Casey's ribbon cutting celebrates community and convenience. The Wells County Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Casey's, located at 1020 North Main Street in Bluffton. Regional Director Scott Schneider, Store Manager Misty, district leadership, Casey's team members, Chamber Ambassadors, and community members gathered to celebrate the opening of the new store and officially welcome Casey's to the Wells County business community. Although Casey's is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading convenience store chains, Schneider shared that the company is equally passionate about the food it serves. "Casey's is the third-largest convenience store chain in the United States, and we're the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States," Schneider said. "We look at ourselves as a pizza company that just so happens to sell gasoline." Unlike many convenience stores, Casey's prepares its pizzas fresh every day. Dough is made by hand in each store, and pizzas are crafted using fresh ingredients in an open kitchen where customers can watch their meals being prepared. "Our focus is the kitchen," Schneider explained. "We make our pizza fresh every day. It's not frozen, and quality is very important to us." Choosing Bluffton for a new location was no accident. Casey's has built its brand by investing in communities with fewer than 10,000 residents, believing that small towns are at the heart of its success. While the company continues to grow across the country, new store locations are carefully selected through a lengthy planning process. "This store has been in the works for several years," Schneider said. "We don't build a lot of new stores, so we're very selective. We look for communities that are going to welcome us because we want to be part of the community." That sense of belonging is what drew Casey's to Bluffton. "What we see here in Bluffton is a solid, healthy community," Schneider shared. "It feels like a community you can call home, and for us, we're now part of that. When you come into the store, you'll even see Bluffton featured on our walls because we're proud to be part of this community." Being a good community partner is a core value for Casey's. During the ribbon cutting, the company presented a donation to the United Way, one of many ways it gives back to the communities it serves. Casey's also supports education through its Cash for Classrooms program, which provides grants to schools, libraries, and community organizations for projects that enhance learning opportunities. Past grants have funded playgrounds, robotics equipment, technology upgrades, and many other educational initiatives. Customers can also help support local schools through the Casey's Rewards app by donating their reward points to participating schools. Every contribution, large or small, helps create additional opportunities for students and educators. Another program that demonstrates Casey's commitment to education is Class Act. Each store receives coupons for free slices of Casey's pizza that are distributed to local schools. Schools can use the coupons however they choose, whether it's rewarding good attendance, encouraging reading, recognizing academic achievement, or celebrating positive behavior. Casey's also recognizes those who serve the community every day. First responders in uniform are invited to stop in and enjoy complimentary coffee or fountain beverages as a small gesture of appreciation for their dedication and service. In addition to offering freshly made pizza, Casey's provides a wide variety of breakfast items, sandwiches, baked goods, snacks, beverages, grocery essentials, and fuel, making it a convenient stop for customers throughout the day. The Casey's Rewards app also allows customers to order ahead, earn points on purchases, redeem exclusive rewards, and support local schools through Cash for Classrooms. Pictured celebrating the ribbon cutting are Regional Director Scott Schneider, Store Manager Misty Hunter, District Manager Dawn Eppard, Casey's team members, Wells County Chamber Ambassadors, community members, and Wells County Chamber staff. Please view more photos from the event on its Facebook page.

Casey's to acquire 24-store Pak-A-Sak. Aug 11 2026 The acquisition adds to Casey's growing footprint as the chain advances plans for 400 new locations over the next three years. Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey's is expanding its Texas footprint once again with the acquisition of Texas-based Pak-A-Sak, which operates 24 stores across the state, primarily in the Amarillo area. "For three generations, Pak-A-Sak has been more than a business to our family - it has been our life's work. We have grown from a single location into a staple of the Texas Panhandle, and that success is due entirely to the dedication, hard work and heart of our employees," the McKee family wrote in a statement provided to CStore Decisions. The McKee family, which has owned and operated the chain since its founding in 1978, said that the decision to sell to Casey's revolved around shared values and business objectives between the companies. "Because we care deeply about the future of this company we have decided to enter into an agreement to sell Pak-A-Sak to Casey's General Stores," the statement continued. "We are confident in selecting Casey's for this next chapter as they hold the same values we hold dear - community service, quality and a family-friendly environment. We are in the early stages of this transition and at this time nothing changes in our day-to-day operations. We appreciate our team continuing to do what they do best - serving our guests and communities." Growth in Texas. Casey's has made a concerted effort to build out its network in Texas over the past three years. Its expansion began with an industry-shifting acquisition of CEFCO in late 2024, which added 148 additional Texas stores to its footprint. The company is in the process of rebranding these sites to fit the Casey's banner. As it continues to convert former CEFCO locations, it is also looking to grow organically in the state. Earlier this year, the retailer announced plans to open up to 150 additional Texas locations, with 26 already planned to open in 2026, according to local outlet My San Antonio. Additionally in April, Casey's submitted plans to the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration (TLDR) for new c-stores in Waco, Vernon and Paris, Texas. Each site is planned to boast 5,200 square feet and cost roughly $550,000 to build for a total of $1.65 million. Construction began on July 27 and the stores are expected to be operational at the start of 2027. Once opened, Casey's will operate three stores in Waco, five in Paris and one in Vernon. Three-Year plan. On top of its Texas expansion, Casey's also announced in June the start of its three-year growth plan, which follows "the most successful three-year period in the company's history," according to CEO Darren Rebelez. Since 2023, the chain has added more than 500 new stores in addition to joining the S&P 500 - an index that tracks the performance of many of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. "Our success over the last three years reinforces what makes Casey's unique: a differentiated model that brings together restaurant-quality food, best-in-class convenience and fuel at scale," said Rebelez at the time. "As we enter our next three-year plan, we are focused on expanding our food business, growing our store base and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and execution. We believe these priorities will enable us to continue gaining market share, driving profitable growth, and delivering long-term value for our shareholders." Looking ahead at the next three years, Casey's is doubling down on three operational initiatives - accelerating its food and beverage program, expanding and scaling, and enhancing operational efficiency. On the foodservice front, the company is increasingly investing in its made-to-order program. While historically Casey's has been famous for its pizza, over the next three years the chain plans to roll out a new chicken wing program across its network. About a third of Casey's stores have already rolled out the offering, Rebelez said in a media briefing. The chain is also adding fries to the menu to account for customer demand. "Our food business is at the center of Casey's three-year growth strategy and continues to be one of our strongest differentiators," said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey's. "Prepared foods and nonalcoholic beverages are driving strong inside sales, and we're continuing to build on the loyalty we've earned through our more than 40 years in the pizza business with new offerings like wings and fries. In Des Moines, where wings have been available for more than a year, sales are up 20% year over year, reinforcing the significant opportunity we see as we expand the platform across our nearly 3,000 stores and further establish Casey's as a food destination." Notably, Casey's shared plans to grow its footprint by 400 stores over the next three years. The sites, Rebelez said, will come in the form of both new builds and acquisitions. The chain's growth strategy, according to chief operations officer Ena Williams, is "expanding Casey's Country in a disciplined way." "We've shown that we can grow through both new stores and acquisitions," said Williams. "That includes the successful integration of CEFCO, our largest acquisition to date, which strengthened our presence in Texas and expanded Casey's reach across the South. That flexibility allows us to pursue the best opportunities as market conditions evolve."