Tone Building

Tone Building. Heritage District. In 1918 Timmons garage was located on this site. Mr. Timmons sold the garage to Albert Tone, an accountant and Gilbert's first mail carrier, who went into business with Charles M. Blakely repairing Model T Ford automobiles. In 1924 Blakely took the business and Tone took the property and tore down the garage. In 1929 Tone built this building as a “Safeway-Pay'N Takit” store #37. The grand opening was on Friday, July 19, 1929, and it was the most modern store in Gilbert at that time. The bank failures in America later that year put the new store out of business. , The building has been used for many purposes from 1930 to the present. The Gilbert Valley Theater opened in 1936 and showed double features with world newsreels and cartoons for only 14 cents. Other businesses here have also included a dinner theater, a game center, an archery range, a deli and a church. In the late 50's Albert Serrano Jr. operated a shirt and baby shoe factory in the building. The Johnston family purchased the building in 1996. In January 1998 Joe Johnson, Tad Peelen and Tim Peelen opened Joe's Real BBQ, a Gilbert restaurant landmark and one of the most popular in the valley.