Tallahassee #3

Please comment below with your memories from Tallahassee #3 or any Sing store!

Sing Food Store

2037 Thomasville Road

Tallahassee, FL 32308

Revisited: January 11, 2022 | Original Publication: June 20, 2021

While not certain, Tallahassee #3 is believed to be Sing's first convenience store built. It is stated to have been constructed in 1965, before Columbus #2 and LaGrange #1, but Leon County property records show the date of completion as 1968. Additionally, a zoning meeting was held on Tuesday, July 18, 1967 for a variance to build a 2,100 sq-ft metal canopy in front of the property. According to the slides I have below, both the building and the canopy look to have been built at the same time leading me to believe the 1968 date is correct. Regardless, Tallahassee #3 was one of Sing's most iconic stores due to its long history with the company and its close proximity to Sing's headquarters in Thomasville, GA. It is one of few stores that have thorough photo documentation during the '60s -'70s. The slides shown below were exposed shortly after the grand opening of the store and also provide a rare glimpse of the inside of a Sing convenience store in the 1960s.

Station Exterior

Tallahassee #3 in 1968 -Thomasville Road - Tallahasse, FL: Sing Oil Company Blog

Tallahassee #3 - 1968

View from Thomasville Road facing Southeast.


Tallahassee #3 - 1968 View from parking lot, facing Southeast.

This store used a similar exterior style to Tallahassee #4 and Winters Chapel with the brick columns on the corner of the patio and wood columns in the center. I assume it was cheaper for the later stores to use the same type of column across the front.

Circle K (Former Tallahassee #3 Sing Store) - November, 2021

View from parking lot, facing Northeast.

The front of this store has only slightly changed over the last 50+ years which is amazing for a simple convenience store. Other than paint, a new awning, and some new windows installed in the '80s by Sing, this store retains its simple but original architecture. As you can tell from the photo above, the surrounding trees have definitely grown since the store was constructed but they provide nice shade for the customers.

Convenience Store Interior Photos

Tallahassee #3 Convenience Store in 1968 - Tallahasse, FL: Sing Oil Company Blog

Tallahassee #3 - 1968

View of the refrigerated foods section in the rear of the store.

Tallahassee #3 Convenience Store in 1968 -Thomasville Road - Tallahasse, FL: Sing Oil Company Blog

Tallahassee #3 - 1968

Overview of the dry goods section of the convenience store and the cashier stand.

Tallahassee #3 - 1968

Fresh produce case in the rear of the store.

Something to note is how many staples were carried when compared to a modern convenience store. I would never go to a convenience store in 2021 and expect to find onions, carrots, deli meat, baby food, butter, baking supplies, socks, and brooms! This store was effectively a downsized supermarket for the time and reflects how the changes in American behaviors and eating habits have been reflected in the changes in convenience stores. Also, notice how well stocked all of the shelves are. It is a lucky day to find one bottle of ketchup on a convenience store shelf today. In the 1960s, convenience stores were revolutionary for the North Florida - South Georgia market and provided a modern take on the general store and a quicker alternative to the growing supermarket.

Circle K (Former Tallahassee #3 Sing Store) - November, 2021

Hot food section and Polar Pop drink fountains - View from the front door.

The store seems a bit more cramped and cluttered in 2021 but many different product lines were added that require more space. Take for example the drink and beer coolers; previously, shelves of dry goods could be placed right against the exterior walls of the store but now refrigerator doors have to be set back 4-5 feet to allow for shelving and product.

Circle K (Former Tallahassee #3 Sing Store) - November, 2021

Right side of store (dry goods and drink coolers) - View from checkout line

Even though this store felt a bit cramped, it is still a fairly standard size for a convenience store and was able to house most of the modern amenities. Unfortunately, like most Circle K stores, most of the original elements of the Sing's interior have been removed and remodeled to match Circle K's branding.

Circle K (Former Tallahassee #3 Sing Store) - November, 2021

Back right corner of the store, home to the beer cave and drink coolers

I'm not entirely sure how this store was laid out in the late '80s but I would imagine it was similar to Columbus #4 and the edge of the cashier counter would have been in the left side of this shot.

Circle K (Former Tallahassee #3 Sing Store) - November, 2021

Front left corner of the store

Turning back toward the front of the store, we see a few more shelves of snacks, fresh fruit, and doughnuts along the line for the cash registers to the right. If this store got a deli, the seating would have probably been along this window.

Circle K (Former Tallahassee #3 Sing Store) - November, 2021

Left side of the store including hot food and the cash register.

Finally, we see the cash registers and hot food section. All of this was most likely added / reconfigured by Circle K during one of their several renovations to the store.

The Crash of 1977

At 10:30 AM on Wednesday, April 13, 1977, more changes came to Tallahassee #3. Tenth-grader Teal Hunt drove her father's "Central Heating Consultants" A/C service truck through the front of the store, sending popcorn and debris flying. She recounts "Horry Culpepper may have been the man who took the picture. He was the son of a wealthy man in Tallahassee . . . and drove around in a Suburban style emergency vehicle and showed up at accidents. He was the first one on the scene after my accident."

A former employee at the time, Thomas Knox Jr., recounts "Haha, I was working for the Sing store there along with Orbie Luke, James Johns, Bonnie Boggs, David who had the Fiat Spyder that never worked and a few more. Yep, I remember this!! Enjoy your Icee Teal!"


Tallahassee #3 - April 13, 1977 (Photo Courtesy of Teal Hunt Mitchell) Store Manager Orbie Luke (L) and Tallahassee Police Officer (R) evaluating the damage to the store.

One unique aspect about the Tallahassee Market is that it was divested by BP-Amoco on June 1, 1999 to Circle K stores. Interestingly, the BP-Amoco merger closed in late December of 1998 and one of the conditions of the merger was for Amoco to divest of its assets in Tallahassee due to overlapping market share, as noted in the second CNN article. According to Tom Perry and Dick Singletary, Tallahassee was the primary reason Amoco was interested in acquiring Sing in 1990 - due to Sing's dominate market share in the region. Amoco acquired 12 retail locations in Tallahassee and 2 additional lots that would be built out. I find it ironic that this key market was one of several casualties of the 1998 deal. Due to its desirability, Tallahassee is the only Sing market to remain in-tact under corporate Amoco ownership; furthermore, 11/12 of the stations sold in 1990 are still owned and operated by Circle K, with the addition of the two developed lots.

More Photos

Tallahassee #3 - 1970s

View from Thomasville Road

Tallahassee #3 - 1970s

View of pump island facing South, with Thomasville Road on the right.

To close out this post, I wanted to include a picture of Thomasville Road I found while browsing the State of Florida's photo archives.

Harvey Slade - Florida Memory - June 2, 1950

"Image was taken on Florida Avenue (one block north of Betton/Bradford Road) looking north."

This picture shows Thomasville Road (US 319) in 1950 and the Cox Furniture Company. The land in the right side of the photo, across the street from Cox Furniture, is now home to Circle K and the former Tallahassee #3 Sing Store. It is crazy to see how much this corridor has changed over the last 70 years and especially to compare it to the modern street views below. It isn't often that I can share a "street view" that occurred 15 years before a Sing Store was even built so I figured I would capitalize on the opportunity.