Guide to the Kassis Family collection
Claire Tynan and Leslie Trew
Center for Sacramento History
551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.
Sacramento, California 95811-0229
Phone: (916) 808-7072
Fax: (916) 264-7582
Email: csh@cityofsacramento.org
URL: http://www.centerforsacramentohistory.org/
© 2020
Center for Sacramento History. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Kassis Family collection
Collection number: MS0074
Center for Sacramento History
Sacramento, CA
- Processed by:
- Claire Tynan and Leslie Trew
- Date Completed:
- 2011
- Encoded by:
- Kim Hayden
© 2020 Center for Sacramento History. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Kassis Family collection
Dates: 1902-2003
Collection number: MS0074
Collection Size:
7.83 linear feet (5 cartons, 1 newspaper box, 2 film reels)
Repository:
Center for Sacramento History
Sacramento, California 95811-0229
Abstract: The Kassis Family collection documents the family and their Sacramento-area businesses. The family is best known for starting
the Stop-N-Shop chain of grocery stores and Arden Fair Mall. Material dates from 1902 to 2003 and includes operational and
administrative records, financial records, legal documents, photographs, promotional material, and personal papers.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection is open for research use.
Publication Rights
All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted
in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron.
No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], Kassis Family collection , MS0074, Center for Sacramento
History.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Greg Kassis in 2009 (accession number 2009/036).
Processing Information
Processing and finding aid by Claire Tynan and Leslie Trew, 2011. Finding aid updated by Nicholas Piontek and Kim Hayden,
2020.
Biography / Administrative History
The Kassis Family is best known in Sacramento for operating the Stop-N-Shop chain of grocery stores. A. G. Kassis, a Lebanese
immigrant, married Maggie Shikan on September 15, 1906. They had five sons: Frank, Lewis (Lou), Eddie, John, and Walter. The
family came to Sacramento in the 1920s, and in 1928, A. G. and his sons opened a watermelon stand at 28th and Broadway. The
business grew and quickly developed into the Stop-N-Shop grocery store. The family opened more stores in the following decades,
and the chain grew to 12 stores. All of the sons, except John who became a doctor, were involved in the operations of the
Stop-N-Shop stores. The Kassis brothers also became interested in other real estate and commercial development. Their most
successful foray into other businesses was the creation of the Arden Fair Mall.
Frank Kassis, was born April 28, 1910. He married Muriel and they had five children: Frank Jr., Ronald, Karen, Patricia, and
Kerry. Lewis Kassis was born May 2, 1912. He married Helen and they had two children: Gregory and Nancy. Edward Kassis was
born January 6, 1914, and married Marie. They had three children named James, Janice, and John. John Kassis was born August
7, 1916. Not much else is known about John, except that he became a doctor and was a silent partner with Kassis Investment.
Walter Kassis was born on February 8, 1919, and married Margaret. They had three children: Stephen, Gerald, and David Allen.
Many of the grandchildren were also active in family businesses.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Kassis Family collection documents the family and their Sacramento-area business ventures, the best known being the Stop-N-Shop
chain of grocery stores and Arden Fair Mall. Material dates from 1902 to 2003 and includes operational and administrative
records, financial records, legal documents, photographs, promotional material, and personal papers. The collection is divided
into four series specific to Arden Fair, the family, Stop-N-Shop, and other family business ventures.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 5 series:
- Series 1. Arden Fair, 1955-1990
- Series 2. Kassis family, 1902-2002
- Series 3. Stop-N-Shop, 1936-2003
- Series 4. Other business ventures, 1950-2000
- Series 5. Unprocessed promotional items and newspapers, ca. 1935-2000
Separated Material
Some artifacts were removed from the archival collection and can be found by using the search term “2009/036” in our online
catalog: sacramento.pastperfectonline.com.
Series 1.
Arden Fair
1955-1990
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains material related to Arden Fair Shopping Center, including articles, administrative and operational records,
promotional material, correspondence, financial records, lease agreements, legal documents, logo and service mark registration,
photographs, sale records, and title documents.
Box 1, Folder 1
Articles/Promotional Materials
1956-1990
General
Newspaper clippings from Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Union, PG&E Progress, SMUD High Lines, and unknown newspapers; Advertisements;
Carousel Postcards; Arden Fair Directory
Box 1, Folder 2
Correspondence
1955
General
Letter to Frank Kassis; Map with construction location
Box 1, Folder 3
Financial Records
1969; 1974
General
Tenant Ledger; Tax Form 1065: U.S. Partnership Return of Income
Box 1, Folder 4
Lease Agreements
1958-1967
General
Accounting information; Basic Agreements; Correspondence; Lease Agreement and Amendment
Box 1, Folder 5
Legal: Cavanaugh vs. Arden Fair
1983
General
Correspondence; Deposition Subpoena
Box 1, Folder 6
Logo/Service Mark Registration
1988
General
Certificate; Advertisement featuring logo
Box 1, Folder 7
Photographs
1956; undated
General
Negatives; Prints of Construction and Shops
Box 1, Folder 8
Documents: Sale of Arden Fair
1966-1975
General
Correspondence; Lease History; Memorandum of Lease; Ledgers
Box 1, Folder 9
Title Documents
1968
General
First Amended Report; Print Out of Title Search; Assessor Parcel Map
Box 4
Aerial photographs
undated
General
Two aerial photographs of Arden Fair.
Series 2.
Kassis family
1902-2002
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series consists of personal material arranged by family member, specifically by brothers Edward, Frank, Lewis, and Walter.
Material includes personal and gift tax records, photographs, correspondence, and news clippings relating to each individual
and their families. There is also more general Kassis brothers material not arranged by a specific individual, including birth
and citizenship affidavits, a genealogical report, group and unidentified photographs, legal documents, and a small amount
of information on John Kassis.
Box 1, Folder 10
Edward Kassis: Photographs
undated
Box 1, Folder 11
Edward Kassis: Personal Taxes
1938-1970
Box 1, Folder 12
Edward Kassis: Gift Taxes
1941-1952
Box 1, Folder 13
Frank Kassis: Burial
1998
Box 1, Folder 14
Frank Kassis: Personal Correspondence
1953-1987
Box 1, Folder 15
Frank Kassis: Legal: Frank Jr. Accident
1961-03-22
Box 1, Folder 16
Frank Kassis: News/Article Clippings
1950-1998; undated
Box 1, Folder 17
Frank Kassis: Photographs
undated
Box 1, Folder 18
Frank Kassis: Taxes: Personal and Gift Taxes
1951-1956
Box 1, Folder 19
Lewis Kassis: Personal Correspondence
undated
Box 1, Folder 20
Lewis Kassis: 90th Birthday planning
2002
Box 1, Folder 21
Lewis Kassis: News/Article Clippings
1951-1992
Box 1, Folder 22
Lewis Kassis: Personal
1937-1956
Box 1, Folder 23
Lewis Kassis: Gift Taxes
1940-1956
Box 1, Folder 24
Lewis Kassis: Photographs
undated
Box 1, Folder 25
Lewis Kassis: Helen Passing
1994
Box 1, Folder 26
Walter Kassis: Personal Taxes
1940-1955
Box 1, Folder 27
Kassis Brothers: Birth and Citizenship Affidavits
1902-1961
Box 1, Folder 28
Kassis Brothers: Genealogical Report on Kassis Families
1991
Box 1, Folder 29
Kassis Brothers: Correspondence
1963-1986
Box 1, Folder 30
Kassis Brothers: Legal Documents
1952-1966
Box 1, Folder 31
Kassis Brothers: Memorial Fund
1955-1956
Box 1, Folder 32
Kassis Brothers: News/Article Clippings
1951-1997
Box 1, Folder 33
Kassis Brothers: Group Photographs
undated
Box 1, Folder 34
Kassis Brothers: Unknown Photographs
undated
Box 1, Folder 35
Kassis Brothers: Death Taxes
1952; undated
Box 1, Folder 36
Kassis Brothers: Trust Agreements
1952
Box 1, Folder 37
Kassis Brothers: Wills
undated
Series 3.
Stop-N-Shop
1936-2003
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series is made up of materials related to the Stop-N-Shop grocery chain, including financial records, contact lists,
insurance documents, records of day-to-day operations of the stores, correspondence, business analysis collected by the Kassises,
advertisements for Stop-N-Shop private brand labels, promotional materials, photographs, and newspaper clippings.
Box 2, Folder 1-7
Operations: Store # 1 - 11
1936-1948
Box 2, Folder 8-19
Operations: Financial Documents
1947-1980
Box 2, Folder 20
Operations: Insurance Documents
1951
Box 2, Folder 21
Operations: Contacts
undated
Box 2, Folder 22
Operations: Stock certificates
undated
Box 2, Folder 23
Operations: Store Operations Manual
undated
Box 2, Folder 24
Operations: Supplier information
undated
Box 2, Folder 26-27
Business Analysis
1953-2003; undated
Box 3, Folder 1
Advertisements and Promotions: Private brand labels
1964; undated
Box 3, Folder 2
Advertisements and Promotions: Jingle
undated
Box 3, Folder 3-4
Advertisements and Promotions: Shopping bag
undated
Box 3, Folder 5-6
Advertisements and Promotions: Miscellaneous promotional materials
undated
Box 4
Audio recordings on phonographic records
undated
Box 3, Folder 7-8
Photographs: General Stop-N-Shop
1950-1957; undated
Box 3, Folder 9
Photographs: Stop-N-Shop Store #1
undated
Box 3, Folder 10
Photographs: Stop-N-Shop Store #11
1955
Box 3, Folder 11
Photographs: Stop-N-Shop Woodland Store
undated
Box 3, Folder 12
Newspaper articles
1949-1994
Box 6
16mm color silent film of Stop-N-Shop store interior and possibly and opening celebration with the Kassis Family.
ca. 1953
Box 7
16mm color sound film of Stop-N-Shop store interior and possibly and opening celebration with the Kassis Family. Also shows
a Sacramento business district.
ca. 1953
Series 4.
Other business ventures
1950-2000
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series includes material on several smaller entrepreneurial efforts by the Kassis family: Kassis Investment Company,
the Ambassador Hotel, Wholesale Cash and Carry, Fort Sutter Building, Hormel Girls Show, Pin Setters Incorporated, the 88¢
store, the El Camino Center, and Frank and Lewis Kassis Rentals. The series also includes newspaper clippings related to these
business ventures.
Box 3, Folder 13
Kassis Investment Company: Brochures
undated
Box 3, Folder 14
Kassis Investment Company: Meeting Minutes
1971-1981
Box 3, Folder 15
Kassis Investment Company: Meeting Minutes and Correspondence
1956-1981
Box 3, Folder 18
Wholesale Cash and Carry
1964-2000; undated
Box 3, Folder 19
Fort Sutter Building
1963-1970
Box 3, Folder 21
Pin Setters Inc.
1970-1971
Box 3, Folder 24
Frank and Lewis Kassis Rentals
1953-1957
Box 3, Folder 26
Kassis Brothers Consolidation
1965
Box 3, Folder 27-28
Newspaper Clippings
1950-1962
Series 5.
Unprocessed promotional items and newspapers
ca. 1935-2000
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series is unprocessed. It contains branded promotional material for the Kassis Brothers and Stop-N-Shop stores, including
slide rules and rulers; matchbooks from Kassis businesses and other Sacramento businesses; Stop-N-Shop 5-year pins, employee
badges, shirts, and patches; lighters; a Food Circus tray; entire local and national newspapers with articles related to the
Kassis family and their business ventures; awards; menus from the Trotter Room, Carousel Restaurant, and Carousel Coffee Shop;
a recipe box; a tie; and other items.
Box 4
Unprocessed newspapers
ca. 1935-1970
General
Entire newspapers with articles about the Kassis family and their bussiness ventures. Most are local newspapers, such as
the Sacramento Bee, but others are also including, like the Wall Street Journal.
Box 4
Unprocessed menus
undated
General
Menus from the Trotter Room, Carousel Restaurant, and Carousel Coffee Shop.
Box 5
Unprocessed promotional items
undated
General
"Includes branded promotional material for the Kassis Brothers and Stop-N-Shop stores, including slide rules and rulers; matchbooks
from Kassis businesses and other Sacramento businesses; Stop-N-Shop 5-year pins, employee badges, shirts, and patches; lighters;
a Food Circus tray; entire local and national newspapers with articles related to the Kassis family and their business ventures;
awards; menus from the Trotter Room, Carousel Restaurant, and Carousel Coffee Shop; a recipe box; a tie; and other items.
