High's Dairy Store facts for kids
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Trade name
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High's Dairy Stores |
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Formerly
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High's Ice Cream (1928–1941) |
| Private | |
| Industry |
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| Founded | 1928 |
| Founder | L.W. High |
| Headquarters |
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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Number of locations
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60 |
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Area served
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Baltimore metropolitan area |
| Products |
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High's Dairy Stores, also known as High's of Baltimore, LLC, is a popular chain of gas stations and convenience stores. You can find them mostly around Baltimore, Maryland. As of 2022, there are 60 High's locations. Most are in Maryland, but four are in Pennsylvania. Long ago, High's was famous for its ice cream. It was once the biggest ice cream store chain in the world! It had over 500 stores, including some in Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C..
The Story of High's
High's started as High's Ice Cream in 1928. It was an ice cream shop founded by L.W. High in Richmond, Virginia. In 1938, James R. High Jr. and two partners bought the company. At that time, there were 16 stores and an ice cream factory in Richmond.
In 1941, a company called Convenient Systems, Inc. bought High's. By then, High's had grown to 50 stores! Later, the Capital Milk Producers Cooperative took over. They helped High's grow a lot, reaching 350 High's Dairy Stores and Restaurants.
In 1987, the stores in Virginia and West Virginia were sold. Many of these became 7-Eleven stores, and others closed down.
Fueling Up with High's
High's gas stations used to sell fuel from companies like Shell and Citgo. But in 2011, High's started selling its own brand of fuel. They tried this out at a new station in Chester, Maryland.
On March 1, 2012, Carroll Independent Fuel Company bought High's. After this, most High's stores stopped selling Shell or Citgo fuel. Instead, they started selling High's-branded fuel, supplied by Carroll. Many stores also got a fresh new look! Some High's locations still sell Shell fuel today. High's main office is now in Baltimore.
High's Ice Cream Legacy
The right to make High's brand ice cream was sold in 1989. It went to Kay's Ice Cream, which was based in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Until 2010, there was still a High's Ice Cream shop in Portsmouth, Virginia. Even though it sold Hershey's ice cream, it kept the original High's look inside. It had the famous white and black checkerboard floor tiles that High's Ice Cream stores were known for.
Today, High's still sells its own brand of ice cream. You can find it in quart-sized containers. They also offer several kinds of hand-dipped ice cream.
