339. Yellow Store Grocery 1907

Updated: Mar 24, 2022

In downtown Pensacola, there is an obscure grocery store that is well-known for their delicatessen sandwiches and salads. It's called the "Yellow Store Grocery" and is located at 131 West Belmont Street on the southeast corner of Belmont and Spring Street. Historically, the store and its adjoining house next door (#129) were built in 1910 although #129 appears in the City Directory as early as 1907. In fact, #129 was listed as a grocery that year and managed by Frederick William Klein and his wife Johanne Wilhelmine. They lived in the rear of the store to save on living expenses. Frederick was born in Germany in 1834 while his wife was born in Elgan, Prussia in 1830. He lost Johanne in 1914 and he continued to run the store with the help of his daughter Amelia. Old age forced the elderly man out of the workforce sometime before 1921 and he passed away in 1923 where he joined Johanne in St. John's Cemetery.

In 1921, the store at #131 was the property of Michael Drossos (1886-1959). He and his wife Maria Martin (1896-1980) ran the store and also lived in the rear of the building. Michael was born in Poros Argolidos, Greece and immigrated to the U.S. in 1910. Here, he met Maria Martin while she was working at the B&B Cafe as a clerk in 1918. She was the daughter of William Samuel Martin and Alfa Jane Dalcedar Branton and the young couple were married shortly thereafter. By 1924, they had moved their business and living quarters to 640 W. Gregory Street and remained in the grocery and restaurant business for the rest of their lives. Michael would pass away in March 1959 with Maria following him to St. John's Cemetery in 1980.

By 1927, another grocery took up roots there run by William N. Watson (1888-1969) and his wife Mary Ina Reddock Reid (1893-1969). Again, they made their living arrangements in the rear. Four years later, the Watson's were gone and were replaced by Jules Eugene Dubuisson Jr. (1906-1963) who called the store "Duby's Grocery Store." However, this time Jules and his new bride Agnes Ellen Emery kept a separate residence at #305 West Romana Street. But the Dubuisson family had beoame a mainstay in the grocery business decades before Duby's! Their ancestry can be traced back to France through Theodule who settled amongst the French population in Slidell, Louisiana. He would marry Miss Annie Eugenia Sellier in New Orleans shortly afterwards with at least three children born to this union. Louis A., Jules Eugene, and Mark Alphonse Dubuisson would leave Slidell one by one and head eastwards toward Pensacola. Louis was the first to leave around 1881. He went into business with E. E. Jordy and formed a grocery company called “Jordy & Dubuisson.” Next to migrate was 18-year old Mark Alphonse who reached the city on May 18, 1882 followed three weeks later by his 21-year old brother Jules (Sr). Both of the younger boys went to work for Louis and quickly learned the trade. By 1883, they were able to talk Mr. Jordy into forming another partnership in a subsidiary company between himself and the two younger brothers. The company was so successful that within a year Jules and Mark were able to buy out Jordy’s share and form their own company called J. E. Dubuisson & Company. The company, as well as the Dubuisson brothers, became a well-known icon in the Pensacola area for decades afterwards. When it was time to propose matrimony, Jules returned to New Orleans to marry Miss Henrietta Di Negro who bore him three children; Jules Eugene Jr., Louise Eugenia, and Marie Antoinette Dubuisson. Jules Eugene Dubuisson Jr. would pass away in 1963 with Agnes Ellen joining him in Holy Cross Cemetery in 2006.

The store (#129) again changed hands in 1936 when it fell under the ownership of Sebastaino Patane and his wife Nell and was called "Patane's Seafood." They too, took up residence in the rear of the building. Closeby to Sebastaino, was his parents Salvadore Alfio and Josephine Patane who ran a grocery at 234 West Intendencia Street and lived several houses down at #203. His parent would transcend into the Gulf Fish & Oyster Company at #135 West Government Street, but now had their two daughters Vera and Grace M. clerking behind the counter.

By 1940, the grocery store at #129 was being run by Vincent Samuel (1887-1965) and Veronica "Vera" S. DePaola (1901-1984). At the time, Vera was the clerk at #129 and Sam was managing their already established store at 333 West Chase Street. They both continued their residence at #129 during this time period. Vincent was born in Italy and was self employed in Baltimore, Maryland in the wholesale fruit business in 1917. After World War I began, he became a sergeant in Company "C" of the 155th Depot Brigade. Sometime before 1938, he moved to Pensacola from Baltimore where he entered the grocery business on West Chase Street before adding their second store on West Belmont. In 1941, the building at #131 was now called the "DePaola Grocery & Market." Sam would pass away in 1965 and was joined by Vera in the Prince of Peace Cemetery in Elberta, Alabama in 1984.

The year 1944 has #131 as a grocery run by William Joseph Bartel (1909-1992) and his wife Aimee (1908-1988) while they lived at 1802 North 15th Avenue. William and Aimee were from Louisiana and he came to Pensacola sometime around 1940 as the manager of the Cudahy Packing Company. Both are now buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Atmore, Alabama.

Today, the store is under the management of Abbel Mohammed and by reputation their salads and sandwiches are outstanding! All in all, the store has enjoyed a long- dedicated history to serving great food to the Pensacola community and I'm sure their fame is well-earned.