Stuckey's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Stuckey's | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Candy, novelties, |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Headquarters | Silver Spring, MD |
| Key people | W. S. Stuckey, Sr., W.S. Stuckey, Jr. |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Products | Candy, novelties, food, fuel |
| Website | http://www.stuckeys.com |
Stuckey's is a roadside convenience store found on highways throughout the United States. Stores are concentrated in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest, however operations have existed as far east as Connecticut and as far west as Oregon.
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[edit] Early days
Stuckey’s originated in the early 1930s in Eastman, Georgia. When founder W. S. Stuckey, Sr., had a successful pecan harvest from his family's orchard he decided to offer a portion of the crop for sale in a lean-to roadside shed. Many Florida-bound tourists traveling the Georgia 23 highway stopped to purchase the pecans.
As the roadside business continued to expand, Stuckey's wife, Ethel, created a variety of homemade pecan candies to sell at the stand, including pecan log rolls and pecan divinity. In 1937, the first physical Stuckey’s building was constructed. Much like the former roadside lean-to, the new business focused on selling these Southern candies to highway travelers.
This first Stuckey’s shop added a restaurant, then a novelty section, and then gas pumps. The final addition was a teal blue roof (which would later become the company's trademark). Up until the onset of World War II, Stuckey’s continued to open stores in Georgia and Florida. The number of stores declined somewhat during WWII due to the effects of wartime sugar rationing.
After WWII ended, the Stuckey’s business once again began to grow and a number of new franchises were sold. A candy factory was constructed to supply an eventual 350-plus Stuckey's stores located throughout the continental United States. As the post-war baby boom took off and families began to travel across the country by car more often, Stuckey's continued to grow financially as they were almost always constructed along large highways and usually were paired with Texaco gas stations as well as restaurants and clean restrooms.
[edit] Spinoffs
- Nickerson Farms
- Horne's
- Atkinson's
- Saxon's
- B. Lloyd's
[edit] Downfall, then rise
In 1960, W. S. Stuckey attempted to create a hotel chain called Stuckey's Carriage Inn, but opened only four locations. In 1967, Stuckey's merged with Pet Milk. The company at its peak had over 350 locations, which dwindled to less than 75 after a decline in the late 1970s under ownership by Pet. It was repurchased by former Congressman W.S. Stuckey, Jr., in 1985. It currently has over 200 franchise stores in 19 states.
[edit] In popular culture
- In 1993, the LucasArts PC adventure game Sam & Max: Hit the Road paid homage to the chain by featuring several "Snuckey's" locations that the player can visit. Among the things to buy in the stores are several minigames and a box of pecan candies. The Sam & Max comics featured Stuckey's with the real name.
- In an episode of The Simpsons, Reverend Lovejoy, Ned Flanders, and Marge Simpson are shown eating at a Stuckey's, the official congregation meeting place.
- In an episode of Family Guy, Peter Griffin describes the location of a southern plantation as "you know way down there when you stop seeing Howard Johnson's and start seeing Stuckey's."
- It was also mentioned in the "garage sale" episode of the popular internet cartoon, Strong Bad Email, when a character was described as "the creepy night manager at Stuckey's" type.
- In an episode of Designing Women, Charlene, Mary Jo, and Anthony get out of an awkward moment at a colony they're re-decorating when Anthony tells Mary Jo, "You wanted to pick up a pecan log from Stuckey's."
- On the Veggie Tales CD On The Road with Bob and Larry (2003), the song "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" concludes with Pa Grape announcing that "It's a Stuckey's" that the bear sees on the other side.
- while being flown by the human torch arcoss desert roads in nevada, fantastic four member the thing says he hasn't had a pecan divnity for years and wonders if there is a stuckey's close. to his delight there is and he starts screaming for the human torch to turn left for it, in fantastic four #534
- In Arrested Development, George Sr. claims that, "Too many lives have been ruined because some cheap waitress at a Hojo's said she used an IUD." To which his wife Lucille replies, "It was Stuckey's." "But I believed you!" George Sr. retorts.
