Our History

Handy Mart convenience stores is a division of E.J. Pope & Son, Inc. Locally owned and operated in Eastern North Carolina, we have a long, rich heritage of providing quality products and services to the communities we serve.

1919

E.J. Pope & Son, Inc. is a third generation business founded in 1919 in Mount Olive, North Carolina as a coal hauling business known as E.J. Pope Coal Company. The hauling was done by horse-drawn wagon from the train to the coal yard. In the early thirties the company hauled brick, stone and other supplies from the train to the construction site. In 1938 home heating oil was added to the business and the company then became E.J. Pope Coal and Oil Company.

1957

In 1957, E.J. Pope, Jr., purchased the business from his father and signed a contract with a major petroleum company and entered into the gasoline business. The company was rapidly growing and changing. In 1960, the home heating oil segment enlarged with the purchase of an oil business and the Incorporation of the company.

1975

1975 marked the opening of the company’s first convenience store in Mt. Olive under the trade name of Handy Mart. Since then, the store operations have grown into a highly recognized chain of convenience stores serving customers across Eastern North Carolina, providing safe and convenient neighborhood stores that provide outstanding customer service, high quality fuel, and products at a fair price.

1994

Our first national franchise brand Subway was opened in November 1994. This, Subway, along with five others, remains today.

Today

We are constantly updating existing locations to meet the needs of the future, including state of the art store designs, equipment and modern food concepts, such as Neighbors Café, Subway, Pizza Inn Express and our own proprietary Farmhouse Grill.