Earl’s Food Market began in 1945, when Earl Broyles opened a small Fredericksburg supermarket in a 20×30-foot building he built himself with help from his father-in-law. He expanded the store in 1953 and added a new wing in 1964, making it the largest grocery store in Virginia at the time. Known for being the first to stay open on Sundays and evenings—captured in its slogan, “7 days & nights—shop at Earl’s in Chatham Heights”—Broyles operated the market for 45 years before retiring and closing it in 1990, partly due to increasing competition from chain stores like Food Lion. The location is now Earl’s Tru Value Hardware.