Grocery

The Pantry Corporate Office

The Pantry was founded in 1967 in North Carolina by Sam Wornom and Truby Proctor, Jr.

The company grew slowly but steadily throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, with the owners taking out loans on existing stores to buy new stores.

The company began to have problems in the 1980’s and Wornom sold his share in the company to Montrose Capital in 1987. Montrose later gained control of the company when it bought half of co-founder Proctor’s shares in 1990.

Proctor sold his remaining shares to Freeman Spogli & Co., a Los Angeles-based investment firm, in 1995.

In 1997 The Pantry bought Lil’ Champs, a 479-store chain, with stores in Florida and Georgia. This kicked off a buying spree for The Pantry, and it acquired 350 stores buy buying out small chains.

The company went public in 1999.

Today The Pantry is the largest independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States. The Pantry has 1,655 locations in 13 states.

The Pantry

The Pantry was founded in 1967 in North Carolina by Sam Wornom and Truby Proctor, Jr.

The company grew slowly but steadily throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, with the owners taking out loans on existing stores to buy new stores.

History

Proctor sold his remaining shares to Freeman Spogli & Co., a Los Angeles-based investment firm, in 1995.

In 1997 The Pantry bought Lil’ Champs, a 479-store chain, with stores in Florida and Georgia. This kicked off a buying spree for The Pantry, and it acquired 350 stores buy buying out small chains.

The company went public in 1999.

Today The Pantry is the largest independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States. The Pantry has 1,655 locations in 13 states.

Casey’s General Stores Corporate Office

Casey’s General Stores began in 1959 when Donald Lamberti leased a service station from his father in Des Moines, Iowa. After operating it for nine years, he purchased a service station in nearby Boone, Iowa and named it Casey’s after the friend that gave him the tip on the sale.

This location was a success, and Lamberti began to buy more stores in small towns of less than 5,000 people.

In 1970 Casey’s had 118 stores and opened its first warehouse.

In 1982 the company opened a distribution center, and in 1983 began publicly trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol: CASY

In 1996 Casey’s opened it’s one-thousandth store and exceeded $1 billion in sales.

In 2010 the company expanded to Oklahoma, in 2011 to Arkansas, in 2012 in Kentucky, and to North Dakota in 2013.

In January 2020, Casey’s announced plans to build about 350 new locations over the next three years.

The company also had the honor of ringing the bell to start off the offical trading on the NASDAQ.

In September 2023, the company hit record sales with its ready-to-cook pizza.

Today Casey’s General Store is a chain of 2,500 convenience stores in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Arkansas. Casey’s has 36,000 employees and had $9.35 billion in revenue in 2019.

Casey's General Store

This location was a success, and Lamberti began to buy more stores in small towns of less than 5,000 people.

History

In 1970 Casey’s had 118 stores and opened its first warehouse.

In 1982 the company opened a distribution center, and in 1983 began publicly trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol: CASY

In 1996 Casey’s opened it’s one-thousandth store and exceeded $1 billion in sales.

In 2010 the company expanded to Oklahoma, in 2011 to Arkansas, in 2012 in Kentucky, and to North Dakota in 2013.

In January 2020, Casey’s announced plans to build about 350 new locations over the next three years.

The company also had the honor of ringing the bell to start off the offical trading on the NASDAQ.

In September 2023, the company hit record sales with its ready-to-cook pizza.

A&P Corporate Office

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. was founded by George Gilman in 1850 as Gilman & Company as a leather tanning business. After Gilman’s father died he entered the coffee and tea business, turning the tanning business over to his brother.

Originally Gilman & Company was a wholesaler, but in 1863 the company entered retail, changing the name to the Great American Tea Company. By acting as both wholesaler and retailer, the company was able to offer low prices and quickly expanded.

In 1878 the company had 70 stores, in 1915 1,600 stores, and in 1925 13,961 stores.

A&P suffered greatly during a backlash against chain stores during the Great Depression, but ultimately survived.

In the 1950’s A&P began a dramatic downward spiral, which began a 50-year fall from the world’s largest retailer to bankruptcy.

In 2000 the company was down to 500 stores. In 2010 with its stock trading at less than $1, A&P filed for bankruptcy. The company emerged from bankruptcy a privately-held company with 300 stores.

Today A&P is a supermarket and liquor store chain. Its liquor stores operate under the name Best Cellars. Its supermarkets operate under the names A&P, Food Basics, The Food Emporium, PathMark, superfresh, and Waldbaums. A&P has 28,500 employees and had $6.7 billion in profit in 2012.

The company filed for bankruptcy in July of 2015 and closed all locations by November 2015, going out of business permanently.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc.

In 1878 the company had 70 stores, in 1915 1,600 stores, and in 1925 13,961 stores.

History

A&P suffered greatly during a backlash against chain stores during the Great Depression, but ultimately survived.

In the 1950’s A&P began a dramatic downward spiral, which began a 50-year fall from the world’s largest retailer to bankruptcy.

In 2000 the company was down to 500 stores. In 2010 with its stock trading at less than $1, A&P filed for bankruptcy. The company emerged from bankruptcy a privately-held company with 300 stores.

The company filed for bankruptcy in July of 2015 and closed all locations by November 2015, going out of business permanently.

QuikTrip Corporate Office

Chester Cadieux opened the first QuikTrip in Tulsa in 1958 with a $16,000 loan. The first QuikTrip stocked limited groceries and charged a high price for the convenience.

QuikTrip was successful and Cadieux quickly reached and passed his goal of opening 10 more stores in the Tulsa area. In 1971 QuikTrip began to sell self-service gasoline.

In 1980 QuikTrip introduced its own private label of gasoline, Redline. At the same time, the company began to introduce larger stores in high-traffic areas and canopies over the self-service gas pumps to protect customers from the wind and rain.

In the mid-1980s QuikTrip expanded to St Louis and Atlanta, and to Dallas-Fort Worth in Phoenix in 2000.

Starting in the 1990s, the company faced increasing competition from oil companies, who began to add convenience stores to their gas stations. One example is the Star Markets at Texaco stations. This competition eventually led to a decrease in the price of gasoline in 1993, which reduced the profit margin on gasoline but garnered volume sales for the company.

Today QuikTrip has more than 900 stores in the Midwest and the Southern United States. The company has 13,000 employees and had $9.16 billion in revenue in 2017.

While QuikTrip has 5 locations in the greater Illinois area, the company is expanding even further by remodeling old Kmart stores into QuikTrip stores in 2022.

QuikTrip sponsored a mobile app raffle to increase usage between September 2022 and the end of October that same year.

QuikTrip maintains a corporate office in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

QuikTrip

Chester Cadieux opened the first QuikTrip in Tulsa in 1958 with a $16,000 loan. The first QuikTrip stocked limited groceries and charged a high price for the convenience.

QuikTrip was successful and Cadieux quickly reached and passed his goal of opening 10 more stores in the Tulsa area. In 1971 QuikTrip began to sell self-service gasoline.

History

In the mid-1980s QuikTrip expanded to St Louis and Atlanta, and to Dallas-Fort Worth in Phoenix in 2000.

Today QuikTrip has more than 900 stores in the Midwest and the Southern United States. The company has 13,000 employees and had $9.16 billion in revenue in 2017.

While QuikTrip has 5 locations in the greater Illinois area, the company is expanding even further by remodeling old Kmart stores into QuikTrip stores in 2022.

QuikTrip sponsored a mobile app raffle to increase usage between September 2022 and the end of October that same year.

QuikTrip maintains a corporate office in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sheetz Corporate Office

G. Robert “Bob” Sheetz decided to purchase one of his father’s five dairy stores in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The store was so successful that Bob hired his brother Steve to come and work for him.

In 1963 he opened his second store under the name of Sheetz Kwik Shopper and in 1968 the third. In 1969 Bob’s brother Steve joined the company as the General Manager. The brothers began to open one store per year until 1972 when they opened five stores. In 1973 Sheetz added self-service gas pumps to all new locations.

By 1983 Sheetz had 100 stores and Bob decided it was time to retire. Steve became President of the company.

In 1995 Bob’s son, Stan Sheetz, became president of the company and Steve graduated to Chairman of the Board. To this day, Sheetz remains a family business.

The company began selling their own brand of cola, It!, but decided to stop selling it in favor of Pepsi and Coke products in the late 1990’s.

The company still offers many of its own products, including canned ice coffee and ground coffee, as well as merchandise, such as magnets, T-shirts, hoodies, and hats.

Besides fuel, the company is perhaps best known for their MTO (Made to Order) menu, which includes items such as burgers, hot dogs, pizzas, burritos, breakfast items, and salads.

Sheetz is also trying to change the alcohol sales laws in Pennsylvania, which do not allow convenience stores to sell beer or alcholic drinks of any kind. On June 15, 2009, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave Sheetz permission to sell beer only for takeout, under the condition that it is also available to drink on site.

Almost all Sheetz locations, with very few exceptions, sell gasoline.

Today Sheetz owns and operates 600 + combination convenience stores and gas stations throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Sheetz has more than 17,000 employees and had $6.1billion in revenue in 2015.

Sheetz, Inc.

History

By 1983 Sheetz had 100 stores and Bob decided it was time to retire. Steve became President of the company.

In 1995 Bob’s son, Stan Sheetz, became president of the company and Steve graduated to Chairman of the Board. To this day, Sheetz remains a family business.

The company began selling their own brand of cola, It!, but decided to stop selling it in favor of Pepsi and Coke products in the late 1990’s.

The company still offers many of its own products, including canned ice coffee and ground coffee, as well as merchandise, such as magnets, T-shirts, hoodies, and hats.

Besides fuel, the company is perhaps best known for their MTO (Made to Order) menu, which includes items such as burgers, hot dogs, pizzas, burritos, breakfast items, and salads.

Almost all Sheetz locations, with very few exceptions, sell gasoline.