Mac's Milk MacTavish 1961 Sticker

Ken McGowen opened up his first Mac's Milk convenience store on Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto. Ken came up with the name as it sounded like a friendly neighborhood guy, and included milk, as that's a core staple they would be stocking. As a nod to McGowen's Scottish roots, the mascot for Mac's was a cat named MacTavish, wearing a Tam o' shanter and a kilt, holding a jug of milk. McGowen opened seven more stores in 1962, but soon realized he needed capital to continue to grow, so Silverwood Dairies acquired 40% of Mac's Milk in 1963, allowing expansion to continue, and gave Mac's an edge on Silverwood's dairy products. Silverwood increased its holding to 80% in 1968, and 100% in 1972.