Tinnell’s Finer Foods

The story below is from our November/December 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you! 

The well-known grocery spot was a main staple in the Crystal Spring neighborhood.

Open the doors of Crystal Spring Grocery Co. in South Roanoke, and you’ll feel a neighborly vibe with a gourmet twist.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, a family enjoyed brunch at an outdoor table, while inside, a few customers studied pimento cheese, soups, fried chicken, and more available in a refrigerated grab-and-go display. Others placed orders at a deli counter at the back of the shop.

The 4,000-square-foot store’s open floor plan, sparkly white floors, and buzz of activity create quite the welcoming aura – not unlike its predecessor.

For 82 years, Tinnell’s Finer Foods was a neighborhood staple in the same location at 2205 Crystal Spring Ave. The well-known grocer, pictured here in the 1940s and owned by Buddy Tinnell and Kitty Tinnell Marechal, even would travel door-to-door to gather customers’ food orders and deliver them to their homes.

Rett Ward, the owners’ grandson, spent years helping his grandparents at Tinnell’s, and eventually he took over as owner.

But as shopping preferences and grocery competition changed, Ward decided to make a change, too. In 2019, he sold Tinnell’s to Lauren and Whit Ellerman, who vowed to maintain its same community charm.

Now, Tinnell’s has been transformed into Crystal Spring Grocery Co., a grab-and-go specialty food establishment with lunch and brunch dining, retail beer and wine. 

The story below is from our November/December 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!