EXHIBIT 5.1 LAW OFFICES OF SAUL, EWING, REMICK & SAUL LLP BALTIMORE, MARYLAND CENTRE SQUARE WEST NEW YORK, NEW YORK BERWYN, PENNSYLVANIA 1500 MARKET STREET, 38TH FLOOR PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA, PA 19102-2186 WILMINGTON, DELAWARE (215) 972-7777 Fax: (215) 972-7725 Internet Email: lawyers@saul.com World Wide Web: http://www.saul.com March 25, 1999 Uni-Marts, Inc. 477 East Beaver Avenue State College, PA 16801-5690 Gentlemen: We refer to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") of Uni-Marts, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), covering the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of 500,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of the Company (the "Shares") pursuant to the Uni-Marts, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"). We have examined the Registration Statement, the Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws of the Company, the Plan and such records, certificates and other documents as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this Opinion. Based on the foregoing, it is our opinion that the issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. We hereby consent to the use of our name in the Registration Statement as counsel who will pass upon the legality of the Shares for the Company and as having prepared this Opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder. Very truly yours, /S/ SAUL, EWING, REMICK & SAUL LLP