Mac's Milk MacTavish 1961 T-Shirt

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.