The First Generation at B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli
John R. Brooks & J. Archie Brooks

Two Brooks Brothers had a dream after a fire at Gilligan’s store which was located in at Indianola Road and Hillside. Helping their father rebuild the store, John R Brooks, age 17 and J. Archie Brooks, age 16, decided they wanted to go into the grocery business.

They’re dream was realized when Gilligan leased them the building on May 15, 1922.  They bought their inventory to open up with by cashing in war bonds they had bought with money they made selling candy on the train to Camp Dodge during World War I. They opened on May 20, 1922.  Archie quit school and worked while John worked and finished his senior your at East High.

In 1925, they opened another store at SE 6th and Hartford which John ran while Archie stayed at the Hillside store. In 1936, they built a new building next to the SE 6^th and Hartford store and merged together into a new store. At this time, the name was changed to the present name, B&B Grocery. John and Archie stayed in that location throughout the 40’s and 50’s.

Archie passed away in December of 1957. John R. Brooks continued running B&B with Gwen Brooks and with the help of Archie’s two son’s John A. Brooks and J. Archie Brooks, jr.

In 1962, B&B Grocery purchased the building of former DeYoung's Grocery.  They remodeled the store and enlarged the building so that they could bring their community of the Des Moines Southside one of the finest markets with the best quality meats and the best value in grocery available.  This location continues to be the current location of B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli.

John R. retired in 1965, at which time B&B continued to be operated by Gwen (J. Archie Brooks’ widow) and her new husband Dale Rummans. They continued to serve the Des Moines area community until they moved to Rio Rico, Arizona in 1971.


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The Second Generation at B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli
John A. Brooks & J. Archie Brooks, Jr

John A. Brooks started working at B&B when he was 10 years old. His father paid him a small wage to help out at the store. By the time he was 14, John A. was ordering and buying inventory for the store. After his father (J. Archie Brooks) died in 1957, John A and his uncle (John R.) ran the store with his mother Gwen.

J. Archie Brooks, jr started working at B&B when he was in school. He served in the Marines during Vietnam and returned to work in the family store in 1967. John A. and J. Archie jr. ran the store just like their father and their uncle did when B&B Grocery was opened in 1922.

John A. Brooks bought B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli in 1977 with his wife Becky. They continued to run the family business with the help of their seven children. All of whom had worked at B&B at some point, but only John A. jr and Joe decided to make the family business their career.

It was under John’s leadership that the family grocery store added a new dimension to their business. In the early 1980’s workers were coming in the store and drooling over the sandwiches that John and his kids were making for themselves.

Soon, B&B was offering deli sandwiches to their customers. One railroad worker walked into B&B and exclaimed he wanted a “Killer Sandwich”. Since then, the deli sandwiches at B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli have been known as “Killer” sandwiches.

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