After 60 Years Popular Convenience Stores Leaving North Dakota
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I was talking to a co-worker today, and she mentioned Kum & Go, and how she was working on something that involved that particular store chain. I told her we have a few locations in North Dakota, and that I love to stop in and grab a piece of pizza from there. What she told me next totally surprised me.
North Dakota will soon have one fewer convenience store to choose from.
The Kum & Go Convenience Stores will soon be departing the Midwest, which includes North Dakota, after 60 years and four generations. The Peace Garden State currently has 9 Kum & Go shops, all of which will close by the end of 2025.
What Caused the Closures?
The Krause family, the brand's current owners, sold it to a new firm called Maverik, based in Utah, for an estimated $2 billion. While the brand has done very well with other convenience stores like Casey's Kwik Trip in 2023, Maverik just chose to discontinue the Kum & Go Brand.
There are no set dates for any of the locations' closures, but CSP Daily News claims that they will all be gone by 2025. The good news is that all 5,000 Kum & Go shop employees will continue to work for Maverik-owned companies in some form.
If this store is your favorite place to visit when traveling around North Dakota, you might want to visit it as often as possible. I wonder what other convenience stores could replace our stores in North Dakota. I hope the pizza is just as good! We'll have to hold off and see. In the meantime, stock up now on those T-shirts and hats!
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Gallery Credit: Liz Barrett Foster