A Sad Day For Double Entendres
January 8, 2024 3:46 PM Subscribe
After completing a corporate merger bringing the company under their umbrella, Western US convience store and fuel station operator Maverik is planning to retire the long-standing "Kum & Go" brand.
A staple of the Midwest and the Rockies, the Kum & Go brand had been around for over half a century - making it a perennial target for jokes. As such, the executives at Utah based Maverik likely feel the more outdoor focused Maverik brand will be a stronger presence moving forward.
A staple of the Midwest and the Rockies, the Kum & Go brand had been around for over half a century - making it a perennial target for jokes. As such, the executives at Utah based Maverik likely feel the more outdoor focused Maverik brand will be a stronger presence moving forward.
Aw, ji...jeez.
posted by zaixfeep at 3:54 PM on January 8 [29 favorites]
posted by zaixfeep at 3:54 PM on January 8 [29 favorites]
Kām & Went
posted by logicpunk at 3:55 PM on January 8 [33 favorites]
posted by logicpunk at 3:55 PM on January 8 [33 favorites]
Our thoughts and prayers go out to both you and IN-N-OUT in this difficult time.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:58 PM on January 8 [18 favorites]
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:58 PM on January 8 [18 favorites]
Good thing I have a 15 year old shirt already from that wedding I attended in Iowa.
posted by atomicstone at 4:05 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
posted by atomicstone at 4:05 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
It must be known that Kum & Go says "trans rights," making them the only good gas station in Iowa.
.
posted by Jeanne at 4:05 PM on January 8 [34 favorites]
.
posted by Jeanne at 4:05 PM on January 8 [34 favorites]
Minnesota’s Pump N Munch gas stations could not be reached for comment.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 4:14 PM on January 8 [18 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 4:14 PM on January 8 [18 favorites]
Maverick is expanding at a gigantic rate.
At one point just on the delivery routes I used to drive around eastern WA, the ID panhandle, and far-western MT, I must have seen one new Maverick station opening someplace I drove past every month for something like two years. That's 24 new stations that just I witnessed opening, and I know others opened in places I didn't usually drive by.
That they're also acquiring rival chains as part of their expansion is pretty amazing.
I don't know exactly what their end game is, because there's only so many gas stations we need at this point due to needing to stop using gas, and I haven't seen a single electric charger at ANY of their locations.
I like their stations -- well managed, decent gas station hot food, not horribly priced. But man, they're like a new gas station melanoma, growing so so quickly.
posted by hippybear at 4:21 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
At one point just on the delivery routes I used to drive around eastern WA, the ID panhandle, and far-western MT, I must have seen one new Maverick station opening someplace I drove past every month for something like two years. That's 24 new stations that just I witnessed opening, and I know others opened in places I didn't usually drive by.
That they're also acquiring rival chains as part of their expansion is pretty amazing.
I don't know exactly what their end game is, because there's only so many gas stations we need at this point due to needing to stop using gas, and I haven't seen a single electric charger at ANY of their locations.
I like their stations -- well managed, decent gas station hot food, not horribly priced. But man, they're like a new gas station melanoma, growing so so quickly.
posted by hippybear at 4:21 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
I am sad to see the "Toot N Moo" in Little Rock has closed, and I never figured out exactly how to pull off the combination.
posted by credulous at 4:26 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
posted by credulous at 4:26 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Drat, at least I got this lousy t-shirt.
posted by aspersioncast at 4:33 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by aspersioncast at 4:33 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Thank the lord we still have Loaf 'N Jug in the Great Plains.
Is there a list of C-Stores with "(X) 'N (Y)" because that would be cool.
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:06 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Is there a list of C-Stores with "(X) 'N (Y)" because that would be cool.
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:06 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Welp this is what gets me to finally buy some K&G merch I guess.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:26 PM on January 8
posted by uncleozzy at 5:26 PM on January 8
Not the Jerk & Squirt! Truly the worst timeline. Casey's, let slip the roller dogs of war!
posted by McBearclaw at 5:26 PM on January 8 [10 favorites]
posted by McBearclaw at 5:26 PM on January 8 [10 favorites]
Minnesota’s Pump N Munch gas stations could not be reached for comment.
In fairness, it's hard to comment when you mouth is full.
I like their stations -- well managed, decent gas station hot food, not horribly priced.
I like their stations as well. They typically have excellent bathrooms and decent coffee. Sometimes the customers are a bit quirky but that's the nature of gas stations, especially on second-tier highways.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:28 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
In fairness, it's hard to comment when you mouth is full.
I like their stations -- well managed, decent gas station hot food, not horribly priced.
I like their stations as well. They typically have excellent bathrooms and decent coffee. Sometimes the customers are a bit quirky but that's the nature of gas stations, especially on second-tier highways.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:28 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Maverik is owned by private equity. This firm claims to plan for the long term, but they seem to be following the standard PE playbook of massive, debt-fueled expansion, which is typically followed by rapid enshittification, and finally total collapse, sometimes with being sold to another PE group or two.
posted by rockindata at 5:30 PM on January 8 [13 favorites]
posted by rockindata at 5:30 PM on January 8 [13 favorites]
As an Iowa teenager, it was the "Jizz & Jet", the "Spooge & Split", the "Wank & Walk" or the "Ejaculate & Evacuate" if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
posted by rlk at 5:32 PM on January 8 [20 favorites]
posted by rlk at 5:32 PM on January 8 [20 favorites]
Kan korporations Korrupted koined kiosk Klime kmisdst Kommon krossover kome koctober.
posted by clavdivs at 6:14 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 6:14 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Eat N Park is still a thing right?
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:36 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:36 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Easy Kum, Easy Go.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:53 PM on January 8 [7 favorites]
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:53 PM on January 8 [7 favorites]
someone must rise against the growing power of Buc-ee's
there can be only one.
posted by djseafood at 6:57 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
there can be only one.
posted by djseafood at 6:57 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
that's so depressing but the shot glass my roommate got me for my 21st birthday will just have to be a reminder.
Kum N Go is one of the Nice gas station chains imo (clean, well lit, all the things you want in the middle of nowhere when driving in the Midwest).
posted by dismas at 6:57 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Kum N Go is one of the Nice gas station chains imo (clean, well lit, all the things you want in the middle of nowhere when driving in the Midwest).
posted by dismas at 6:57 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
In Nebraska, Kum & Go was quickly eclipsed by Casey's out of Iowa - they are the ones who have expanded everywhere in recent years, building new and buying out competitors. I would guess that a huge part of their plan for the future is the convenience store element, not the fuel sales. They aren't adding more pumps; they are expanding the in-store footage and offerings. Given that these stores are almost always in food desert areas, it's probably a strategy that will work.
and our Central NE convenience chain is Pump & Pantry, which of course usually has the last y knocked off its name...
posted by jkosmicki at 7:11 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
and our Central NE convenience chain is Pump & Pantry, which of course usually has the last y knocked off its name...
posted by jkosmicki at 7:11 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Sad. Not that the Kum & Go down the road from my house in the early 2000s was particularly good or anything, but I'm still sad to see the brand retired. It was still better than all the Sleazy Mart locations that had been 7-11s before they pulled out of the state. K&G's newer stations were all much nicer. Also much larger, which I have come to consider to be a bad thing.
Speaking of "x & y" convenience stores, there was no shortage where I grew up. Aside from the old school service stations, it was pretty much all Pic n' Tote and Git n' Go around there. There was a Roadrunner store (with licensed character), which was much nicer than any other place in town, but only one. It was pretty close to my house, so we had a ton of Roadrunner plastic cups in the cabinet growing up. Coke refills were so, so cheap, but I'd usually forget to grab a cup when leaving the house to go grab a coke and a snack, so we kept accumulating more.
posted by wierdo at 7:19 PM on January 8
Speaking of "x & y" convenience stores, there was no shortage where I grew up. Aside from the old school service stations, it was pretty much all Pic n' Tote and Git n' Go around there. There was a Roadrunner store (with licensed character), which was much nicer than any other place in town, but only one. It was pretty close to my house, so we had a ton of Roadrunner plastic cups in the cabinet growing up. Coke refills were so, so cheap, but I'd usually forget to grab a cup when leaving the house to go grab a coke and a snack, so we kept accumulating more.
posted by wierdo at 7:19 PM on January 8
I grew up in southern NM, decades ago, which were dominated by Pik-Quik and Circle-K marts, along with no-name independents.
Here in eastern WA we had a thing were the chain Nom Nom moved in seemingly overnight and took over a giant number of stores, with some locations having cheap fabric print signs tied around the previously existing signs to cover the old logo until they could afford to buy new real signage.
I still have no idea what a Nom Nom is, but they took over within a two week period.
I do truly like Maverick stores. When the pandemic hit, it was interesting because most Maverick locations [at least around here] were built to be 24-hour locations and so the buildings never had locks installed. Just a weird little tidbit that I observed.
posted by hippybear at 7:27 PM on January 8
Here in eastern WA we had a thing were the chain Nom Nom moved in seemingly overnight and took over a giant number of stores, with some locations having cheap fabric print signs tied around the previously existing signs to cover the old logo until they could afford to buy new real signage.
I still have no idea what a Nom Nom is, but they took over within a two week period.
I do truly like Maverick stores. When the pandemic hit, it was interesting because most Maverick locations [at least around here] were built to be 24-hour locations and so the buildings never had locks installed. Just a weird little tidbit that I observed.
posted by hippybear at 7:27 PM on January 8
I dunno.
*taps microphone*
"Strange things are afoot at the Kum WithaK."
Yeah, maybe not.
(I just saw a friend in Phoenix. Circle K was on the brain and I was determined to make that work. Results may vary. Ask your physician if entendres are right for you.)
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 8:35 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
*taps microphone*
"Strange things are afoot at the Kum WithaK."
Yeah, maybe not.
(I just saw a friend in Phoenix. Circle K was on the brain and I was determined to make that work. Results may vary. Ask your physician if entendres are right for you.)
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 8:35 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Today I learned that there are both Munch n Pump and Pump n Munch stores, the former being a small regional chain and the latter seemingly unaffiliated independent gas station convenience stores
I was originally going to describe them as “gas station-cum-convenience stores” but I didn’t want to overdo it
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:41 PM on January 8 [7 favorites]
I was originally going to describe them as “gas station-cum-convenience stores” but I didn’t want to overdo it
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:41 PM on January 8 [7 favorites]
Not fuel stations, but around here there used to be drug stores called Pay 'n Save, and a sort of home despot precursor called Pay 'n Pak (with a wider selection than a typical town hardware store at the time.)
posted by xedrik at 7:10 AM on January 9
posted by xedrik at 7:10 AM on January 9
Casey's pizza is not to be missed. I mean, I've had better, but for a convenience store, it's astonishingly good. Reliably good donuts too.
Maverik is owned by private equity. This firm claims to plan for the long term, but they seem to be following the standard PE playbook of massive, debt-fueled expansion, which is typically followed by rapid enshittification, and finally total collapse, sometimes with being sold to another PE group or two.
Is this the story behind the sudden explosion of "Lucky Seven" convenience stores in MN? I've been to 3 or 4 and they are all equally god-awful.
Oh, and:
the standard PE playbook of massive, debt-fueled expansion
So, the ol' "Pump-N-Blow"?
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 7:11 AM on January 9 [3 favorites]
Maverik is owned by private equity. This firm claims to plan for the long term, but they seem to be following the standard PE playbook of massive, debt-fueled expansion, which is typically followed by rapid enshittification, and finally total collapse, sometimes with being sold to another PE group or two.
Is this the story behind the sudden explosion of "Lucky Seven" convenience stores in MN? I've been to 3 or 4 and they are all equally god-awful.
Oh, and:
the standard PE playbook of massive, debt-fueled expansion
So, the ol' "Pump-N-Blow"?
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 7:11 AM on January 9 [3 favorites]
"Strange things are afoot at the Kum WithaK."
So, here in the north central states, there's a chain of gas stations called Holiday.
My wife is a night owl, and after work late one night, and in need of a lighter, stumbled into a empty Holiday store.
First she looked at the lighter, which had a Circle K logo on it. Then at the bored, tired cashier, whose shirt had a Circle K logo on it, and she began to wonder if she accidentally stepped into a parallel dimension.
This is how we learned the Circle K company bought the Holiday chain, and hasn't completed the steps to entirely move the gas stations under the same name.
(I admit it was the early 2000s before I learned that Circle K wasn't some fake brand made up for the Bill & Ted movie)
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:18 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]
So, here in the north central states, there's a chain of gas stations called Holiday.
My wife is a night owl, and after work late one night, and in need of a lighter, stumbled into a empty Holiday store.
First she looked at the lighter, which had a Circle K logo on it. Then at the bored, tired cashier, whose shirt had a Circle K logo on it, and she began to wonder if she accidentally stepped into a parallel dimension.
This is how we learned the Circle K company bought the Holiday chain, and hasn't completed the steps to entirely move the gas stations under the same name.
(I admit it was the early 2000s before I learned that Circle K wasn't some fake brand made up for the Bill & Ted movie)
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:18 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]
In college in Iowa we thought it was heelarious to call it Ejakulate and Evakuate, or just Jak & Vak.
posted by umbú at 8:37 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
posted by umbú at 8:37 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
Thank god. I’ve been embarrassed every single time I drive by with my parents. Or when they ask where I stopped for gas.
posted by bunderful at 3:42 PM on January 10
posted by bunderful at 3:42 PM on January 10
Ok, I thought "Pump and Munch" was for sure a joke. And they have a huge footprint. How haven't I seen one? Guess I'm just a sheetz girl at heart.
posted by atomicstone at 5:33 AM on January 11
posted by atomicstone at 5:33 AM on January 11
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