#ThrowbackThursday visitors have previously been introduced to two Jewish merchant families with stores on Main Street in the mid-twentieth century, the Klotzmans and the Nathews. A third was Mr. & Mrs. Ellis Hoffman who operated a similar type "5¢ to $5" store next door to Stone Jewelry.
By the 1950's, the business had become primarily a well-stocked clothing store for the entire family that included a nice selection of work clothes and men's and women's shoes. They did a big business on Saturdays and especially at "back-to-school" time. Hoffman's was the place to go for youth baseball caps and sneakers, such as U.S. Keds and P.F. Flyers. Mr. Hoffman was a stickler for making sure that his customers got a proper fit when purchasing new shoes.
After the Hoffman's closed their business in the late 1960's or 1970's, the store became a "Top Dollar" discount store, which was part of a regional chain. A much needed restaurant, The Montevallo Grille, moved into the building in the 1980's and operated for several years. Other restaurants have come and gone, with the Main Street Tavern being the most recent long-term occupant before they moved a few blocks east to take over the old bus station garage.
Elegant turn-of-the-twentieth-century pressed-tin ceiling panels have been an architectural feature of the Hoffman's store space for decades, and they remain in place today.
Thank you to Clay Nordan, Vice-President of the Montevallo Historical Society, for this information!
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