U-Tote-Um Grocery/Convenience Stores

[Ashikaga]

Now I've just remembered something else from my days in Houston over 40 years ago. I recall us stopping by a convenience store chain called "U-Tote-Um." The sign was an indian totem pole. Does anyone else out there remember those stores? LeRoy Melcher / Melcher Investments.

Are there any popular chain convenience stores over there in Houston? If there are, what are their names? There are some Racetrac's over here. I looked up their website. It said that there are also some over in the Houston area. I saw an article in the Houston Chronicle that said that the Diamond Shamock stores in Houston are changing their names to Valero. I don't know if the ones over here will do that or not. When I last saw them, they were still Diamond Shamrock.

Chet Cuccia

[sevfiv]

funny, no recollection of "u-tote-ums", but while in oklahoma near the arkansas border, there were "tote-a-pokes," which had signs on totem poles.

valero is the parent company of diamond shamrock - they are replacing some diamond shamrocks with their regular "shamrock" brand...

[Kirzania]

... Is that like a Food Pantry?

[Ashikaga]

funny, no recollection of "u-tote-ums", but while in oklahoma near the arkansas border, there were "tote-a-pokes," which had signs on totem poles.

valero is the aprent company of diamond shamrock - but i have also noticed more "shamrock" stores (sans diamond) lately.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With all of these mergers and name changes of so many businesses, it's hard to keep up. My bank is called SouthTrust. I found out that it will formally merge with Wachovia in October and that the name of it will be changed to Wachovia at that time.

Are there any Wachovia Bank's over there in Houston?

Chet Cuccia

[ToolMan]

There used to be a U-Tote-um right by house when I was a kid. Then it was a Stop-N-Go, then a Diamond Shamrock.

But what I miss most is a 7-11 in Houston. Man a miss there icee's. Nobody elses is the same.

[sevfiv]

there are a few wachovia securities locations here, but no bank banks that i have seen, if you know what i mean...heh

[RedScare]

Man, I used to love U-Tote-Ms! Most of the Diamond Shamrock's you see around Houston, at least inside the Beltway, used to be one of 3 stores - 7-11, Circle K, or U-Tote-M. I believe 7-11 sold their stores in Houston first, when they took the company private, and needed money to pay down the debt. Circle K bought the Houston stores, I believe.

U-Tote-M sold next. They sold their Houston stores, maybe to Diamond Shamrock.

Don't know where Circle K went.

To this day, I still refer to a generic convenience store as a U-Tote-M, or a 7-11. Everyone looks at me funny, and I realize they haven't been here as long.

EDIT: ToolMan is right. There were Stop-N-Go's here as well.

[HeightsGuy]

U-Tote-M became Stop-N-Go's back in the 80's. Talk about showing my age;)

[MidtownCoog]

I think Leroy Melcher started them.

The biz school building at UH is named after him - Melcher Hall.

[MidtownCoog]

New wachovia opens soon at BW8/Wilson road, across from Fall Creek.

[sevfiv]

I think Leroy Melcher started them.

The biz school building at UH is named after him - Melcher Hall.

yep he sure did

[HeightsGuy]

What I said was based on recolection, so I put U-Tote-M into google and got this:

TSHA Online article on U-Tote-M

"The company was founded by former U-Tote'M convenience store executive F. J. Dyke, Jr., who formed a partnership to run a U-Tote'M franchise with the purchase of five convenience stores in San Antonio from Sommers Drug Stores. Upon purchase, Dyke changed the name of the Sommers stores, which had been operating under the name Stop N Go"

"In 1983 Van Horn updated the company logo and renamed all company stores Stop N Gos."

"In May 1994 NCS and the Circle K Corporation completed a transaction in which Circle K acquired NCS's eighty stores in Southern California and the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, and NCS acquired eighty-eight Circle K stores in Houston and the Metroplex of Dallas-Fort Worth. NCS now operates 709 Stop N Go stores in Texas"

[Ashikaga]

Man, I used to love U-Tote-Ms!  Most of the Diamond Shamrock's you see around Houston, at least inside the Beltway, used to be one of 3 stores - 7-11, Circle K, or U-Tote-M.  I believe 7-11 sold their stores in Houston first, when they took the company private, and needed money to pay down the debt.  Circle K bought the Houston stores, I believe.

U-Tote-M sold next.  They sold their Houston stores, maybe to Diamond Shamrock.

Don't know where Circle K went.

To this day, I still refer to a generic convenience store as a U-Tote-M, or a 7-11.  Everyone looks at me funny, and I realize they haven't been here as long.

EDIT:  ToolMan is right.  There were Stop-N-Go's here as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, almost everyone uses a big name brand when referring to a product, regardless of the actual brand. Many people call a tissue a "Kleenex" even though it might be a "Puffs." A lot of people will call a soft drink a "Coke" even though it might be an "R.C."

Chet Cuccia

[gnu]

I'm pretty sure the chains co-existed for a while.  Did Stop-N-Go acquire U-Tote-M?

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Anyone remember "Super Duper"? We had several of those around our house - as well as U-tote-M. The Super Dupers changed to Stop N Go at some point. I remember the U-tote-M's having lots of hospital green tile.

[Ashikaga]

Over here there are that many "chain" convenience stores. The only one that has several stores is called "Exxpress Mart" (yes, they spell it with two "x's").

The only things that I ever buy in convenience stores are lottery tickets and gasoline. The prices of everything else is too high. Besides, I try to stay out of them whenever possible because there are a lot of fights in them.

Chet Cuccia

[Heights2Bastrop]

As I recall, most or all of the 7-11s becaume U-Tote-Ms (You tell 'em "U-Tote-M"), and then became Stop-n-Go later.

[Houston born and raised]

I remember U-Tote-Um. There was one in the subdivision I grew up in (Briargate, SW Houston) back in the 1970's (I'm 40 now). Then it was a Circle K and I can't remember what it was after that.

[ssullivan]

One of my favorite convenience stores of all time is the Cum-N-Go I encountered last year in Oklahoma. I wonder if the owner has ever realized the double entendre of that name, especially spelled the way it is.

There are still some U-Tote-Ems operating in the Pacific Northwest.

[Ashikaga]

One of my favorite convenience stores of all time is the Cum-N-Go I encountered last year in Oklahoma. I wonder if the owner has ever realized the double entendre of that name, especially spelled the way it is.

There are still some U-Tote-Ems operating in the Pacific Northwest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are some places that sell lottery tickets other than convenience stores. I've seen some supermarket and liquor stores sell them (over here).

Chet Cuccia

[sevfiv]

One of my favorite convenience stores of all time is the Cum-N-Go I encountered last year in Oklahoma.

that's worse than "Tote-a-Poke!"

[LTAWACS]

i think they were pretty much all the same.

[TexasHome]

I remember them. Used to go there and fill up on soft drinks.

[Ashikaga]

I remember them. Used to go there and fill up on soft drinks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Back in the early 1960s I remember a U-Tote-Um on Galveston Road just down from where I lived.

Chet Cuccia

[TexasHome]

Would that be the one in Webster?

[Ashikaga]

Would that be the one in Webster?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know. I just remember us going down Galveston Road a little way's from our house (located at # 8 West Court Drive) and going into a U-Tote-Um. This was over 40 years ago, so my memory may not be right all of the time.

Chet Cuccia

[jmancuso]

i remember them. there was one on studewood in the heights.

[lowspark]

There was a 7-11 across the street from my house when I grew up on the corner of W. Airport & Chimney Rock. That was in the 60s. When 7-11 pulled out of Houston, it became a local no-name store and changed hands/names several times.

We used to run back & forth to that 7-11 to get chocolate bars (10 cents), gum (5 cents for a 5 pack of wrigleys or 1 penny for bubble gum), and of course Icees -- cola & cherry were the two flavor choices. Those were the days!

The U-Tote-M I remember was on Westheimer just inside the loop. It was a brick building and I believe it's still there as a convenience store but I don't know the name. I'll have to make it a point to pass by there & notice.

[MidtownCoog]

Actually, you got Slurpies at 7-11.

You get Icees at Sears's pop-corn stand. And now they have them at Burger King.

[lowspark]

Actually, you got Slurpies at 7-11.

You get Icees at Sears's pop-corn stand.  And now they have them at Burger King.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, 7-11 switched to Slurpees at some point. But back in the early - mid 60s, they sold ICEEs. We practically lived at that 7-11. It was on the exact corner of my street, and we were 2 houses in from the gas station on the corner on the opposite side of the street. I remember the ICEEs and I remember them switching to Slurpees.

[Ashikaga]

Yeah, 7-11 switched to Slurpees at some point. But back in the early - mid 60s, they sold ICEEs. We practically lived at that 7-11. It was on the exact corner of my street, and we were 2 houses in from the gas station on the corner on the opposite side of the street. I remember the ICEEs and I remember them switching to Slurpees.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I remember back in 1965, my dad bought me my first comic book at a U-Tote-Em. The price of it was 12 cents. It was called Magilla Gorilla.

Chet Cuccia