Sherman’s is a family-owned store that has been in business in Peoria since 1976. Jack and Sharon Sherman started the business in a one room store. The business grew and they’re now located on Glen Avenue where the old Miracle Mart used to stand. They also have stores in Bloomington and Lasalle/Peru. Jack and Sharon’s son Paul, runs the business these days.
Their philosophy on their website says they combine, “big-chain pricing with old fashioned family service.” That’s all fine and dandy, but one question that is hanging in the air like thirteen bats fresh out of a belfry is: “Can I eat my lunch in there?”
Let’s go and find out!
Off we go on a partly cloudy day. The sun is hidden nicely by a cloud and I hope it stays there till we reach our first destination, which is...
Schnucks grocery store. I thought I’d come here to get our lunch because it’s right across the street from Sherman’s and I like the salad bar here. I eat a big salad at least three times a week and I usually get it right here. And I get the same salad every time, it consists of these ingredients: Broccoli, carrot shreds, cauliflower, green and red peppers, chicken chunks, croutons and crunchy fried noodle sticks. That’s some fascinating information, isn’t it? Okay, let’s get going, the clock is ticking and we must keep moving in a forward position.
Wine is sold here. Duly noted!
It’s huge in here, but not as bad as that big, honking Hy-Vee store in Sheridan Village. I’m going to do a separate post on that soon, titled, “Hy-Vee, It’s Just Too Damned Big In Here!” Stay tuned for that! The salad bar is right over here...
See, I told you so!
This side has various forms of lettuce and spinach, assorted vegetables, sweet pickles, cubed ham, sliced chicken and that fake crab stuff which I avoid like the plague! I mean it’s bad enough if you’re an actual crab, the name alone would make you want hide in the shadows in shame, but if you’re a fake crab? Fuck that shit, I hate even thinking about stuff like this, so let’s go check out the other side of the salad bar before I take that fucking fake crab and move it to the tofu hot dog section where it belongs!
This side has pre-made salads and pasta dishes. Sometimes I get the Asian noodles over here, but not today. I’m just not in an Asian noodle mood, some days just spin that way and this is one of them.
These three bowls contain items that will add some crunch to the salad, there’s croutons, crunchy noodles and fried onion bits.
Okay, time to build today’s big salad! The excitement is starting to reach a fevered pitch over here, I tell ya!
This is Randy, who’s worked here at Schnucks for over 13 years! He told me reads the MBIP blog, which is always nice to hear!
Okay, the salad has been paid for and now let’s go across the street to Sherman’s. Let’s see if we can make it over there without having to do a “rolling blow.” (Inside joke alert for those in the know!)
We’ve successfully made it to Sherman’s parking lot. Sherman, set the Wayback Machine to 1973 and we’ll see if we can do freshman year in high school a little better than we originally did. Sherman? Sherman...Sherman...Sherman... Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...
They’re open, but the burning question is: Do they sell wine in here? Oh wait, that's not the burning question, the burning question is: Can I eat my lunch in here? Sheesh! I really need to stay focused!
I think that’s the service desk over there. This is always super-awkward when I go and ask if I can eat my lunch in here and my stomach is kind of in knots now, but it must be done, so it’s onwards we march!
This is Willie who’s in sales here at Sherman’s and for once it wasn’t really awkward at all. I asked if I could eat my lunch in here and after a brief little bit of awkwardness, Willie laughed and said we most certainly could. Here he is posing for the MBIP camera and holding the official MBIP card.
This is the smoothest, “Can I Eat My Lunch In Here?” episode we’ve done so far. Here’s Willie leading us into the lunch room.
Dennis is seated at the head of the table and look at all that food in front of him! He’s really worked up a big appetite today! I asked if I could sit down and he said I was more than welcome to join him at the table here in Sherman’s lunch room. What a nice guy!
Here’s my salad I constructed at Schnuck’s, let’s lift the lid and take a look-see, shall we? Oh, and I got a bottle of diet Snapple peach ice tea to quench my on-going, powerful thirst.
There it is, my big salad for the day! It’s colorful, crunchy and quite tasty. I used oil and vinegar for my salad dressing.
It’s delicious!
Hey look at this bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce standing on his head. Uh, Sweet Baby Ray? You want to knock that shit off? Nobody likes a show-off, especially during lunch break.
This is one of the cleanest and organized lunch rooms I’ve been in! They even have a dishwasher in here! Well, it is an appliance store after all.
And check out the state-of-the-art fridge! Nice!
Okay, the big salad has been chowed down and I thought I’d walk it off by looking around here in Sherman’s. Here’s a row of dryers, standing squat like pretty maids all in a row.
Here’s some kitchen appliances over here. I’ve rented my whole life, so I’ve never bought a kitchen appliance. I also haven’t mowed a lawn since 1977. Just two of the perks of being a lifetime apartment-dweller.
In addition to appliances, Sherman’s also has a large furniture department. Everything looks quite comfortable in here!
In my travels around Sherman’s I ran into an old pal I haven’t seen in decades, Tim Kipfer! We go way back to the old Bowl-Mor days where we’d hang out playing pinball and smoking cigarettes (filtered and unfiltered.) It was great to see Tim again! I told him to say hi to his brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Maureen. And just in case they’re reading this, we’ll say hello to them via MBP: Hi Mike and Maureen!
This is one big sectional thingy! That’s about the same amount of leather as the Village People had in their wardrobe.
They also have an extensive TV and electronics department. That TV is about the size of my apartment!
The back walls are lined with flatscreen TV’s. Gene from the BBC would be in heaven back here!
The best thing about Sherman’s is you can always find a nice place to take an afternoon nap! Thanks to everyone at Sherman’s for being good sports and playing along and we’ll see you all tomorrow!
Schnucks
4800 N. University Street
Peoria
309-690-3242
Sherman’s
1215 W. Glen Avenue
Peoria
309-691-4100
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