al Kessel. Jim McColgan Jr. announced the opening of a Hamady Complete Food Center in a former Kroger location in August 2017 in Flint. The store permanently liquidated after failure to meet financial objectives after just three months.

References

{{Supermarkets of the United States Defunct supermarkets of the United States Retail companies established in 1911 Retail companies disestablished in 1991 Defunct companies based in Michigan 1911 establishments in Michigan 1991 disestablishments in Michigan