Penn Staters with a craving for Uni-Mart hot dogs never have to go far -- State College is blessed with a Uni-Mart on almost every corner.

It began in l972 when Henry Sahakian, chief executive officer of Uni-Marts, Inc., was inspired to fill a void in and around State College and opened his first store on Garner Street.

Twenty years later, Sahakian's vision has expanded in six different states with 479 stores, 31 of which are located in Centre County.

And now a new store is under construction on Atherton Street -- the 20th Uni-Mart in State College.

The main reason there are so many Uni-Mart stores in State College is because the Uni-Mart, Inc. corporate headquarters is located in the borough, said Jill Swanson, vice president of human resources at Uni-Marts, Inc.

Located at 477 E. Beaver Ave., the corporate office oversees the operation of Uni-Marts and its many corporate holdings, such as Getty Marts and Open Pantry convenience stores.

A public-held company since l986, its shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The majority of its stockholders, however, are in State College, Swanson said.

Planners at Uni-Marts, Inc. examine the traffic flow of an area when considering a new location, Swanson said. This often leads to Uni-Marts being located practically across the street from each other, even though this has not seemed to hurt the business at such locations, she added.

Uni-Mart, which is open 24 hours daily, capitalizes on the student population in State College which desires fast, convenient service at any hour of the day. Late-night party-goers can always get a pack of cigarettes or, of course, the world famous Uni-Mart "Death Dogs," which are devoured by Penn Staters every day.

An average State College Uni-Mart also offers a variety of fast foods such as nachos and microwaveable sandwiches. The stores also carry a few essential grocery items.

University students seem to appreciate the multitude of Uni-Marts located in town.

Sam Macio (senior-polymer science) said he likes that there is always a Uni-Mart close by. The number of Uni-Marts makes it very convenient for students who live in town.

"I can always count on finding a Uni-Mart when I need something," said James McKittrick (sophomore-business).