Like breeding bunnies, the Hop In stores started popping up all over the New River Valley in the 1970's. There were two in Blacksburg - one at the far south end of town past Gables (1704 South Main to be exact) and another at 409 Draper Road (across from what was then Blacksburg Lumber, but now is the town Library).
I probably bought more beer and cigarettes (Camel filters in the brown & white pack) from Hop In than anywhere else in town.
It's funny how little 7-11 wannabes like this come and go as the decades pass. This was a great little store, it makes you wonder why they folded.
I grew up on Draper Road, and we used to walk to the Hopin to buy candy--I was a little young at the time for beer and cigarettes! ;) In high school rumor had it that you could buy alcohol there without an ID. I never tried it; I didn't get into the party scene until I hit Radford, LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for chiming in, Sharon. I'm not a bit surprised about the alcohol without ID thing .... that seemed to happen a lot back in the 70's. All you had to do was LOOK old enough.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the Hop-in at 1704 South Main Street for about a year June 74-May 75. Mostly the midnight shift. Funniest things were the stoners coming to buy hoagies that they'd heat up in the microwave while still in the wrapper. They came out like mushy soup. Then there was an old guy who came in Saturday mornings to get coffee and bananas - he wanted the bruised and/or overripe ones because we'd give them to him for free. I saw him squishing some and then wanting them for free because "no body else would want them. We had a bakery and a deli in the store. We also sold wines of all price points - all the way up to $150 a bottle! Fun place to work.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember right, I hit the drinking age just about right: when I was 18, 18 was the legal drinking age and then when I hit 21, they changed the drinking age to 21!!! I thank the Lord for a resilient liver. Jack Daniels was $7.25 a fifth at the ABC store at Gables SC when I was 15. No one ever asked for an ID card!
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