Kum & Go Refreshes Its Brand, Foodservice and More

DES MOINES, Iowa – A big-time brand refresh, upgrades to its food offerings and additions that are electrifying and welcoming. It’s been a busy time at Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go, the nation’s 18th-largest convenience-store chain according to CSP’s 2022 Top 40 update. The chain operates more than 400 c-stores in 11 states and plans on entering two more—Utah and Michigan—in 2022.

Here’s a look at what’s been going on …

Kum & Go has a new made-to-order fresh-food menu, first launched in the Little Rock, Ark., area, with grain bowls, better meats and veggies layered on fresh bread, blended smoothies, cold-brew frappes and more. It later expanded the program to the Omaha, Neb., metro area.

“At Kum & Go, we’ve been listening to our customers who describe how difficult it is to find tasty, healthier foods while on the go. We were inspired to meet that need, offering better-than-fast food, but faster-than-fast-casual food, and giving our customers a lot more choice,” CEO Tanner Krause said.

Kum & Go added a clean-label breakfast sandwich (pictured) as it welcomed baked-goods company Mason Dixie Foods into 33 locations. This is Mason Dixie Foods’ first foray into c-stores.

Kum & Go locations in Des Moines, Iowa, Little Rock, Ark., and Omaha, Neb., now offer Mason Dixie’s single-serve heat-and-eat breakfast sandwich, which features 100% real egg and nitrate-free, clean-label pork sausage between a flaky Mason Dixie biscuit. The sandwiches are made from scratch with no artificial ingredients, additives or preservatives and frozen right off the line for maximum freshness.

Putting a focus on sustainability, Kum & Go has expanded its electric-vehicle charging by partnering with the Colorado Energy Office to introduce DC fast-charging stations to another store in the state, a new location in Wellington, Colo. The new store marks 22 locations with chargers.

“Kum & Go has been a great early partner in our EV Corridors charging infrastructure efforts,” said Matt Mines, program manager for the Colorado Energy Office. “These new charging locations will help Coloradans drive anywhere in the state in an EV.”

Kum & Go has teamed up with ChargePoint on 14 completed EV sites.

CEO Tanner Krause (pictured) said the health and well-being of its employees have always been a priority for Kum & Go, but the murder of George Floyd in summer 2020 by a police officer motivated the c-store chain to accelerate initiatives focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

Kum & Go hired a full-time DE&I manager last year to lead education efforts and ensure that company policies and practices are written through an inclusive lens.

Among other initiatives, for Pride Month, Kum & Go donated proceeds from sales of Kum & Go clothing to LGBTQ+ organizations, including the Transgender Law Center.

Kum & Go also made its dress code for employees more accepting to eliminate any feelings of self-consciousness among store associates.

To redefine its on-the-go offer and connect with a bigger audience, Kum & Go also has launched a revamped brand identity, with a new marketing campaign and, in some markets, a new menu.

Global branding agency BrandOpus, New York, led this brand renovation, which “aims to match the retailer’s evolved approach to food through a bold and contemporary aesthetic.”

A new, fun ad campaign titled “So Delicious It’s Distracting” introduces the overhauled menu and new positioning. There’s also a new tagline, “A Fresh Perspective,” which encapsulates the brand’s approach to business, and playful illustrations including “The Ampersandersons” characters (pictured), who echo the brand’s joyful spirit.