UtoteM, also spelled U-tote-M or U Totem, was a chain of
convenience stores which operated until 1984, primarily in the
southwestern United States and Florida.
The chain experienced most of its growth under the leadership of LeRoy Melcher (1912-1999), who acquired the chain in 1950 and became its president in 1953. Melcher expanded UtoteM from ten stores to more than one thousand across thirteen states. UtoteM merged with
Fairmont Foods in the late 1960s. In 1983, the
Circle K Corporation bought all of the stock of Utotem Inc. for 225 million dollars from
American Financial Corporation, and in 1984 rebranded the stores as Circle K stores.
Herb Ralston was an early partner. Ralston made history when he designed, built and opened the first convenience store in the United States that also offered gas. The store was located in
Webster, Texas
Webster is a city in the U.S. state of Texas located in Harris County, within the Houston–The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area. Its population was 12,499 at the 2020 U.S. census
History
The community was founded in 1879 by James W. ...
on
NASA Road 1.
External links
LeRoy Melcher obituary*
ttp://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/image_lg.php?variable=e_bb_2483 Black and White Photo of a UtoteM Store
Convenience stores of the United States
Defunct retail companies of the United States
Retail companies disestablished in 1984
Alimentation Couche-Tard
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