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Jr. Fritz grew up working in his family’s grocery store in Center Point, Texas. He and his sister worked in the store during their high school years. They sold fresh meats, produce, and canned goods. There was a single-hose gasoline pump in front of the store. Jr. learned to value hard work and how to run a business.

Jr. graduated from Center Point High School in 1957 and went to work for the highway department. There, he helped construct portions of Highway 281 that run through San Antonio. Ann was also working in San Antonio during this time. They never attended college but, instead, depended on their resourcefulness and determination to succeed in business.

Ann and Jr. married in 1959. When his father died in 1960, Jr. and Ann started working at the store full time and took over the responsibilities of running it. These were challenging times for them. They suffered the loss of their first child when he was very young. They endured through it all and worked hard. In 1966, they purchased the store from Jr.’s mother. They lived directly behind the grocery store and their kitchen doubled as the employee break room. They didn’t have a pantry; they simply ate goods from the store as they were nearing expiration. The husband-wife team along with children, Sylvia and David, worked together and the store prospered. It was during this time that Jr. and Ann started thinking about how to expand their business.

Jr. learned about a relatively new concept for the area, the convenience store. He saw the potential of this new type of store and envisioned owning a chain of them. The two of them pursued this venture and opened their first store in Kerrville, Texas in 1973. The business grew quickly and by 1980, they had expanded to eight stores in the hill country. When Jr. died in 2013, the Mini Mart chain had grown to 17 locations.