Battle Creek’s Original Discount Tire Store Closing after 44 Years

Discount Tire’s store on East Columbia in Battle Creek is about to close.   A sign in front of the store at 204 East Columbia indicates that they’ll consolidate with the other Battle Creek location at 12689 Harper Village Drive.   The final day the store will be open is August 28th, but inventories are already getting low.

In November of 1977, the company held its Grand Opening Sale in Battle Creek, offering 4-ply Blackwalls for $14.95, regular or snow tires.  Since then, it’s been the only place many of us have bought tires.

The company started small in Ann Arbor in 1960.   Bruce T. Halle rented an old plumbing supply building and started with an inventory of only six tires.  The business grew to Arizona and then back eastward and in the 1970s there were two busy stores in Kalamazoo, and then the first Battle Creek store on East Columbia in 1977.

Today, Discount Tire is America’s largest independent tire and wheel retailer. Our 1,000+ locations across 35 states.  Sadly, there will be one fewer next month.

The change at 204 East Columbia is just one of several major changes in the area just west of the Riverside Drive intersection.  Back in January, Homespun Restaurant, once known as Sambo’s, closed after 36 years and was torn down.   A new car wash is just about to open at the 210 East Columbia.

The Payless Shoes at 168 East Columbia has been closed for a few years, but is about to re-open soon as a party store, “Beer, Wine, Smokes, Glass” which will be sort of across the street from “Wild Bill’s Tobacco”.

Just down the street is “Remedii Natural Health”, a Medical Marihuana Provisioning Center.  Tony’s Hong Kong Restaurant and Comerica Bank are still there, the mainstays of the changing neighborhood.