Yesway has officially exited Iowa and Kansas with the sale of its 29 convenience stores in the states to Houston-based Now & Forever, according to a Thursday news release from Yesway.
Now & Forever bought the stores for about $21 million, Yesway said, adding that the transaction will advance Yesway’s strategy of monetizing non-strategic assets and redeploying capital into investments with higher return potential in faster-growing markets.
Yesway announced in February 2025 that it planned to sell its Iowa and Kansas stores.
- Yesway is No. 19 on CSP’s 2026 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.
In August, during the company’s second-quarter earnings call, it reported operating 450 stores under the Yesway and Allsup’s brands. That included 29 stores in Iowa and Kansas that Yesway said at the time it expected to complete the sale of by the end of the year.
With its Midwest exit, Yesway is concentrating its growth efforts in Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas, Yesway Chairman, President and CEO Thomas Trkla has said.
In September, the company announced that it would open its first Arizona c-store under the Allsup’s brand on Oct. 2.
“This transaction is fundamentally about putting our capital to work where we believe it can generate the greatest long-term value,” Trkla said. “By monetizing our Iowa and Kansas portfolio, we are unlocking capital to invest in new-to-industry stores in faster-growing core markets where we see opportunities to achieve higher returns on invested capital. At the same time, we are sharpening our operational focus and simplifying our supply chain footprint. Together, these benefits position us to pursue more profitable growth, build on the strength of our Yesway and Allsup’s brands and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”
Now & Forever is a family-owned and -operated chain of 25 travel centers and convenience stores located throughout Houston, according to its website. Twenty-three of those stores are running while two are upcoming, the website said. Its mission is to deliver fast, convenient services and provide affordable, quality fuel to the communities it serves, the website said.
It was founded by brothers Zain and Shayan Farooqi in 2005 amid the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The brothers were committed to helping their community by offering low gas prices at their first flagship store to ensure safe evacuations, the website said.
Kolby Jones, owner of KJ Acquisitions, represented Yesway in the sale, according to a LinkedIn post.
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