U-Tote-Um Grocery/Convenience Stores

[NenaE]

Here's a link to Utotem history. Pay careful attention to the last statement, about Ralston.

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Totem

[enviromain]

That link sums it up! Thanks!

Here's a link to Utotem history. Pay careful attention to the last statement, about Ralston.

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Totem

[ernie5823]

I grew up going to a U-Tote-Em in Meadowbrook for cokes, candy, etc. I'm pretty sure that there's still some kind of a convenience store there - at corner of Howard & Neal. Seems like it was built & opened as U-Tote-Em sometime in mid 1950s.

[NenaE]

I grew up going to a U-Tote-Em in Meadowbrook for cokes, candy, etc. I'm pretty sure that there's still some kind of a convenience store there - at corner of Howard & Neal. Seems like it was built & opened as U-Tote-Em sometime in mid 1950s.

I used to walk there with my friend who lived in Meadowbrook. That's one way I got to admire the nice homes. Do you remember that there was also a washateria next door to the store, part of the same small strip, on the corner of it. Yellow & green tile come to mind, and penny candy.

[ernie5823]

I used to walk there with my friend who lived in Meadowbrook. That's one way I got to admire the nice homes. Do you remember that there was also a washateria next door to the store, part of the same small strip, on the corner of it. Yellow & green tile come to mind, and penny candy.

I can't remember tile color, but there was a barber shop (& maybe some other business) between the store & washateria.

[METALHOUSTON]

I loved U-Totem! I used to walk to the one at 3917 San Felipe at Willowick (it's now some kinda laundry place) and buy KISS cards, Wacky Packs, Whistle Pops, Marathon Bars and Mello Yellos. I lived on Piping Rock and that U-Totem was easy to walk to but I also went to the one on Westheimer and Westcreek. Any time I was taken to the Pacesetter in the Galleria, I would also be taken to this U Totem (I called it the Candy Store) for candy. Now I think it's called Westcreek Market.

[unc_jaws23]

I saw this forum in a totally unrelated web search. I also am from the Sharpstown area. My grand father was mr melchers partner.RIP J.C. (Pete) Weitinger. He passed in 1989. I was lucky to hear all about the extended hunting/fishing stories. My 1st son is J.C.W. the 3rd. I had to post when I saw this. A little known fact about this business, they had some marinas also. Named u-floatum's

[IronTiger]

Are there any Circle Ks (from the UtoteM buyout) even left in Houston?

[marketingwiz]

I worked the 'grave yard' shift (11 p.m. - 7 a.m.) at a U-Tote-M in College Station, TX, right across from where I was attending school at Texas A&M University. My friends would come by in the middle of the night and keep me company or we would study together and smoke cigs all night. That was my one and only experience working retail.

[billyf]

When I was a little kid I got into some trouble at the U-tote-um off Gulf Bank on the northside. My mom and I used to always walk there when we needed something. One day while she was checking out I got this idea to open the tap on the barrels that they kept the beer on ice. Rather than turning it back off I left it on. Why? I have no idea and still feel bad about it to this day even though I was only 3 or 4 years old. I remember leaving and the Vietnamese lady (all that every worked there) giving me a friend smile. There is no telling how long that water pored out on to the floor before she noticed. Well I did it a second time and again I have no idea why. The next time we went in there my mom got a ear full from the lady. Fast forward a few years my mom called and complained to the main office about something that happened with one of the clerks. They brought up the indecent about the barrels . My mom never told my dad and when he found out he lectured me about it (3 or so years later). Of course I had already knew better not to do something like that.

I have a lot of memories of U-tote-um and Circle K. I liked it as Circle K better. They had more drink choices and a video section we used to rent movies from. They also had a nicer, more diverse group of employees.

[NenaE]

I like the tall u-tot-em street sign th best, of course, shaped like a totem pole. Was nice. Green, yellow, red, neon.

[IronTiger]

MarketingWiz: You're referring to the one that was near the Ramada, right?

[Joe Watson]

I believe there used to be a utotem convenience store on treaschwig Drive near Birnamwood subdivision. This was in 1978. I used to go there to buy my baseball cards $0.25 a pack. And I still have those. Can anyone recall this utotem being there?

[ADCS]

On 8/15/2018 at 10:26 AM, Joe Watson said:

I believe there used to be a utotem convenience store on treaschwig Drive near Birnamwood subdivision. This was in 1978. I used to go there to buy my baseball cards $0.25 a pack. And I still have those. Can anyone recall this utotem being there?

 

I remember that being a Circle K in the late '80s and early '90s.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

Circle K took over many UToteM stores. The rest were bought by mom and pop operations 

[cowboybud]

And now Circle K has taken over Valero, the descendant of Stop-N-Go. In a roundabout way, U-Tote-M has won the convenience store war. 

[JohnO]

Found this thread while discussing Houston history with a colleague. I worked at several back in the day. Started working for them in my senior year of high school at the one that was on Tully Drive next to Darrell Tully stadium. Then work a while at the one in Katy, back when if you wanted to buy something in Katy you went to the UtoteM, then the one on Fry road when it was the only thing on Fry road. After my freshman year at A&M started working on the one on Memorial Drive just past Dairy Ashford. Became the manager of that store after the manager and another employee were fired after they basically ignored Mr Melcher when he came in as a customer. Worked there all summer and into the fall until I went back to A&M for the spring semester.