Maverik Halts Kum & Go's Food Program After Acquisition: Inside the Integration Through a Pizza Blind Taste Test
After Maverik completed its acquisition of Kum & Go in August 2023, its food integration decisions sparked controversy. According to multiple anonymous former employees, during a pizza blind taste test, Kum & Go's product won but was overruled, and subsequently, the made-to-order and mobile ordering projects were cut one after another, ultimately leading to a full rebranding. This article outlines the key milestones and internal conflicts during the integration process.
The twist in the pizza blind taste test
In August 2023, Maverik's acquisition of Kum & Go was officially completed. Shortly thereafter, the foodservice teams of the two convenience store retailers gathered at Maverik's headquarters in Salt Lake City for a pizza tasting. This was not a typical team-building event, but a decision-making session to determine the fate of the combined foodservice program.
According to two former Kum & Go employees who attended the tasting, Maverik's Chief Marketing Officer Joey Hobson and then-Senior Director of Foodservice Tara Housley were both present. The event was conducted as a blind tasting, without prior indication of which pizza came from which brand. After the tasting, the winner selected by the team was revealed to be Kum & Go's pizza. However, when Hobson and Housley learned of the result, they quickly changed their stance, and ultimately Maverik's pizza was chosen as the retained product. The two sources and two other former Kum & Go corporate team members requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Cultural clashes are not uncommon in industry consolidation, but Maverik's handling of Kum & Go is particularly notable for its ambiguous intentions. Maverik emphasized both internally and externally that it might retain Kum & Go's brand and programs, yet in practice it continuously overlaid this similarly sized Midwestern chain, deeply rooted in many communities, with its own brand and operating model.
Maverik's main foodservice program, Bonfire Grill, is available at most of its convenience stores.Source: Brett Dworski/C-Store Dive
From 'merger' to 'rebranding'
In addition to cutting Kum & Go's made-to-order and mobile ordering services, Maverik recently confirmed plans to rebrand all Kum & Go stores, although it emphasized it has not yet committed to doing so in all regions. Stores in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming have already been rebranded, and rebranding efforts are underway in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Michigan.
Replacing a convenience store brand with more than 60 years of history carries risks, reflecting Maverik's confidence in its own business. However, according to three former corporate employees with direct knowledge of Kum & Go's foodservice operations, Maverik executives initially claimed they wanted to build a unified organization, even launching a combined menu featuring popular items from both. But all three sources said they felt Maverik leadership never truly intended to embrace Kum & Go's programs or learn from its foodservice team with decades of experience. Maverik executives often made decisions about the fate of Kum & Go's foodservice without consulting its leaders.
One source said Maverik formed a dedicated working group to evaluate Kum & Go stores from category, merchandising, foodservice, and marketing perspectives, but the transition team included no Kum & Go members. The source also revealed that leadership told them food sales would triple once stores were under the Maverik banner. "They were stubbornly convinced that the brand name alone would drive massive sales growth," the source said.
"They were stubbornly convinced that the brand name alone would drive massive sales growth." — A former employee with direct knowledge of Kum & Go's foodservice operations
Maverik One: The combined menu that never materialized
Kum & Go piloted its made-to-order fresh food program in 2021 at select stores in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Omaha, Nebraska. The menu featured all-day protein bowls and 'stacked' sandwiches, more than 10 pizzas, blended smoothies, cold brew Frappuccinos, and more. The company said at the time its goal was to compete more directly with fast-casual restaurants. That same year, Kum & Go launched its mobile ordering platform. Mike Templeton, vice president of strategy at industry consultancy NexChapter and a former Kum & Go marketing executive for eight years, said mobile ordering naturally complemented the foodservice program, enhancing its accessibility and visibility.
Kum & Go piloted its made-to-order fresh food program in 2021 at select stores in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Omaha, Nebraska.Source: Kum & Go press release
Both programs grew quickly. By 2022, Kum & Go announced plans to roll out the new foodservice program to all stores over the coming years. In late 2023, its mobile app won several awards for food and digital shopping features.
According to two former team members, Maverik did not initially intend to remove these services after the acquisition, but rather to leverage them. "Initially, Maverik's vision was to merge the menus," one source said, "to achieve the best of both worlds in converted stores." Maverik even had a name for the new menu — Maverik One — symbolizing the fusion of the two companies. Both sources said Maverik leadership began using the 'One' phrasing in internal meetings to convey this message. "Everything was branded under 'One' to create an atmosphere of collaboration and integration... but it quickly became clear that wasn't the case," one source said.
However, the Maverik One concept ultimately never came to fruition. Maverik decided to discontinue Kum & Go's made-to-order foodservice and mobile ordering platform, for reasons that puzzled the three former employees. One source recalled that at the time of the acquisition, Maverik executives said they would take a full year to evaluate the strengths of both companies' teams and individuals before taking action. In reality, the process took only about two months. "It was clear that what they said and what they did were completely different," the source said.
Decision bias and brand research
How Maverik decided to abandon Kum & Go's fresh food and mobile ordering programs remains unclear, but all three sources said Hobson and Housley led most food-related decisions. Two of the sources expressed skepticism about Housley's decision-making abilities, given her lack of foodservice industry experience. Her appointment as Maverik's Senior Director of Foodservice in June 2023 was her first food-related role, as reflected on her LinkedIn profile.
Two former foodservice team members confirmed that shortly after the acquisition closed, Maverik conducted consumer research to assess which brand was more popular and had a better reputation, to determine the direction of the combined company. A former Kum & Go marketing team member (also speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation) confirmed the existence of this research.
But the three sources noted the research was heavily skewed: the sample was disproportionately concentrated in states where Maverik already had a massive store network and Kum & Go was nearly absent. Utah, Maverik's home state, operates more than 160 convenience stores; Kum & Go did not open its first Utah store until December 2022 and had only a handful at the time of the acquisition. Colorado was the only state in the research where both brands had a significant store presence. As of September 2023, Kum & Go had nearly 90 stores in Colorado, while Maverik had about 30.
The three sources said that despite the research showing Colorado consumers actually favored Kum & Go, Maverik leadership still claimed its own brand was stronger. "I was surprised they pushed forward with the rebranding and all the food changes, because the research pointed in the opposite direction," said one source with knowledge of the results. Maverik did not respond to requests to confirm the research or share the results.
Program termination and contradictory explanations
As discussions about cutting the made-to-order program continued, the cancellation of the mobile ordering program was also put on the table. One source said mobile ordering was discontinued in September 2023, about a month after the acquisition closed. About a month later, the source's team received direct instructions to terminate Kum & Go's made-to-order service because Maverik no longer wanted to staff it. The former employee added that the program was shut down within about two to four weeks of the directive.
Inside a Kum & Go store in West Des Moines, Iowa. Customers expressed dissatisfaction after Maverik removed the store's grab-and-go sandwiches.Source: Brett Dworski/C-Store Dive
Maverik gave contradictory explanations for the termination. When C-Store Dive reported the program cuts in January 2024, a company spokesperson said it was the result of integrating the two retailers' 'food experiences and digital products.' Two former food-related employees recalled Housley saying the cuts were for financial reasons. However, another former employee said Maverik's former CEO Chuck Maggelet told them the made-to-order program was cut because Maverik did not prioritize reaching health-conscious consumers and primarily wanted to offer 'craveable' grab-and-go food. "I heard the former CEO say with my own ears that we were forcing customers to buy products they didn't want," the source said, adding that Maverik retained only some of Kum & Go's bakery SKUs.
Maverik also cut some of Kum & Go's grab-and-go items. For example, pre-packaged hot breakfast sandwiches at a Kum & Go store in West Des Moines, Iowa, were removed in the second half of 2024. Store assistant manager Drea Bohall said those sandwiches were a popular item at the store, and customers have frequently asked why they were removed in recent months. It is unclear how many other Kum & Go stores are affected. "Customers are definitely not happy about it," Bohall said.
NexChapter's Templeton noted from an external perspective that Kum & Go's health-oriented foodservice program was uncommon in the convenience store industry. He added that Maverik, seeking to optimize the combined company after the acquisition, may have assessed that Kum & Go's fresh food program did not fit its own business model. "I suspect it was genuinely a challenge for them to evaluate which products fit Maverik's portfolio while also expanding that brand into new markets," Templeton said.
The farewell to the Kum & Go brand
All three food-related sources and the marketing team member said the gradual elimination of Kum & Go's foodservice programs was an early signal of Maverik's broader intent — to fully retire the Kum & Go brand. They said this intent was confirmed internally earlier last year. While the complete disappearance of the Kum & Go name is not certain, it may not be far off.
Maverik's plan to retire the Kum & Go brand has sparked discontent among Iowa's retailer community and fan base, but rebranding acquired popular chains is not unique in the industry. Templeton noted that Alimentation Couche-Tard (parent of Circle K) has rebranded acquired brands like Holiday Stationstores and Hutch's over the years. Templeton added that while the industry will inevitably feel 'some nostalgia' for Kum & Go, Maverik has an excellent opportunity to expand its business. "I think how the market responds to the Maverik brand in these new territories will be worth watching."