A gas station with hundreds of locations now makes unexpected closures without warning leaving drivers stunned with the decision.
Larry’s Shortstop, a locally-owned SQRL gas station and convenience store with multiple locations across Kansas, suddenly closed its doors after decades of service.
The gas pumps were shut down too, shocking patrons who stopped to fuel up.
Employees told a local outlet the inside of the store was empty, and there were handwritten “Closed” signs on the front doors and pumps, wrote the Topeka Capital-Journal.
The outlet wrote that Joseph Blake Smith, the founder and former CEO of SQRL fuel stations, sold the stores to a new Louisiana-based company for an undisclosed amount.
“Significant liquidity issues” were rumored to be the cause of the sale, detailed by emails to store managers.
However, C-Store Dive reported trouble began shortly after the sale.
Arkansas Business wrote in July that “ongoing multimillion-million-dollar disputes” and “allegations of fraud” were common reasons for legal disputes between Smith and SQRL managers.
Since the acquisition, six other locations across the state closed.
In addition to losing access to fuel and road trip goods, another feature was lost to locals after the store closed.
Since February 1941, locals could call a phone number to be told the current time and temperature.
It was operated by the Merchants National Bank before Larry’s Shortstop.
The store kept the line functional for 31 years with equipment from WeatherFone Co. on the roof to accurately report the temperature.
The store’s original owner, Larry Jones, retired in 2022, leaving the fate of the line unknown.
SQRL saw value in the line and maintained it, according to WeathrFone Co. spokesperson Randall Hinton.
After the closure, reporters contacted Hinton to see if the line would be maintained or shut down without someone to operate it.
However, they were not able to reach Hinton.
Reporters then tried to call the line, and it rang with no answer, per the US Sun.
Larry’s was known by the locals and travelers for its BBQ sauce, fresh breakfast, and friendly service.
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Also Read: An Unexpected Retailer Is Now Closing All Stores in Illinois
Other Economy News Today
A beloved grocery chain now confirms unexpected closures across the Northeast taking place by the end of the year.
Grocery chain Stop & Shop has announced that a total of 32 underperforming locations will shutter in the U.S.
The company said the select stores across the Northeast will be closed before the end of the year.
Stores in New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island will close by November 2.
In May, the company announced the coming store closures.
“Stop & Shop has evaluated its overall store portfolio and made the difficult decision to close underperforming stores to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand,” company president Gordon Reid said, per a July 12 press release.
The company’s president added that the closures were essential “to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand.”
Fortunately, employees will be offered other positions within the company, according to a press release.
The grocery outlet first opened in 2014 and currently has around 400 stores and 60,000 employees, per Fox affiliate KRLD.
Stop & Shop is owned by Ahold Delhaize which also owns Food Lion, Giant Food, and Hannaford.
Which grocery stores are closing?
In New Jersey, 10 locations will close, while only seven will close in New York.
Rhode Island will see two closures and Massachusetts, the home of the first location, will be closing eight.
Five stores will also be closing in Connecticut.
As other chains such as Walmart and Amazon join the grocery business, it has pushed traditional grocery stores out of view, reports The-Sun.
Stop & Shop hopes the closure of underperforming stores will create “future growth” for the company.
Also Read: Retirees Will Now Receive More Money For Social Security
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