Fotomat

Fotomat was a once widespread retail chain of photo development drive-thru kiosks located in shopping center parking lots. Fotomat Corporation was founded by Preston Fleet in San Diego, California in the 1960s, (the first kiosk was opened in Point Loma, California in 1965), and became a public company in 1971 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1977. At its peak around 1980 there were over 4,000 Fotomats throughout the United States, primarily in suburban areas. Fotomats were distinctive for their pyramid shaped gold-colored roofs and signs with red-lettering. They sold Kodak-brand film and other photography related products and promised one-day photo finishing. They hired young women to work in the small buildings and called them "Fotomates." The Fotomate uniform was a royal blue and yellow smock top. Young men hired were called "Fotomacs" and their uniform was a light blue polo shirt.

In addition to photo developing, Fotomat also offered rentals of movies on videocassette starting in the early 1980s, a new concept then. Walt Disney Home Entertainment's first releases of their films to the videocassette medium were as rentals available from Fotomat in 1980.

Fotomat had both company-owned stores and franchises. This led to lawsuits between Fotomat and its franchisees over territories.

In the early 1980s, Fotomat Corporation was acquired by Konischiroku Photo Industry Ltd., which sold it to Konica Photo Imaging in 1986. It was later sold to Viewpoint Corporation in 2002.

The company's main product, one-day development, was made obsolete by one-hour photo development. Fotomat's main product has since become the online digital photo software site Fotomat.com.

It is parodied as Fotohut in "That '70s Show".

References

* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_2_25/ai_97615968 Adaptive reuse: fotomat kiosks, '70s icons, given new life in a variety of ways - Up Front Los Angeles Business Journal, Jan 13, 2003 by Darrell Satzman]
* [http://chasholloway.com/familyphotographs/id6.html History of Fotomat Corporation (brief)]

External links

* [http://www.fotomat.com/ Fotomat.com]

Former locations

California
* Anaheim
* Dublin
* Daly City (St. Francis Square)
* Fremont
* Imperial Beach
* Newark
* Placerville
* Sacramento (Foothill Farms)
* San Francisco
* Santa Clara

Colorado
* Denver
* Aurora 6th & PeoriaConnecticut
* Enfield
* Hartford
* Waterbury
* Bristol
* Stamford Elm St. and Shippan Ave.
* Greenwich Greenwich Ave. (A storefront rather than the traditional kiosk.)

District of Columbia

Delaware

Florida
*Merritt Island
*Cocoa Beach
*Rockledge
*Titusville
*Palm Bay
*Melbourne (2)
*Satellite Beach
*Winter Park
*Tampa
*Clearwater
*St. Petersburg
*St. Pete Beach

Georgia
*Riverdale

Iowa
*"'Council Bluffs (X2)

Maryland
*Brooklyn Park
*Baltimore City
*Towson
*Belair
*Columbia
*Dundalk
*Glen Burnie
*Pikesville
*Owings Mills (Area Office and Kiosk)
*Parkville
*Essex
*Reisterstown

Massachusetts
*Agawam (Zayre's Plaza, all gone now)
*Andover (Shawsheen Plaza, kiosk is no longer there. [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.663516,-71.145085&spn=0.00143,0.002639&t=h&z=19&msid=101115247655065970906.00045384b2234475fc68b Exact location was here] .)
*Auburn (a kiosk is still located in the Auburn Plaza in front of TJ Maxx)
*Fitchburg (Kmart/Twin City Plaza parking lot)
*Newburyport (Port Plaza parking lot)
*Tewksbury (A kiosk use to be in the Oakdale Mall Parking lot until late 80's)
*Westfield (Westgate Plaza parking lot)
*Wilmington
*Worcester (In a shopping plaza in the Grafton Hill neighborhood)
*W. Peabody Hannaford Plaza (At that time King's Plaza)
*"'Beverly (2)
*"'Danvers
*"'Ipswich
*"'Salem, near the hospital

Michigan
* Riverview (a rarity as this one was actually located IN a strip mall)
* Detroit Merchandise Mart parking lot in the east side Civic Center areaNebraska
* LincolnNew Hampshire
* Rochester (in the old Rochester (Rich's) mall)
* Salem (in the Rockingham Park Mall plaza (Bradlee's, etc))
* Hooksett (in the shopping plaza where Kmart is located near Merchant's Auto)

New Jersey
* Madison
* Parsippany, next to RS/Strass Auto Parts store. (a kiosk is still standing)
* Teaneck
* Fort Lee
* Fairlawn
* Bergenfield
* Marlboro
* Paramus, in the Fashion Center Parking Lot
* Paramus, in the Bergen Mall Parking Lot
* Paulsboro, in the Acme parking lot
* Woodbury, Southwood Shopping Center Parking Lot
* Toms River, in the former Grand Union Parking Lot (now Big Lots)
* Vineland, Lincoln and Dante shopping center lot

New York
* Williston Park
* North Massapequa (Holiday Park Shopping Center)
* Oyster Bay (Pine Hollow Shopping Center)

Ohio
* Akron
* Canton
* Cleveland
* Columbus
* Grove City
* Hamilton
* Hudson
* Middleburg Hts.
* Mount Vernon{a Kiosk is still standing in front of Kroger, and is called a Java Hut).
* Norton
* Toledo (a kiosk is still standing in front of a Best Buy there)

Oklahoma

Oregon
* Portland (122nd and prescott st. Almost the same (slight addition). It's been a coffee drive up for a long time, brewed awakenings)

Pennsylvania
* Bensalem Street Road Still Standing slightly modified is check cashing agency now
* Penndel Penndel Shop Ctr
* Bristol Durham Rd & Vet Hwy (Currently a Wa-Wa)
* Levitown Levittown Parkway (Old Levittown Shop Ctr/Shoparama)
* Southampton(Bucks County) Second Street Pike(Near Angelo's Restaurant)- now gone

Texas
* Austin, Casis Shopping Center
* Dallas, Western Park Shopping Center
* Garland, on Centerville, near I-635

Utah
* Salt Lake City, Northwest corner of 1300 South and 1700 East intersection

Wisconsin
* Milwaukee

Virginia
* Alexandria Richmond Highway (also used as training location for other No. Va. stores)
* Woodbridge Jefferson Davis Highway (opened 1975, later moved to Featherstone Square)
* Woodbridge Featherstone Square, Jefferson Davis Highway (replaced by BOA ATM)
* Hampton Wythe Shopping Center,Kecoughtan Road
* Hampton Buckroe Shopping Center,Pembroke Avenue