When you walk through downtown Gilbert today, it’s hard to imagine that this historic area used to be home to several grocery stores — including Liberty Market, whose building has been turned into a popular restaurant of the same name. In contrast, Sam Lee Grocery survives only in photos, but it was a mainstay downtown, offering pantry staples and fresh produce, for nearly half a century.
According to the Gilbert Historical Museum, Sin Kee Ong moved to Arizona from China in the 1910s. Along with his father and one of his two brothers, he built the grocery store at the southeast corner of what now are Cullumber Avenue and Gilbert Road in 1921. The family named it Sam Lee, which means “Lucky Three” and referred to Ong and his two brothers.
In 1935, Ong’s father returned to China and Ong’s other brother came to Arizona to help run the store. At one time, all three brothers were involved; later, one of Ong’s brothers moved to Coolidge and the other served in World War II before relocating to California. Ong stayed in Gilbert and operated the market with his wife, Yee Shee. Their entire family, including their son, his wife and their seven children, lived in the back of the store.
Sam Lee Grocery, Liberty Market and nearby Center Market all were owned by Chinese families. According to a 2015 story in The Arizona Republic, the three stores had a tradition of advertising specials with large banners, as seen in the photo above.
One of those specials was the result of a natural disaster. In 1938, a flood destroyed the labels on canned goods the Ongs had stored in the grocery’s basement. Rather than let the food go to waste, the family sold the unmarked cans as “mystery” items for a discount, giving shoppers a surprise when they returned home and learned what they’d be cooking that day.
The Ong family operated Sam Lee Grocery for 47 years, until its closure in 1968. The corner where it once stood is now a parking lot that serves the bustling crowds in today’s Gilbert Historic District.