John C. Mabee

Who was John C. Mabee?

John C. Mabee was an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder whom the New York Times Company's subsidiary About.com called "a California racing icon."

A native of Seymour, Iowa, as a young man of twenty, John Mabee moved to San Diego, California due to its climate that was more suitable to his health problems, having suffered from pneumonia and bronchitis. There, he established Johnny's Market on 43rd Street. He turned that corner grocery store into the highly successful Big Bear Supermarket chain, selling it in 1991.