PDQ Food Stores
Encyclopedia
PDQ Food Stores is a chain of convenience store
s 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 product
s, 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. http://www.pdqstores.com/about/index.html
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. http://www.csnews.com/top-story-pdq_food_stores_sold_to_employees-50442.html
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s located in the areas of Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
and Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
; Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and St. Paul, Minnesota; plus one store near Homewood, California
Homewood, California
Homewood is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California of about 200 residents, located on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. It is located south of Tahoe City and north of Chambers Landing and Tahoma. It is the location of Homewood Mountain Resort...
.
The chain began as Tri Dairy Store in 1948 in Middleton, Wisconsin
Middleton, Wisconsin
Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It is a western suburb of the state capital, Madison but it was actually founded before Madison. It got its name from Middletown, Connecticut; the "w" being dropped was due to a paper work error made by long time historian Edward Kromrey...
, opened by Sam Jacobsen. Originally the store carried only dairy product
Dairy product
Dairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
s, 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
Catch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
in the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era, and the name was suggested by Jacobsen's wife Mary. The original store soon adopted the name as well. http://www.pdqstores.com/about/index.html
As of November 2010, PDQ Food Stores numbered 45 locations. Most now sell gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, 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. http://www.csnews.com/top-story-pdq_food_stores_sold_to_employees-50442.html