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Many longtime locals remember one of the most successful and well-known retail businesses on the Peninsula: Levy Brothers. They were around for over 100 years. However, what you may not know is that they didn't start out on the Peninsula.
Here's their story:
The family, which was wealthy, lived in Alsace, a contested area between France and Germany. Two of the family's brothers, Joseph and Fernand, immigrated to the U.S. and came to Half Moon Bay in the late 1800s.
When they arrived, they found a retail location they liked, bought out all the existing inventory, and took it over.
Soon after, two more brothers, Adrien and Armand, arrived. The four brothers decided one way to secure repeat customers was to extend credit. This played a significant role in the growth of their business.
They managed to keep items in stock because once a week, one of the brothers took a wagon up to San Francisco and procured the most up-to-date goods. This included early morning visits to the fruit and vegetable wholesalers.
The brothers expanded their business by operating the local post office and the Wells Fargo Express Agency.
In 1879, they opened a second store in San Gregorio, which was run by Fernand. He also was a postmaster as well as a saloon keeper.
A third store was opened when brother Joseph moved to Pescadero.
Since the area was largely rural, they decided to provide door-to-door sales. This added feature was welcomed by the local housewives who enjoyed shopping at home. They also used the "high tech" of the day (telegraph) to fill orders in 24 hours.
Not far away, there was a herd of cattle. Armand saw an opportunity, so he decided to open a cheese factory which added to the family's already expanding operations.
The brothers owned several hundred acres of land in the area and kept expanding. This time the new venture was a lumber mill near Pescadero, which opened in 1891.
Still, more expansion came from the brothers running the first telephone exchange on the coast.
Part of their success was due to the brothers' rather charismatic personalities and going the extra mile to ensure the customer's needs were met.
They were a close-knit family and kept many of their old-world European traditions alive.
Around 1900 a major change took place. The family decided to come over the hill onto the Peninsula. They sold their vast holdings and opened a large store in San Mateo.
In an ongoing effort to keep up with the times, they purchased their first delivery truck in 1910. However, they didn't stop there.
They expanded into the automobile business by opening Buick dealerships in San Mateo and Burlingame.
In 1952, the San Mateo store relocated and installed the city's first escalator. This is where Draeger's is located today.
Retail operations expanded to South San Francisco, Redwood City, and later into Foster City and Vacaville. The main focus shifted away from groceries and hardware to fine clothing.
Eventually, the overall operation began to suffer against major chain operations, and in 1986 the once robust retail business put the "closed" sign out for good.
Everything else is just history…
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphasis on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
