New Kum & Go store sets off flurry of openings

The Springfield area’s first Kum & Go Marketplace scheduled to open Thursday in Republic is the first of five in the area planned to launch under the new design concept.

Kristie Bell, communications director for West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go LC, said the Republic location at 3049 E. U.S. Hwy. 60 would be the company’s third store to open under the new brand following those in Joplin and Johnston, Iowa, earlier this winter.

“That’s the new design prototype,” Bell said, noting Kum & Go is on track to build roughly 30 new stores this year. “It’s an aggressive schedule, but we’re excited because it allows for a more consistent experience.”

Bell said construction is underway at the southeast corner of Sunset Street and Campbell Avenue, where another Kum & Go Marketplace is scheduled to open this summer.

She added the company, which operates 46 gas stations and convenience stores in the Springfield metropolitan statistical area, has three more locations in the pipeline for new construction and relocation: 1306 W. Sunshine St., 425 N. West Bypass and 638 U.S. Hwy. 60 in Republic.

The 6,000-square-foot store scheduled to open Thursday in Republic replaces a 3,500-square-foot Kum & Go at the site. It was designed by Merriam, Kan.-based BRR Architecture Inc. and built at an estimated cost of $1.23 million by Johnston, Iowa-based Henning Construction Co. LLC, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Bell said the Kum & Go Marketplace stores are roughly 6,200 square feet and focus on made-to-order foods, such as sandwiches, doughnuts, pastries and fresh bread. She added the stores feature complimentary Wi-Fi and device-charging stations, as well as indoor and heated outdoor seating areas.

“It’s a more open concept than what you’ve seen in our previous stores,” Bell said. “We’re trying to think about those folks who are out and about during the day and want a place to sit inside while they charge their phone and eat instead of in their car.”