Granny's

A LI'L HISTORY

Granny’s Grocery & Deli is one of the oldest stores in the South Bay.  Built as a combination house and storefront in 1924, it stood long before most of the homes in Hermosa Beach.  Mr. Crawshaw, a British gentleman, operated the store until 1950.  Then, Helen and Frank Lemaster bought it on a handshake for just $25,000.  The deal included not only the store, but the 2 apartments in back and the house to the north.!  Helen and Frank ran the place for 19 years, and it was the perfect neighborhood convenience store.  Locals remember Lemaster’s Market as a friendly little market with a big candy selection and a Norman Rockwell ambiance, an American tradition, a fading breed in the South Bay.

Helen and Frank retired in 1970, and the store changed hands with varying degrees of success until Helen’s granddaughter, Shirley, and her husband, Andre, took over the store in 1992.  Lemaster’s was back in the family!  Together, they spent many months preparing the store, and by the grand re-opening, it looked beautiful!  Shortly thereafter, the deli was added, and since then Granny’s has also been known for having some of the best sandwiches in the South Bay.

In 2022, after 29 dedicated and memorable years, it was Andre and Shirley’s turn to retire.  They decided to pass the torch to longtime employee and South Bay native, Betty, and her husband, Voc. With great pride, they continue to carry on the Granny’s legacy.

Residents of and newcomers to Hermosa Beach owe it to themselves to visit this little gem where they can bask in a little Hermosa history, maybe strike up a conversation with a local, or pick up one of Granny’s famous sandwiches.