Our History 

In 1967, Fred Higgins and his father Ralph founded the first Minit Mart store in Lexington, Kentucky. A few years later in 1972, after Fred had graduated law school and returned from serving in the U.S. Army, the business had expanded to six locations in the metro Lexington area. Fred continued to acquire single convenience stores and select sites on which to build new locations across Kentucky. Minit Mart became one of the first convenience stores to add gas pumps in the 1970s, which became a key innovation among convenience stores across the United States. The convenience store chain expanded into Tennessee in the 1980s, and then later into seven other states. In 2015, Fred sold the chain to TravelCenters of America, who then sold all Minit Mart locations to EG Group in 2018, adding the brand to its portfolio as part of its US operations.

Our Parent Company 

With more than 1,600 retail locations and 18,000+ team members across the U.S., EG America is one of the fastest-growing convenience store retailers in the country. As the operator of Certified Oil, Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf N’ Jug, Minit Mart, Sprint Food Stores, Tom Thumb, Turkey Hill, and Quik Stop stores, we are committed to becoming America’s preferred ‘one-stop’ destination by focusing on superior guest experience, high-quality grocery and fuel products, and supporting the communities we live and work in.

EG America is owned by EG Group, a UK-based fuel station and convenience store retailer, with locations across the UK, Europe, Australia, and the U.S.

Doing Good 

We value our partnerships with DAV, American Cancer Society, Red Cross and United Way and with the generosity of our Guests have helped raise millions of dollars over the last several years.