Lawrence’s Meat Company Closes After 125 Years of Serving Alamo/ Walnut Creek
ALAMO – After 125 years and 5 generations of serving the Alamo and Walnut Creek Area, Lawrence’s Walnut Creek Meat Company has closed.
Ed Lawrence, the owner of Lawrence Meats, says the expense of rent, difficult parking and dwindling business has moved him to finally close the business.
“With Richards closing, there’s not enough foot traffic. It’s made things extremely difficult,” Lawrence said. “I would have loved to keep it going, but ever since 2008, we just haven’t done much business,” he added.
Lawrence’s Walnut Creek Meat Company first opened in the Walnut Creek Market in 1910. The butcher shop was run by Fred Lawrence with his brothers, Joe and Harry, according to their website.
The business was eventually moved from its founding location in Walnut Creek to its most recent location in the Alamo Plaza Shopping Center in 1986.
Rumors of the closure have been circulating around the community since Tuesday when a “closed” sign appeared in the window of the business.
Many community members shared memories of Lawrence’s online, including Jon Jacoboni, who grew up in Walnut Creek, “My fathers first job was at Lawrence’s around 1935. He would brine the corned beef, remove the tendons from turkey legs and whatever else he was told to do. He passed away in 2010. A time gone by.”
Local historian Mark Harrigan, who runs the “680/24 Corridor History” Facebook group said he has fond memories of Lawrence’s Meat Market. He added his wife once went to a “how-to” butcher an animal put on by a Lawrence family member.
Although Sasa Sushi Restaurant occupies the original brick building where Lawrence’s Meats first opened in Walnut Creek, the painted Lawrence’s sign still remains on an exterior brick wall as a part of the downtown’s history.
4 Replies to “Lawrence’s Meat Company Closes After 125 Years of Serving Alamo/ Walnut Creek”
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sad day!
Too bad!!! This place was a staple in Alamo. The owners of Alamo Plaza are nozzles and wont be happy until every local business is out of there. Plus, all the new money in Alamo probably didnt help; no loyality!!
I will miss Lawrence’s forever. Best flavored grass-fed meats anywhere. Excellent quality steaks. I grew up here and they were my go to butcher for over 30 years. I saw the paper sign when it went up as I was going across the street to buy steaks for dinner. I just stopped in the middle of the parking lot and tears welled up in my eyes. I am still upset and I feel so bad for the Lawrence family. I loved that market and the history. I loved the localness of it. And yes, I want to drive http://www.DonahueSchribner.com, the owner of the plaza out of business. We have a lot of money here, yet we have a 3rd class burger place, no decent restaurants that can stay in business, way too many gym mills, and the parking is appallingly bad considering how many empty spaces there are. It is badly managed and looks run down, yet they jack up the rents and drive out unique local businesses like Richards and Lawrence’s. The only businesses that can afford to be there are chains. Alamo, with all its wealth, is between Walnut Creek and Danville, both of whom have gorgeous and thriving downtowns with a great restaurant scene and boutique shops and we have average and ordinary. Commuters have turned Danville Blvd into a 5th lane for congested freeway traffic and are killing off our town. It’s time we did something about it. It’s time we all spoke up.
My mistake. I misspelled the owner of Alamo Plaza’s website name. I just went on and gave them my opinion of their horrific management of the plaza and how upset I was about Lawrence’s closing. Sometimes we need to speak up.
http://www.donahueschriber.com/ContactUs.aspx