The Roman Brothers: City Food Mart
City Food Mart was originally constructed in 1934 by architect J.A. Murrey and Wesco Construction Company for HE Bartlett, Inc. The land was part of the Bartlett Estate, affectionately know as the "Bartlett Foothills of Hollywood." Streamline Moderne in style with a festoon tower, the market provided services for the surrounding community. Records show that Vons transferred the business license for the market to the Roman Brothers in 1936.
The open front market provided produce, groceries, meat, liquor, deli foods as well as sundries, newspapers, magazines and comic books. Serving the entertainment industry, City Food Mart was used in multiple photo sessions promoting motion pictures of that era.
Located at the corner of Yucca and Argyle in Hollywood, City Food Mart was the neighborhood market for the area that included the Pantages and the Hitching Post movie theaters, the original Dupar's Restaurant, and the Knickerbocker Hotel.
The Roman Bros ran this market from 1936 to 1950 before moving the name and sign to Huntington Park. Each brother was responsible for a different department.
Joani Wolstein, daughter of grocer Nate Roman, recalls the Hollywood connections to City Food Mart in the 1940s.
Barry Gernstein, son of grocer Sol Gernstein and Tess Roman, remembers the neighborhood around City Food Mart in the 1940s.
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