ORIGINAL: AW1Steve
Before that , the "stronger" coffees were "canned brands" like Folgers. Not very strong. And a few of us diehards would track down "eight-o'clock coffee" , an ancient brand , that had been dying for years . (eight o'clock was then sold only by the A&P chain of supermarkets, themselves dying, and featured a self-serve coffee grinder in the store, quite a novelty at the time , a "throwback" to our grandfathers day!). When the intrest in coffee resumed, eight o'clock expanded and thrived.
A & P was a rumored takeover target of Stop & Shop supermarkets in those days. Alas, it didn't work out, even though it would have benefited the customers of both chains. A large segment of the USA would have been graced with the welcoming sign "Stop & P".