Beloved convenience store brand slowly nears its end

While convenience stores seem very much like a form of retail designed for a singular purpose — quickness — there’s been a bit of a surprising fan base presence built up around some of them over the years.

Take 7-Eleven, for instance, known in America to many frozen drink enthusiasts as the home of the Slurpee. Starting in 2002, the chain decided to declare its birthday a holiday, forever deeming July 11 Free Slurpee Day. It might have been this move that endeared so many Americans to the chain, as now the term trends on social media every year as folks flock to get their free Slurpees.

💵💰Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter 💰💵

Say 7-Eleven in Japan or Thailand, however, and you’re likely to see a whole new level of customer loyalty. In Thailand the stores are known for their consistency and high degree of customer service. In Japan, the same goes, but the quality of its convenience-store food — think rice balls, fluffy egg salad sandwiches, and TikTok famous famichiki (a portable take on fried chicken) — have earned it a loyal and passionate audience. 

Related: Forget bankruptcy: Famous convenience store chain disappearing

Naturally, folks take pride in certain things local to them, such as the Californian love for In N’ Out Burger. In the midwest, there’s a chain that has summoned up a lot of loyalty from those who seek out more than just junk-food options. But unfortunately, the quirky brand is about to be erased.

The history of a little-known classic

Originally founded in 1959, the Kum & Go convenience store chain has often earned its share of laughs for a name that’s a little too close to a sexual euphemism.

That said, Kum & Go was born in Iowa, where many of its locations first popped up, so it’s safe to say it’s a bit of a local thing. But that blew up beyond Iowa’s borders in 2006, when then-superstar Johnny Knoxville of “Jackass” fame wore a black Kum & Go T-shirt in the film “Jackass Number Two.”

It wasn’t just Knoxville’s star power that got people to love Kum & Go, though. In addition to the stuff you’d expect to see at any convenience store, Kum & Go also had some unusual items coming from its kitchen. We’re talking grain bowls, burritos, pulled pork falafel, even nice sauces. Healthier snacks also abounded, but if you wanted the usual junk-food fare, it was there, too.

With close to 400 stores across the U.S., it’s easy to see how people could have developed a soft spot for this little-known shop. But thanks to a new acquisition, Kum & Go will unfortunately undergo a big change.

Kum & Go ready for a new name

In August of 2023, Maverick and parent company FJ Management announced that it would acquire Kum & Go from its original owner Krause Group, as well as Solar Transport, a fuel transportation fleet.

When the acquisition was originally announced, Maverick said that it intended to retain the Kum & Go branding. That was the case until 2025, when Maverick announced it would put all 400 Kum & Go locations under its own branding.

Several sources which declined to be named told CSP Daily News that the reason was that after deeper consideration, Maverik made the decision that its brand resonated more in its markets than Kum & Go did in the midwest.

However, there was also concern about the very thing that so many fans loved about the original name, which one source called an “inadvertent double entendre.”

Maverick has not made any comment on what it plans to change on the inside of the stores or if the same items people love will still be served. However, some long time fans of the original brand say on Reddit that the changes are not good.

“…My little town is right on a major highway, and the Kum and Go was our only 24/7 business,” user Malcolm_Y wrote. “Since Maverik took over and rebranded, they are plagued by empty shelves, less hot food options, periodic lack of bags for purchased items, and today a total lack of fuel. This is a location that always has customers and is especially busy on weekends. I no longer have the option of a physical rewards card, and the rewards are noticeably less than I got from Kum and Go.”

“They also took out most of the healthy options they had,” Top_Cellist9501 chimed in.

While it’s understandable that fans of the chain might be disappointed, one thing is safe to say: if you happen to own Kum & Go merchandise such as a T-shirt or a hat, it could become a collector’s item, so hang onto it.

Related: Convenience store program gets upgrade members will love

#Beloved #convenience #store #brand #slowly #nears