Casey's Acquires 11 Former EZ GO Stores
ANKENY, Iowa — Casey's General Stores Inc. picked up 11 EZ GO convenience stores from Love's Travel Stops, adding to its store count in Nebraska and Oklahoma.
The convenience store operator expects to reopen some of the purchased locations during the first week of December, while others have yet to receive a reopening date.
The seven EZ-GO sites scheduled for imminent rebranding are located in Lawton, Okla. Two stores will reopen on Dec. 5, two stores on Dec. 8, and three stores on Dec. 9, according to media reports.
[Read more: Casey's Picks Up 22 Lone Star Food Stores]
The EZ-GO stores were part of a 22-store portfolio that Oklahoma City-based Love's acquired from Lawton-based Carey Johnson Oil Co. Inc. in April. In addition to 11 c-stores, Love's purchased six travel stops located on Oklahoma turnpikes and five on the Kansas turnpike.
Carey and Mary Lou Johnson founded the Carey Johnson oil petroleum distribution business in Lawton nearly 60 years ago before developing the EZ GO c-store concept in 1981.
Love's rebranded several of the acquired EZ GO travel stops this summer and fall, as Convenience Store News reported. The company did not comment on the sale of EZ GO c-stores to Casey's.
"Casey's is excited to welcome its new team members and looks forward to serving guests in these communities," said Katie Petru, director of communications and community at Casey's.
In addition to the newly purchased c-stores in Lawton, Casey's operates locations in Chickasha, Oklahoma City, Norman, Yukon and Ardmore.
"We are still evaluating plans for several of these locations, specifically where our pizza will be available, as it requires having a kitchen and other considerations," Petru said. She noted that some Oklahoma locations already offer Casey's homemade pizza and other prepared food offerings.
Headquartered in Ankeny, Casey's operates more than 2,500 convenience stores. The company is the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States.
Casey's is No. 3 on the 2023 Convenience Store News Top 100 ranking.