At its peak, it was a truly great store to shop at for middle-class Americans. Up until the late 1980s, it still had a chance to thrive, but bad management sunk them. My parents used them for everything back in the day. Tools, car batteries, clothes, stoves & fridges, taxes, investment with in-store Dean Whitter kiosks & on & on.
You’re right. I can remember when many Sears stores still had their diner/snack counters too. Sears sold just about everything a middle class family needed back in the 1960s and 70s.
The Last few times I was in a Sears store I was shocked at how empty they all were. When I was young - and I worked in one when I was a teenager - they were always busy.