The original iteration of High's was '''High's Ice Cream''', an ice cream parlor founded by L.W. High in
Richmond, Virginia in 1928 and purchased by James R. High Jr. with two partners in 1938, at which time there were 16 stores and an ice cream plant in Richmond. In 1941, Convenient Systems, Inc. of
Winston-Salem, North Carolina purchased the chain, then numbering 50 stores. Gregory remained at the helm until 1976. The company was acquired by the Capital Milk Producers Cooperative, who grew the chain to 350 High's Dairy Stores and Restaurants, and sold the Virginia and West Virginia stores in 1987 to
Southland Corporation, who converted many of them to
7-Eleven stores, and closed the rest. Fuel at High's gas stations was previously supplied by
Shell and
Citgo. High's first made a foray into proprietary fuel branding in 2011, when it was rolled out at a prototype station in
Chester, Maryland. On March 1, 2012, High's, then based in
Hanover, Maryland, was acquired by the Carroll Independent Fuel Company. Following the Carroll deal, most High's stores broke their ties with Shell and Citgo, began selling High's-branded fuel supplied by Carroll, and underwent remodels. Some High's locations continue to sell Shell-branded fuel. High's is now based in Carroll's Baltimore headquarters. ==Ice cream==