Cumberland Farms Founder George Haseotes Dies at 94

Rhode Island native George Haseotes has passed away. While you might not recognize his name, I'm sure you'd recognize the business he and his two brothers helped launch in Cumberland, Rhode Island, many years ago.

How Cumberland Farms Began With Just $84

The Orthodox Observer reports that the Cumberland Farms story began in 1939 with "$84 and a single cow on a 110-acre farm in Cumberland, Rhode Island."

The Haseotes Family Legacy in New England

Vasilios Spiros Haseotes started the farm in 1907, after arriving in America from the Epirus region of Northern Greece.

"George Haseotes was one of eight children born to Vasilios and Aphrodite Bassis Haseotes, who settled and raised their family in Cumberland, Rhode Island," according to the Orthodox Observer.

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The family opened its first convenience store in the 1950s in Bellingham, Massachusetts. Years later, they purchased hundreds of gas stations in the Northeast, and the company expanded, even into cranberry growing.

From Local Store to Regional Powerhouse

Forbes reported in 2015, "The Haseotes family owns and operates 600 Cumberland Farms convenience stores and provides gas to some 2,500 Gulf stations throughout New England, New York, the Mid-Atlantic states and Florida through its Cumberland Gulf Group."

Cumberland Farms’ Growth and Sale to EG Group

Cumberland Farms was acquired by the United Kingdom-based fuel and convenience retailer, EG Group, in 2019. At the time, there were 9,000 employees on the payroll.

The company is based in Westborough, Massachusetts.

Chances are you've popped into "Cumby's" a time or two for a gallon of milk, a cup of coffee, some smokes, a lottery ticket, or to gas up the car.

George Haseotes passed away on March 18, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 94.