En esta noticia
A 74-year-old convenience store chain is disappearing from the U.S. retail landscape after its parent company decided to eliminate the brand from every location. However, customers should not expect all of the stores to shut down permanently.
The chain, CEFCO Convenience Stores, was acquired by Casey’s General Stores, which is now gradually converting CEFCO locations into Casey’s stores. As a result, the historic CEFCO name is being removed even though many of the locations will continue operating.
Casey’s acquired CEFCO for more than $1 billion
The transition began after Casey’s General Stores acquired Fikes Wholesale, the company that owned CEFCO, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.145 billion.
The deal, which closed in November 2024, included roughly 198 CEFCO convenience stores, primarily located in Texas. The acquisition also expanded Casey’s presence in the southern United States.
Rather than maintaining CEFCO as a separate regional brand, Casey’s chose to gradually convert the acquired stores to its own name and operating model.
What will happen to the CEFCO stores?
The disappearance of the CEFCO brand does not mean that every location is closing. Instead, Casey’s has been remodeling the stores and reopening them under the Casey’s name.
During fiscal 2026, the company remodeled approximately 50 former CEFCO locations. Casey’s then converted another 24 stores during the first quarter of fiscal 2027.
The company has reported strong results from the remodeled locations. According to Casey’s CEO Darren Rebelez, the converted stores generated a significant improvement in performance compared with their results before the renovations.
The conversions are expected to continue, although Casey’s has not announced a single definitive date by which every CEFCO location will have been converted.
CEFCO is disappearing as a retail brand
The decision marks the end of a long chapter for a convenience store chain that had been operating for roughly seven decades.
CEFCO became a familiar name across parts of the southern United States, particularly Texas. Its stores offered customers many of the products typically found at convenience stores, including fuel, beverages, snacks and prepared food.
Now, however, shoppers who previously visited CEFCO locations will increasingly see Casey’s signs and branding instead.
The strategy reflects a broader trend across the U.S. convenience store industry, where larger companies have acquired regional chains and subsequently integrated their locations under a single national or regional brand.
Casey’s continues to expand
The disappearance of CEFCO does not mean Casey’s is shrinking. Quite the opposite: the company continues to pursue an aggressive expansion strategy.
Casey’s operates nearly 3,000 stores across 19 states and has continued opening and acquiring locations as it expands its footprint.
The company has particularly focused on smaller communities, where its convenience stores can serve as important stops for fuel, groceries and prepared food.
Its stores also compete through offerings such as pizza, other prepared meals, beverages and snacks, giving Casey’s multiple sources of revenue beyond gasoline.