Weigel’s Stores Inc. has named Douglas Yawberry as its CEO. Yawberry, Weigel’s president, had been filling in for former Weigel’s CEO Kenneth McMullen since he died in 2021.
Yawberry’s promotion marks a “pivotal milestone in the company’s evolution as it prepares to scale beyond 100 stores with a future shaped in large by Yawberry’s visionary leadership,” the convenience-store chain said in a Friday announcement.
- Weigel's is No. 79 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of convenience store chains by store count.
Yawberry joined Weigel’s as director of operations in 2008. He was promoted to vice president of operations in 2011 and became president and chief operating officer in 2017. During his tenure, the c-store company grew from 47 to 85 stores, added a bakery and launched a 110,000-square-foot commissary allowing Weigel’s to self-produce its proprietary food offerings and service other retailers, the company said.
Yawberry (pictured below) also led the rollout of Weigel’s “most innovative store designs to date, combining digital-forward convenience with elevated food and beverage programs crafted under the direction of the company’s in-house culinary team,” Weigel's said.
Its next-generation stores feature open kitchens, fresh grab-and-go options and signature items.
Yawberry serves on the National Association of Convenience Stores and Ambest boards. In 2024, he was named NACS Fuel Innovator of the Year.
William B. Weigel, the son of one of the company’s founders, joined the company in 1960. He will remain chairman, and he retains an active role in Weigel’s future growth and direction, the company said.
Powell, Tennessee-based Weigel’s was established in 1931 as a family business selling raw milk. It had 83 stores as of Jan. 1.
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