361 – 1st Street
(Lot 20, Block 9, Plan 4)
Brandon, Manitoba
Designation Date: October 29, 2001
Designation Authority: The City of Brandon
This structure was built by local entrepreneur Albert Zink in 1932 during the Great Depression. Mr. Zink and his wife Elsie operated their neighbourhood grocery store from this site until 1980 when Mr. Zink retired shortly before his death in March 1981. The store was also the location of the first sub-post office in Brandon and was truly a family affair with Albert’s son William working as the assistant manager of the store until it closed.
This relatively simple L-shaped wood frame structure has a flat tar gravel roof, concrete foundation, canopy, and enclosed porch. Many of the original elements of the food store including the meat cooler, walk-in freezer and shelving remain intact in the interior. The large store front windows are original as well. The structure is symbolic of the economic, social, and cultural development of the area and is representative of the family corner grocery store that was prevalent in neighbourhoods until the onset of the large national grocery chains. The operation of a sub-post office also made this location a place for people of the area to meet and visit while picking up their mail and buying their groceries.
Since the closing of Zink’s Food Store in 1980, the building has been occupied by several different restaurants