HOLT, Fla., Aug. 1, 2024—It seemed like only yesterday that the first CEFCO convenience store opened in north Okaloosa County.

Last week, a Texas-based company announced it was acquiring Fikes Wholesale Inc. which owns and operates CEFCO stores in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.

Casey’s General Stores Inc. announced July 26 of an agreement to acquire all 198 CEFCO stores from its parent company, Fikes.

The all-cash transaction of $1.145 billion, anticipated to close this fall, will increase Casey’s footprint to nearly 2,900 stores.

Beginnings

Both companies began in the 1950s and have grown to operating convenience stores in multiple states.

Casey’s was founded in Iowa in 1959 and has become the third-largest convenience store retailer and fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States.

Fikes Wholesale Inc. and CEFCO convenience stores were founded in 1952 as a family owned and operated business when founder Clarence Edison Fikes—the “CEF” of CEFCO—opened a single Texaco filling station in Cameron, Texas.

Fikes opened its first convenience store in 1979. The company acquired Deweese Enterprises Inc. in 2007 which operated 45 convenience stores in Mississippi and Alabama. The first Florida store opened in 2014.

“I am happy that the CEFCO stores will join a top convenience retailer that will reinvest in the stores and eventually bring Casey’s pizza to many of our customers,” said Raymond Smith, Fkies and CEFCO president. “We believe Casey’s will be an excellent steward of the CEFCO experience that our loyal customers have come to expect.”

Okaloosa County has eight CEFCO stores; three of them are in north Okaloosa with one in Baker and two in Crestview.

It is unknown at this time if CEFCO stores will change names to Casey’s.