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/
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!
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 21, 2023, 01:20:31 PM
I would have to think they're going to change the brand.
Kvm and Go?
QuoteIn 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.
I guess bastardizations of English flock together?
Quote from: Road Hog on April 21, 2023, 05:04:22 PM
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.
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.
Hehe, kum.
Will it be Maverikum & Go?
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...
If the truck is a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'.
Quote from: kphoger on April 21, 2023, 05:38:03 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on April 21, 2023, 05:04:22 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2023, 11:19:02 AM
Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 22, 2023, 09:10:35 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on April 22, 2023, 08:48:36 AM
Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 22, 2023, 06:20:14 AM
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 (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7089567,-73.8218371,3a,15y,145.28h,91.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr2URXuQ7N-Yiiw8IpuEpQg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) 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.
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2023, 04:56:23 PM
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.
Quote from: epzik8 on April 22, 2023, 08:21:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2023, 04:56:23 PM
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.
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2023, 11:19:02 AM
Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 22, 2023, 09:10:35 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on April 22, 2023, 08:48:36 AM
Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 22, 2023, 06:20:14 AM
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 (https://www.ddir.com/) in my mouth every time I visit Seattle.
(https://www.ddir.com/wp-content/themes/ddir/images/logo-flicker.gif)
Where I grew up, the nearest Chinese restaurant was called 'Big Wong'.
Quote from: kphoger on April 24, 2023, 09:45:15 AM
Where I grew up, the nearest Chinese restaurant was called 'Big Wong'.
Could have been worse ... it could have been this Chinese restaurant ...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cdn.tripadvisor.com%2Fmedia%2Fphoto-s%2F01%2Fd4%2F85%2Fc3%2Fthis-is-the-place.jpg&hash=aa9291df6595ae5d08a8e08208c6301c9a67c908)
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.
Quote from: dlsterner on April 24, 2023, 08:47:55 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 24, 2023, 09:45:15 AM
Where I grew up, the nearest Chinese restaurant was called 'Big Wong'.
Could have been worse ... it could have been this Chinese restaurant ...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cdn.tripadvisor.com%2Fmedia%2Fphoto-s%2F01%2Fd4%2F85%2Fc3%2Fthis-is-the-place.jpg&hash=aa9291df6595ae5d08a8e08208c6301c9a67c908)
Now there's
A Dong (https://goo.gl/maps/SneQbEdnY22Da9sd8) just over a half-mile from our house.
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.
Maverik as nice...that's a new one.
Kum & Go stores are all over Central Arkansas, so I stop in whenever I go back.
Quote from: doorknob60 on April 25, 2023, 02:53:38 PM
The other main chains we have are Jacksons/ExtraMile and Stinker.
"Stinker"? That sounds like you'll be risking your life to use the restroom.
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/KindheartedObeseIchidna-max-1mb.gif)
Thread bump: the infamous Kum & Go name is expected to... well, go by the end of 2025 in place of Maverik. https://www.cspdailynews.com/mergers-acquisitions/maveriks-decision-retire-kum-go-brand?fbclid=IwAR3jUv-g6rXt2S8AZFvNmjygf18xxk8RoGIVsJ8ZJQ40A5gCWWc0_7ixB1c
Utah said no fun allowed.
We're all lucky the name lasted as long as it did.
For those not familiar with Maverik stores, IMHO, they are a step or two above K&G and Speedway.
The newer stores have high ceilings and have an outdoors theme to them. Their older stores are like that of a K&G vibe with smaller stores and tighter aisles, but many of those were totally remodeled over the last year or so.
I'll be curious if they rebuild/enlarge the K&G stores to fit the newer Maverik model/theme?
I will say that you should enjoy the Maverik touches as most Maveriks do not look like the cookie-cutter, stereotypical C-stores.
Quote from: thenetwork on January 10, 2024, 07:51:45 PM
For those not familiar with Maverik stores, IMHO, they are a step or two above K&G and Speedway.
The newer stores have high ceilings and have an outdoors theme to them. Their older stores are like that of a K&G vibe with smaller stores and tighter aisles, but many of those were totally remodeled over the last year or so.
I'll be curious if they rebuild/enlarge the K&G stores to fit the newer Maverik model/theme?
I will say that you should enjoy the Maverik touches as most Maveriks do not look like the cookie-cutter, stereotypical C-stores.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6826014,-104.8660093,3a,75y,272.84h,90.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRcS1pqjjAs2PPtB27faUVg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
I was at this particular store just this past weekend. While it was originally supposed to be a Kum n Go, the owners simply shoved the Maverik logo in what would be normally Kum n Go's logo. There's another store just south of there (at Havana and Yale) that has yet to be switched to Maverik.
If I have a choice, I almost always stop at Maverik when I'm in the west. The gas prices are fair and the bathrooms are always very nice and clean - especially at the newer stations. That brand name does carry value that the Kum&Go brand really didn't. I'm as sad as anyone else that the silly name is going away, but it is financially the right decision.
Fun fact: I went to high school with the Maverik owners' daughters. It was well known that they were pretty much the richest people in the school.
About 5 years ago I spent about a week and a half in Sacramento for work (in June), and during the weekend that I had off I took a trip up US 50 to Lake Tahoe, Carson City, I-580 to Reno, and back on I-80. Ended up getting gas at a Maverik off of 580 on the south end of Reno, not knowing a thing about the chain. Needless to say I was impressed. I wanna say it was most like Wawa as far as east coast chains go. I didn't notice whether or not they had hot food options as I had eaten McD's about a half hour prior, but I definitely took note of the reasonable gas prices and clean restrooms.
In Grand Junction, CO for the longest time, we were the boundary line between the Maverik chain and K&G. K&G's "territory" was from DeBeque (east of Junction) and eastward, while Maverik was Grand Junction proper and points west into Utah,
Just within the last few months, they expanded with a store between Vail and Avon along I-70, which initially I thought was odd, but now it all makes sense with the merger and the brand retirement of K&G.
Since Speedway is expanding (south) westward -- as they are along the US-160 corridor in southern Colorado and points south -- Maverik is returning the favor eastward.
Quote from: US 89 on January 11, 2024, 12:35:22 AM
If I have a choice, I almost always stop at Maverik when I'm in the west. The gas prices are fair and the bathrooms are always very nice and clean - especially at the newer stations. That brand name does carry value that the Kum&Go brand really didn't. I'm as sad as anyone else that the silly name is going away, but it is financially the right decision.
Fun fact: I went to high school with the Maverik owners' daughters. It was well known that they were pretty much the richest people in the school.
How do the two brands compare? If Kum & Go isn't as good or doesn't have everything that Maverik does, it could end up doing damage to the Maverik name.
Switching to Maverick means Kum & Go will up their heat lamp grill game.
Or they'll just slap a new logo on the building and call it a day. ?
Quote from: kphoger on January 11, 2024, 05:52:43 PM
Or they'll just slap a new logo on the building and call it a day. ?
I would think that would be far more likely. It's what happened when Speedway took over all the Hess stations. Speedway in the Midwest is a full gas station/convenience store chain. Speedway in former Hess territory is more often than not a pure gas station like this (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7209445,-73.8033443,3a,49.1y,311.81h,94.08t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sICukg9jPBfkkUOOsG5yFAg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DICukg9jPBfkkUOOsG5yFAg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.806335%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu).
Quote from: vdeane on January 11, 2024, 12:48:04 PM
How do the two brands compare? If Kum & Go isn't as good or doesn't have everything that Maverik does, it could end up doing damage to the Maverik name.
Quote from: kphoger on January 11, 2024, 05:52:43 PM
Or they'll just slap a new logo on the building and call it a day. ?
If the folks running Maverik are smart, they won't simply slap a new logo on the building and call it a day. They will progressively update stores and remodel or refresh as needed before switching the logo on the building. Seeing that Maverik has 400 stores to ultimately switch over, they probably accounted for at least some of these necessary changes when they planned out the purchase process.
They would first assess the condition of the Kum & Go chain and determine what investment was necessary to bring them up to Maverik standards. They would ensure they had sufficient funds on hand to execute the change. They would also factor the amount of their offering bid based on their findings. Doubtless they also have prioritized what Kum & Go locations get the upgrades first, which ones get them later, and which locations simply close.
Being from southern Wisconsin, I've watched Kwik Trip go through similar purchasing processes when they picked up the local chains Stop-N-Go and PDQ. The newer, nicer locations got updated signage and some mild interior remodeling. Other locations were bulldozed and replaced with new buildings. For locations that could not be made to fit the Kwik Trip format, they were bulldozed and the real estate sold off. About 15 Stop-N-Go locations remain, rebranded "Stop-N-Go by Kwik Trip", a bit like a red-headed stepchild. They sell much of the same merchandise, and the same fuel, as Kwik Trip, but don't have all of the bells and whistles of the larger new-format Kwik Trip stores.
Quote from: JREwing78 on January 11, 2024, 11:38:02 PM
Being from southern Wisconsin, I've watched Kwik Trip go through similar purchasing processes when they picked up the local chains Stop-N-Go and PDQ. The newer, nicer locations got updated signage and some mild interior remodeling. Other locations were bulldozed and replaced with new buildings. For locations that could not be made to fit the Kwik Trip format, they were bulldozed and the real estate sold off. About 15 Stop-N-Go locations remain, rebranded "Stop-N-Go by Kwik Trip", a bit like a red-headed stepchild. They sell much of the same merchandise, and the same fuel, as Kwik Trip, but don't have all of the bells and whistles of the larger new-format Kwik Trip stores.
This basically is how Casey's moved into the OKC market upon acquiring the Circle Ks around here. The good locations became Casey's immediately, the middling ones got Casey's branding but got remodeled one by one, the bad ones (and the ones that were good but too close to another Casey's location) became Good Stop by Casey's.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on January 01, 2024, 02:01:23 AM
This just about sums up Southwest Missouri's relationship with Kum & Go. Although they were recently bought out By Maverik, the branding will remain the same.
That's a twist. Springfield Daily Citizen published an article stating that the 33 K&G's won't be rebranded back in September:
https://sgfcitizen.org/economy-growth/33-springfield-kum-go-stores-will-not-be-rebranded-following-maveriks-2-billion-buyout/ (https://sgfcitizen.org/economy-growth/33-springfield-kum-go-stores-will-not-be-rebranded-following-maveriks-2-billion-buyout/)
Fortunately for Maverik, most K&Gs in the area have been upgraded to the GO FRESH Market design, simplifying the renovation process. Seeing as these new market K&Gs were built within the last decade, I'd imagine that the demolition and rebuilding of these locations is highly unlikely.
Quote from: thenetwork on January 11, 2024, 09:16:13 AM
In Grand Junction, CO for the longest time, we were the boundary line between the Maverik chain and K&G. K&G's "territory" was from DeBeque (east of Junction) and eastward, while Maverik was Grand Junction proper and points west into Utah,
Just within the last few months, they expanded with a store between Vail and Avon along I-70, which initially I thought was odd, but now it all makes sense with the merger and the brand retirement of K&G.
Since Speedway is expanding (south) westward -- as they are along the US-160 corridor in southern Colorado and points south -- Maverik is returning the favor eastward.
Speedway has expanded at least as far west as the Wasatch Front now. Several locations have popped up in the greater Salt Lake City area in the last 5 years or so, most of which used to be Tesoro or Shell in my observations.
Quote from: US 89 on January 12, 2024, 12:34:16 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 11, 2024, 09:16:13 AM
In Grand Junction, CO for the longest time, we were the boundary line between the Maverik chain and K&G. K&G's "territory" was from DeBeque (east of Junction) and eastward, while Maverik was Grand Junction proper and points west into Utah,
Just within the last few months, they expanded with a store between Vail and Avon along I-70, which initially I thought was odd, but now it all makes sense with the merger and the brand retirement of K&G.
Since Speedway is expanding (south) westward -- as they are along the US-160 corridor in southern Colorado and points south -- Maverik is returning the favor eastward.
Speedway has expanded at least as far west as the Wasatch Front now. Several locations have popped up in the greater Salt Lake City area in the last 5 years or so, most of which used to be Tesoro or Shell in my observations.
Not only does Speedway have a location in Fort Bragg, CA within spitting distance of the Pacific Ocean, they're as far west as Kenai, AK. So yeah, can't get much further west unless they expand to Hawaii or the Aleutian Islands. I know many of the CA locations were once Mobil.
Quote from: vdeane on January 11, 2024, 08:34:06 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 11, 2024, 05:52:43 PM
Or they'll just slap a new logo on the building and call it a day. ?
I would think that would be far more likely. It's what happened when Speedway took over all the Hess stations. Speedway in the Midwest is a full gas station/convenience store chain. Speedway in former Hess territory is more often than not a pure gas station like this (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7209445,-73.8033443,3a,49.1y,311.81h,94.08t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sICukg9jPBfkkUOOsG5yFAg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DICukg9jPBfkkUOOsG5yFAg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.806335%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu).
A great example is in Cortez, Colorado: The original Maverik north of town on US-491 is well half the size of the larger, newer-concept one on the east side of town on US-160, while the former could be a cookie-cutter Kum & Go Speedway. Aisles are cramped, one-seater rest rooms, etc.
The newer Maverik, about 5-7 years old, has the higher ceilings, twice as many pumps, including Diesel Fuel Islands and RV dumps, roomy aisles and multi-stall restrooms. Some localities may just get the rebranding/simple remodeling and be more like the North Cortez store. But most of the newer Maveriks I've seen, especially those off main highways and certainly all the newer ones are of the larger, outdoors-themed variety.
Here's the closest newer-styled one to me: https://maps.app.goo.gl/p5bMSKjXUMdmEZQT9
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 12, 2024, 12:16:12 AM
Quote from: JREwing78 on January 11, 2024, 11:38:02 PM
Being from southern Wisconsin, I've watched Kwik Trip go through similar purchasing processes when they picked up the local chains Stop-N-Go and PDQ. The newer, nicer locations got updated signage and some mild interior remodeling. Other locations were bulldozed and replaced with new buildings. For locations that could not be made to fit the Kwik Trip format, they were bulldozed and the real estate sold off. About 15 Stop-N-Go locations remain, rebranded "Stop-N-Go by Kwik Trip", a bit like a red-headed stepchild. They sell much of the same merchandise, and the same fuel, as Kwik Trip, but don't have all of the bells and whistles of the larger new-format Kwik Trip stores.
This basically is how Casey's moved into the OKC market upon acquiring the Circle Ks around here. The good locations became Casey's immediately, the middling ones got Casey's branding but got remodeled one by one, the bad ones (and the ones that were good but too close to another Casey's location) became Good Stop by Casey's.
I don't remember the name of the chain, but I stopped at a store in Great Falls, Mont., and the employees were wearing Circle K apparel. The store's brand on the front and the gas pumps was definitely not Circle K.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 12, 2024, 06:38:45 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 12, 2024, 12:16:12 AM
Quote from: JREwing78 on January 11, 2024, 11:38:02 PM
Being from southern Wisconsin, I've watched Kwik Trip go through similar purchasing processes when they picked up the local chains Stop-N-Go and PDQ. The newer, nicer locations got updated signage and some mild interior remodeling. Other locations were bulldozed and replaced with new buildings. For locations that could not be made to fit the Kwik Trip format, they were bulldozed and the real estate sold off. About 15 Stop-N-Go locations remain, rebranded "Stop-N-Go by Kwik Trip", a bit like a red-headed stepchild. They sell much of the same merchandise, and the same fuel, as Kwik Trip, but don't have all of the bells and whistles of the larger new-format Kwik Trip stores.
This basically is how Casey's moved into the OKC market upon acquiring the Circle Ks around here. The good locations became Casey's immediately, the middling ones got Casey's branding but got remodeled one by one, the bad ones (and the ones that were good but too close to another Casey's location) became Good Stop by Casey's.
I don't remember the name of the chain, but I stopped at a store in Great Falls, Mont., and the employees were wearing Circle K apparel. The store's brand on the front and the gas pumps was definitely not Circle K.
Was that at a Holiday? Circle K bought them a few years back and has started to merge the branding (at least in SD).
Stephen Colbert even addressed the Kum & Go name retirement earlier this week (starting at about 4:50 into the video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPmy9V-UfWw
I stayed for the whole video. I didn't Kum & Go. :-D
Quote from: Road Hog on January 21, 2024, 08:58:39 PM
I stayed for the whole video. I didn't Kum & Go. :-D
:-D :spin: :-D