Circle K History

CIRCLE K

For more than 50 years, Circle K has been one of North America's most popular and successful operators of convenience stores. Today, there are more than 3,300 Circle K stores across the USA and over 4,000 international locations. 

Your neighborhood Circle K store features our award-winning brand of the Premium Circle K Coffee,® ThirstBuster® fountain drinks, beer, snacks, candy, ATMs, Talk And Go® Mobile prepaid wireless phones, Gift Cards, money orders, and general merchandise.

Many Circle K locations also sell quality branded fuels including Shell, BP, 76®, Citgo, and Chevron.

Circle K’s success in the convenience retailing industry spans more than 50 years. Our roots trace back to 1951 when Fred Hervey purchased three Kay’s Food Stores in El Paso, Texas. Little did anyone know that these stores would serve as the beginning of Circle K – one of the nation’s leading convenience store chains.

During the early years, Hervey’s enterprising spirit enabled the company to make its mark in the southwestern part of the United States. He grew the Circle K chain into neighboring New Mexico and Arizona, which has been the company’s home base since 1957.

During the next few decades, Circle K grew its retail network through a series of acquisitions, which were incorporated into the Circle K brand. By 1975, there were 1,000 Circle K stores across the US. In 1979, Circle K entered the international market when a licensing agreement established the first Circle K stores in Japan. The company’s growth continued and by 1984 sales had reached $1 billion. 

In fact, Circle K has led the industry in responsible retailing by being the first convenience store retailer to put all tobacco products behind the counter, out of the reach of underage buyers.

Circle K was also the first retailer to adopt the use of electronic age verifiers in all stores. These devices simplify the process of confirming the validity of an ID by reading the magnetic strip or bar code on the...