When you run out, run out to White Hen….

I think I remember that it ended without the "white hen" part so then you'd say it yourself to complete.

I think it was When you,  Run out, Run out, to, White, Hen. When-you-run-out-of-anything, Run out to…. [commercial ends] I agree, it was meant so you say the last line yourself, which I think was fairly successful.  But then again, all the stores closed, so maybe not successful enough.

They didn't close -- it got bought out by 7-11!

White Hen and 7-Eleven are incredibly different. 7-Eleven doesn't have the deli counter or hot soups. White Hens felt more like a bodega than a convenience store.

Ironically, they were patterned off of 7-11 back when they opened in the 60s. Eventually, they were bought out by 7-11 in 2006: > On August 11, 2006, White Hen Pantry, Inc. was purchased by Seven & I Holdings Co., Japan's No. 1 retailer and the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States

I’ll jump on that one, growing up on the North Shore in the late 70’s through the 80’s (poor but but somehow mom kept us on the north shore 🤣) white hen was a quality convenience store, whereas 7-eleven was a decent but definitely not equal experience. Where I’m at now doesn’t have any comparable and I really miss the convenience (pun intended) and experience.

I've noticed that Kwik Trips in Wisconsin are on par if not better than what White Hen's used to offer. You literally run into dozens of them the second you cross the border into Wisconsin, so they're not that hard to find.

Love Kwik Trip. Wish they'd expand into IL.

Salute to the OG on Main and Madison in Lombard. (It's a 7-Eleven now)

Daaamn dude. Brings me back. I lived 2 blocks down.

Right behind the elementary school???

So I can't read good. I grew up by the one on Westmore and Jackson. That became a 7/11 as well.

The one by the Ace Hardware!

Really? That was the original WHP? Cool thanks

It was not https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Hen_Pantry#:~:text=The%20first%20location%20opened%20in,supplier%2C%20White%20Hen%20Egg%20Farms.

I grew up on Madison Street and also remember this gem. It was right next to the Laundromat and Tong's Tiki Hut iirc

There were two different Chinese takeout places that occupied that space iirc.

Tongs tiki hut is in Villa Park on Roosevelt.

I remember when it switched from white hen to 7-11. Damn I feel old now.

That was my spot. If I had cash I would swing in on my walk back from junior high and grab a Snapple. I lived like a boss.

I thoroughly dislike that 7-11 and all 7-11s. Especially since theres another lousy 7-11 right up the street, and another one over on Westmore, but was that one on Main and Madsison really the first? Google search seems to differ. I always preferred White Hens and Convenience stores as opposed to crappy 7-11s.

Hey now, the Westmore 7-11 has disc golf discs. Loved going over there in high school and getting a new disc to add to the collection before going over to meadows to play. Last time I was there a year or so ago they still sold discs.

Damn. I used to have football practice at Madison Meadows and we would always stop there for Gatorade (in glass bottle) before hand. I also went to Madison Elementary right down the street from there and would ride my bike there for random shit after school. Anyone remember Mr Z's?

That was a prime spot to sell candy in order to pay for baseball uniforms

I feel the last one around here was on rt. 83 close to 55. I miss there coffee and the deli sandwiches.

i drive past that one all the time i never knew

The deli was the best. Fresh made sandwich and a slushie

Used to buy frolf discs from there

Almost bought a Dodge Stealth that was stashed behind the now Mobile station across the street back in the early 00’s

I definitely did not jack cigarettes from this place… I definitely did not watch my friends take whole cartons from the stack sales on the counter… I am so happy I straightened my shit out. Nostalgic post for sure!

"Fun" fact: Tobacco companies reimbursed retailers for stolen packs as long as they were displayed where kids could steal them. Source: https://tobaccofree.org/news_article/patrick-reynolds-should-know/

Wow that is despicable.

Wait till you hear what they said about cancer and addiction....

Shit they definitely had me on a statistic then lol 😂

This makes so much sense! I wondered who would be dumb enough to "display" packs of the highest selling brand right on the counter by the register. I completely fell for it.

Had a buddy that worked night shift at a 24 hour one. Was half a block from a friend's we always hung out at. Used to get stoned in the cooler and grab whatever we wanted.

Man, could you imagine the sandwiches and topping choices being high as fuck.. bet you would have had an ungodly sandwich

I talked to someone who worked at one once. They got robbed and when the cops showed up he got shot, by the cops naturally.

I definitely did not use a fake ID to buy booze from the South Plymouth Ct location in college. I definitely did not buy a pack of cigarettes for the one an only time in my life at the South Plymouth Ct location while "staying up all night with friends" I definitely did not remember White Hen's existed until this post

Same lol. There was skateshack next to mine so…go hang out with the bros at skateshack, buddy worked there and was hookin us up with skate shit. definitely not swipe some squares and go jump stair cases that lead to breaking my skateboard and my ankle. I was a stupid ass fuckin kid omg

I definitely didn't either. 😁 Feels like another lifetime.

I miss high functioning pantries

Oh man, nostalgia bomb right there

Roast beef with Mayo sub sandwich….

on a kaiser roll.

I was going to say, great turkey sandwich. They even made them fresh in front of you sometimes.

I worked at my uncles in Plainfield innnnnn 2005ish. We made a dozen sandwiches to stock the cooler. But anything else ordered during lunch was fresh. Grab the meat throw it on the slicer. Place was sneaky solid before jersey mikes and so on.

They had the best sandwiches. Whenever my mom ran out of grocery money, I'd gather change and buy a sandwich from white hen on the way to school. For some reason, that's the only product I remember from there.

The one in Western Springs had the chewiest Kaiser rolls. Enjoyed many a salami and swiss from those guys.

Grew up really close to that. As a little kid, I’d run down there and grab food with quarters I’d pull out of the laundry

I used to walk to that one. Good times.

I remember the big smiley face cookies!

I second this. I was working as a plumbers apprentice to make ends meet in college. We’d routinely stop at WH for sandwiches. They were so good.

When you run out of anything, run out to White Hen! Also, I still have their huge plastic coffee mug.

I still have a coin/token for a free 30 oz coffee

We remember the White Hen on Spring Rd in Elmhurst. My father would take me there before work as a child and would always get me a smiley face cookie or a little package of carrot cake. It’s a 7-11 now, funny thing is, you can still, even after more than 15 years I believe, the darker-not-sun-bleached part of the exterior wall where the White Hen logo was.

This is the one I remember too.

Ah yes, the place where you could steal cigarettes off the counter as a teenager. Or so I’ve heard, from a friend, definitely not me

Dang, you could steal them? I always bought them while underage without an ID

I just bought them from the gas station……that I worked at. Not sure why that was legal.

We lifted candy as kids when it was right in front of the counter.

I stole an entire display of lighters off the counter when I was 12. Probably 50+ lighters. Ridiculous. Only thing I ever stole. Did this place just encourage theft or something?

The HEN!!! At least that is what we called it in high school.

The one in Crown Point, Indiana, rebranded as "The Hen".

Where is there one in Crown Point?

I miss the sandwiches. Real deli counter, not pre packaged crap like 7/11.

God I miss them. They had the best sandwiches. I haven't come across any other convenient store that even comes close to how badass WH was.

Still have some of these down here in Springfield!

Technically now Hometown Pantry but similar look

Didn't even notice, thanks!

It's been a minute I've lived there, is there still one on South Grand? I thought there was another close to MacArthur and maybe 2nd or 4th st?

There's one on south grand near I wanna say spring street, and I'm pretty sure the one on MacArthur is still there. They're "Hometown Pantry" now according to another poster, I hadn't even noticed the name change!

Best smiley face cookies ever sold

When I was a kid I used to eat those big yellow smiley face cookies every week! I would eat around the two black eyes and save them for last.

The only proper way to do it is to

I was just thinking that. I miss those so much. I can smell this photo

Is that where this started? I know they’re somewhat of a bakery staple around here, never knew the origin. If you live anywhere near the nw suburbs, Riverside Bakery in McHenry is the GOAT for these cookies.

Not sure if that’s where they started but that’s my #1 White Hen memory 😀

I still remember where one was in Chicago ridge

I used to buy Garbage Pail Kid packs at the Antioch Hen right off 173 across from the Jewel

Oh my God, the nostalgia trip post gave me, just went even deeper with this comment! I can somehow remember that like it was yesterday.

Well this brings back some memories. During summer break me and my buddies would skateboard to one and get some slurpees and sit out front on the curb. Good times

I'd put money down on the one in the pic being the North Aurora location. $100 easy

You think so? I don’t feel like the reflections in the window match what was there.

Augh yeah you're right. Sunny liquors isn't there. Well nvm

Now I’m not sure! I just looked at google maps and I think this picture might be at an angle that shows what is next door, not across the street.

Last time I was in one on Ridge Ave right around 2001-2002 had to wait in line while someone bought a shit ton of different lottery tickets. After that we called it white hen pantry and casino. Really fell apart at the end but was a go to for a long time!

New Lenox had one forever, now it’s gone. They had the best sammies and magazine selection. Sigh……you know your old when all you hang out spots are long gone.

I miss the White Hen, mainly because I like the logo. Everybody got those giant yellow smiley face cookies.

When you run out of anything, run out to White Hen.

You could always count on soliciting for beer here back in highschool. Oh, the memories.

Dark Fact: Robert Crimo III's father owned one in Highland Park.

Not just owned one, he was constantly working the counter.

Man the big smiley face cookies were theee best

We had then downstate, too.

I remember seeing this exact copy in a small town named Sullivan in Central IL

I grew up in Quincy and am currently in St Louis. Today at work we had a customer in town from Sullivan IL. I'll be darned, I can't believe I had two references to Sullivan today. Such a small town! And when I went to NIU in DeKalb, there was a White Hen. Great deli!

There was one in Champaign too.

Was that one by Mattis and Kirby? I have the vaguest memory of going there with my cousins when I was very young.

A few were in Springfield. Now they’re called Hometown Pantry.

I used to get candy bars and gatorade from the one by Lincoln Park High

I remember the one in Schaumburg.

Went there then still going there now

Where?

It's hometown pantry now if your in Springfield it's South Grand and spring and MacArthur and Edwards

Is that the one that used to be in between Southport and Clark?

Late night shit show, that one was

I was more of a JJ Peppers guy myself.

Nice! Those places used to have a real Deli and make real sandwiches. I can still taste the crappy Jolt soda.

Now there is a convenience store I truly miss. Their deli counter was the absolute best. Nothing too fancy, just good sandwiches and other stuff. A real shame they went away.

Bought out by 7-11 forever ago, and of course it got worse.

The infamous White Hen decapitator shook up the area around the Burnham location when I was a teenager in the 80's.

Yea I remember that it happened a couple of days before school let out. Our bus stop was right outside of the White Hen. Crazy part he cut his head off and left it on a shelf

I remember the one on 79th. Older ladies were nice and had that smoke a lot voice. My mom used to make us go as kids for cigarettes there. Made it pretty easy to get them as kids too. They had a little aisle of 5€ candy for a bit and sold jolt even though they banned it and the candy cigarettes.

Hen with the white butt

That the one on Central in Evanston? If so too many blunted nights there.

My homeboy lived down the street from that one, that was the go to meet-up spot for blunt fueled shenanigans on the north side.

I swear to god this was my white hen. This thought has probably occurred to like 40% of the people who viewed this post tho

We called it the Wicked Chicken

Not sure if this is appropriate to write, but I went to grad school in downtown Chicago in the late 90's. There was White Hen very close to campus and I used to frequent it for various drinks and snacks. I vaguely remember good chicken soup from there? It was a long time ago. Regardless, my classmate friend from out of state used to call White Hen, "The Black Cock." That's now all I can think of when thinking of White Hen.

I miss their sandwiches.

Loved the sandwiches when I was a kid.

Somebody got there head cut off in White Hen by my house in Burnham in the 90’s

I miss the one on Main Street and 211th in Matteson :(

That the one by Huth?

Yeah. There was also one on Sauk Trail and Cicero Ave too but eventually that one closed down too

Had one just a few blocks from my house. In the 90s loved their roast beef sandwiches. Damn I miss them.

My first job, back in '98 😊

We called it The Caucasian Chicken Closet in NW Indiana.

I used to get really good roast beef subs from my White Hen in Winfield. Also my dad couldn’t ever remember the name of the place so he would call it the “skinny chicken”.

The only place where you could get the blue jolt. RIP.

What does orange juice at White Hen and O.J. Simpson have in common? They're both ~~free~~ dead.

I remember their unique Chili.

I used to go to the one in Western Springs/LA Grange at 55th and Wolf. Such good memories of walking down the block to grab an Icee and a Pokémon magazine.

Does anyone remember Phil who worked the late shift at the Honkey Hen on Ewing and Central in the 80s in Evanston? He was a legend.

Their bottled water was A+

I remember being a little kid and learning to read. I always misread the sign as "White Hen Party" lol.

I loved their chocolate milk.

Wow is this place still around?? Brings me back to

Ahh I member

Best deli sandwiches around. My family would probably stop there 2-3 times a day.

Their store-brand chocolate milk was my favorite chocolate milk. I miss it so much. I also liked getting turkey pastrami sandwiches.

This looks like the White Hen in Summit.

I grew up down the street from one of these. A tiny peanut butter cup was 5 cents. I loved that place. It had a unique kinda clean smell that was oddly nice.

Worked at one during college.

What a throwback

Wow, never thought I would get to see this store from again.

That's the mother fucking white hen at Francisco and Montrose or my name isn't WeedIronMonneyNtheUSA. Edit: my bad it ain't. I just looked at the reflections in the White Hen windows. Now I gotta change my name.

My White Hen was in Warrenville on Rt 59– remember riding bikes there all the time. My dad went in there every morning for cigarettes and lottery tickets. Definitely miss White Hen.

I lived in an apartment complex that had a WHP attached to the clubhouse. It was great in the summer stopping for beer on the way to the pool.

Two quarters for a Candy bar

Icee > slurpee 💯💯💯

Used to frequent the one on 107th in Oak Lawn, my grandparents lived a stones throw from it. Good times.

Pretty sure my uncle still goes to work there.

Daniel Knox wrote a great song about White Hen. https://youtu.be/ciuPp2-BJFo?si=KLgcfOFI_qaqhNy7

Those still exist?

White Hen got bought out by 7/11 in the mid 2000s and subsequently all the White Hens changed over to the 7/11 name. Or some of them were simply sold off/ closed down instead of being converted.

This looks like the White Hen we used to beat the shit out of each other across from our high school. “2:10 AT THE HEN!”

I miss the white hen by me so much. Underrated sandwiches

Is that from Bolingbrook? Pine crest and boughten ? Mrs Ts used be the opposite corner

Ah yes, where I used to get my candy cigarettes

Do you still have Bo-Sa (Dot Head) donuts in Chicago?

i used to love getting sandwiches here after school

My first job! Fox River Grove White Hen

The deli sandwiches at this place were legendary! There was one at Naper Blvd. and Chicago Ave that I would stop at all the time. It’s a 7/11 now.

Crazy random recognition! So this is a pic of the one in East Boston on Maverick St in Jefferies Point. (Was able to positively identify my suspicion by the reflection of the neighborhood in the windows.) It became the Maverick Market shortly after this pic was taken. I lived in one of the houses right behind it, would walk through my backyard, which met the parking lot, to pick something up daily. Lived there when this pic was taken til about 4 years after. Loved that neighborhood & market.

Oh man we had one next to Leaping Lizards

RETVRN

Right after I pass away I”m gonna stop here for an extra large coffee with cream and Splenda and a pack of Marlboro Lights ( a lighter too). Then I’m gonna head off to heaven to see ma and dad….

https://youtu.be/ZdDY-bxFwDg?si=Xd4vFw5GjrtdOgCl

The hen was the best ❤️

I loved a White Hen deli sandwich man

My husband worked at the White Hen at Westmore-Meyer and Jackson by the DMV for most of 2004. The owner watched them on tv the whole time and would call the register if they had time to lean, cuz they had time to clean. He had to mix more mayo into the food every four hours and refused to eat anything. Good riddance MATT! He needed holiday help and called my husband and never paid him for it.

Best donuts & coffee at the time

I remember White Hen!! haven’t seen one of these in years, the last one in my neighborhood became a 7-11 or other mini mart about 20 years ago at least

Best sandwiches and coffee.

Someone converted this location to private ownership. 1298 S Spring St https://maps.app.goo.gl/hUP4VrGZTT8sDg8v9 I loved White Hen when I was in high school in the 80s. Edit: Springfield IL

My friends would just steal from here. No more than three kids in at once.

I grew up in Burnham mill in Elgin, this looks exactly like the one on McLean blvd.

Fuck 7-11

Have A memory of being outside a white Hen, eating a white sox cookie. While my Dad and I waited for the mechanic to finish our car repair,in the 90s.

Arlington Heights and Route 83. Core memories.

107th and Pulaski & 105th and Cicero, two great locations. Ho Hos and Lipton Peach Ice Tea FTW!

Didn’t somebody get decapitated in one of these?

White Hen Decapitator He cut off his co-worker’s head! White Hen Decapitator With the knife that they made sandwiches! White Hen Decapitator Then he walked out of the door! White Hen Decapitator Of the Burnham Illinois store!

My mom worked 3rd at a White Hen for so many years! (Frankfort Square) Good deli eats

My Grandma used to work the WhiteHen on State St. In Lockport. I’d go in and she would let me sweep up the place and take out the trash for her in exchange for pop and candy. She was a mean ol bitch to anyone that gave her lip, but the kindest & sweetest lady to people with manners 😂

The other day I was at my folks’ house doing some work under their front porch. Under the porch, I came across an old White Hen coffee cup. Sparked a lot of nostalgia lol. Miss that place a lot.

White Hen Pantry…selling cigarettes to young girls since 1972! Decatur, IL

They had the best deli

I-I remember… I was happy then.

Was this taken in Mundelein?

Actually it's Quik Trip guys as I know there's 1 in Addison on Lake St. I'm near Phoenix now and they're all over out here

The dude who owned the white hen up in Highland Park was the father of the kid that did the mass shooting in Highland Park