Maverik to acquire Kum & Go

[iowahighways]

No news on how this will affect branding, but will this be the end of the infamous Kum & Go?

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/2023/04/21/kum-and-go-sale-gas-stations-to-maverik-convenience-stores/70138328007/

[triplemultiplex]

I would have to think they're going to change the brand.  I mean, come on.
So snatch up all the Kum & Go merch while you still can!

[formulanone]

I would have to think they're going to change the brand.

Kvm and Go?

[Road Hog]

In addition to buying Kum & Go's 400 stores, Maverik and its parent company, FJ Management, will purchase Solar Transport, a Krause-owned tank truck carrier and logistic provider.

FJ Management is a private company that owns convenience stores, oil refineries, banks and insurance businesses. In addition to Maverik, the company co-owns Pilot Flying J, the country's largest truck stop chain. Berkshire Hathaway and Pilot Corp. are the chain's other owners.

The history of the company appears to suggest they will keep the Kum & Go brand.

[SectorZ]

I guess bastardizations of English flock together?

[kphoger]

The history of the company appears to suggest they will keep the Kum & Go brand.

There are a lot of Kum & Go devotees out there.  I doubt there are nearly as many Maverik devotees.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

At the very least it'll probably become a visible "part of the Maverik family of stores" or something if they don't want a full rebrand.

[LilianaUwU]

Hehe, kum.

[SectorZ]

Hehe, kum.

Goes well with Flying J

[LilianaUwU]

Hehe, kum.

Goes well with Flying J

Speaking of funny names, there's a diner in my hometown called BJ's.

[Rothman]

Hehe, kum.

Goes well with Flying J

Speaking of funny names, there's a diner in my hometown called BJ's.

There's BJ's Wholesale, too...

[KCRoadFan]

Will it be Maverikum & Go?

[hotdogPi]

I have a friend who says that one particular truck stop (nowhere near Massachusetts) has prostitutes in the back. Out of the hundreds of Kum & Go locations, it's statistically likely that at least one has its name taken literally...

[Road Hog]

If the truck is a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'.

[gonealookin]

The history of the company appears to suggest they will keep the Kum & Go brand.

There are a lot of Kum & Go devotees out there.  I doubt there are nearly as many Maverik devotees.

I wouldn't say Maverik has any particularly devoted following, no, but their stores are usually pretty nice inside, far better than most gas station convenience stores, and if Maverik's gas isn't the cheapest in town it's reliably pretty close.  Locally, if I need gas and I'm not close to the Costco I'll usually head for Maverik.

[Rothman]

Eh, in Rexburg, ID, the kids would cruise from the Maverik on the west side of town to the east one.  There's the extent of the Maverik following.

[vdeane]

Hehe, kum.

Goes well with Flying J

Speaking of funny names, there's a diner in my hometown called BJ's.

There's BJ's Wholesale, too...

There's a restaurant with the name on Wolf Road right across Central Ave from the plaza with BJ's Wholesale is.

Incidentally, having grown up with BJ's (the wholesale club, that is - my parents shop there regularly), I never thought of the connotation of the name before, but now cannot unsee it.

[epzik8]

Eh, in Rexburg, ID, the kids would cruise from the Maverik on the west side of town to the east one.  There's the extent of the Maverik following.

Provo, Utah as well.

[Rothman]

Eh, in Rexburg, ID, the kids would cruise from the Maverik on the west side of town to the east one.  There's the extent of the Maverik following.

Provo, Utah as well.

I didn't know the kids in Provo cruised.  Never did my time at the Y.

[gonealookin]

Hehe, kum.

Goes well with Flying J

Speaking of funny names, there's a diner in my hometown called BJ's.

There's BJ's Wholesale, too...

If this is the "raunchy jokes about business names" thread, I love drive-in type burgers and fries and I put some Dick's in my mouth every time I visit Seattle.

[kphoger]

Where I grew up, the nearest Chinese restaurant was called 'Big Wong'.

[dlsterner]

Where I grew up, the nearest Chinese restaurant was called 'Big Wong'.

Could have been worse ... it could have been this Chinese restaurant ...

[US 89]

I wouldn't consider myself a "devoted follower" of Maverik the way people do for Buc-ees or Sheetz or Wawa, but if Maverik is a choice when I'm driving out west I will almost always stop there. Their gas prices are pretty competitive and I can always count on them to have clean restrooms especially at their newer locations.

[kphoger]

Where I grew up, the nearest Chinese restaurant was called 'Big Wong'.

Could have been worse ... it could have been this Chinese restaurant ...

Now there's A Dong just over a half-mile from our house.

[doorknob60]

Never been to Kum & Go, but before this announcement they were planning on opening a bunch of locations in the Boise area. I wonder how the acquisition affects those plans, Maverik already has a strong presence here. My guess is some of the planned locations will still be built, but under the Maverik name. I guess we'll see.

Maverik is definitely the "nicest" of the convenience stores around here. Most of the stores are a pretty good size, kept clean/up to date, and have more prepared food options than average (though not as good as a lot of other chains in other areas). The gas is also on average a few cents cheaper than the other chains (still above the Costcos and Walmarts of the world as you'd expect). The other main chains we have are Jacksons/ExtraMile and Stinker. Both of those are pretty hit or miss on size and quality, though none of them are bad here. The Boise area is notably lacking some large chains (which are also hit or miss) like 7-Eleven and Circle K.

Maverik, while overall pretty good, still doesn't hold a candle to something like Wawa though. Wish we had some more competition out west in that space, which I was hoping Kum & Go would bring. Under the same umbrella, I doubt we'll see too much improvement or innovation.