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."

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

• 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

• History of Fotomat Corporation (brief)

External links

• Fotomat.com

Former locations

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

California

• Sacramento (Foothill Farms)

Colorado

Connecticut

• Hartford
• Waterbury
• Bristol

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

• Auburn (a kiosk is still located in the Auburn Plaza in front of TJ Maxx)

Newburyport (Port Plaza parking lot)

• Wilmington

Michigan

• Riverview (a rarity as this one was actually located IN a strip mall)

New Hampshire

• Rochester

Ohio

• Akron
• Canton
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Grove City
• Hudson
• Middleburg Hts.
• Toledo (a kiosk is still standing in front of a Best Buy there)

Oregon

Wisconsin

• Milwaukee

New York

• Williston Park

New Jersey

• Madison
• Parsippany, next to RS/Strass Auto Parts store. (a kiosk is still standing)

Oklahoma

Texas

• Dallas, Western Park Shopping Center
• Garland, on Centerville, near I-635

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