Depot -

The doors opened on June 22, 1979. The shelves were stocked with 25,000 different products, from lumber to light fixtures. But the real secret weapon wasn't the inventory—it was the orange apron. They hired passionate plumbers, electricians, and carpenters to walk customers through DIY projects, not just sell them tools. Opening day was… quiet.

The Orange Revolution Setting: Atlanta, Georgia — June 1979 The doors opened on June 22, 1979

Add more from the Reddit thread regarding crazy customer interactions. But sitting in a California coffee shop, they

But sitting in a California coffee shop, they hadn't seen an end; they saw a gap. they hadn't seen an end

They wanted to build a "depot"—a cavernous, warehouse-style, 60,000-square-foot behemoth that made other hardware stores look like toy shops. They wanted sawdust on the floor, skid marks, and prices so low they’d turn the industry upside down.