- The fuel station’s new national owner plans to rebrand every Kum & Go location.
- Maverik will replace the brand, a staple in the industry since its creation in 1975.
- The original name cleverly incorporated its founders’ initials to create a memorable brand.
Few gas stations in America garner the type of attention that Kum & Go, due to the (nasty) innuendos that its name invokes. That name dates all the way back in 1975 but soon, it’ll be gone from gas stations across the country.
Back in 1959, a small single gas station was launched as the Hampton Oil Company. That same business would expand and ultimately become Kum & Go, counting 400 locations in 13 states. The original owners were W.A. Krause and T.S. Gentle. The name enabled the owners to wedge their surname initials into it.
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The Kum & Go name wasn’t picked in 1975 just because the owners wanted to include specific initials. Krause once admitted that he picked the name in part because it had the fewest letters he could manage and that signs would be cheaper that way. According to CNN, merchandise bearing its brand “exploded in popularity” when Johnny Knoxville wore a Kum & Go T-shirt in the “Jackass” sequel movie.
Now, the stores will change to the Maverik brand nationwide over time “in the process of rebranding Kum & Go stores, with the intent to unify our entire combined footprint under the Maverik brand,” the company told the Des Moines Register. “We are taking a thoughtful, market-by-market approach to ensure the best customer experience before confirming each state’s rebrand.”
“Our focus is delivering a consistently elevated c-store experience – across fuel, rewards, food service, and inside-store offerings. As we solidify our plans in each state, we will share those updates with you.” Basically, if you have a Kum & Go near you now, you’re running out of time to get your K&G gear. The transformation might take a while though.
The new owners, out of Salt Lake City, bought Kum & Go in August of 2023. It wasn’t until January of this year that it began its rebranding. For now, it’s only converted stores in Utah, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and a few in Wyoming.
