The first known use of the term mini-mart was in 1981 as an abbreviated version of mini-market. Mini-marts, derived from rural general stores, [Page 970]“mom and pop stores,” as a convenient location to purchase market type items, usually are open for many hours in the day. Generally owned and operated by one local family as a single store with common household goods, a mini-mart is synonymous with convenience store, corner store, food mart, market, bodega, country store, trading post, liquor store, gas station, service station, and a few other regional terms. The food issues with mini-marts include the lack of healthy food options, the predominance of mini-marts in low-income areas, abundance of packaged and processed foods, and policies related to mini-marts. This entry provides an ...