PDQ Food Stores is a chain of convenience stores located in the areas of Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; plus one store near Homewood, California.
The chain began as Tri Dairy Store in 1948 in Middleton, Wisconsin, opened by Sam Jacobsen. Originally the store carried only dairy products, but Jacobsen added other grocery products as time went on, and business improved. The second store didn't come along until 1962; the name PDQ, an acronym for "pretty darn quick" or "pretty damn quick", was a popular catch phrase in the post-World War II era, and the name was suggested by Jacobsen's wife Mary. The original store soon adopted the name as well.
As of November 2010, PDQ Food Stores numbered 45 locations. Most now sell gasoline, as is common with modern convenience stores. On May 1, 2009, PDQ Food Stores was sold to the employees and is now 100% employee owned.
Famous quotes containing the words food and/or stores:
“It is the mark of a mean, vulgar and ignoble spirit to dwell on the thought of food before meal times or worse to dwell on it afterwards, to discuss it and wallow in the remembered pleasures of every mouthful. Those whose minds dwell before dinner on the spit, and after on the dishes, are fit only to be scullions.”
—Francis De Sales, Saint (1567–1622)
“When their stores are full, idiots are considered wise.”
—Punjabi proverb, trans. by Gurinder Singh Mann.