C-store chain The Store will cease operations in July

The stores’ new owner has informed current operator Team Schierl that it will end the operational agreement originally signed in 2022 with Mountain Express.

Convenience store chain The Store will cease operations on July 31. All of the brand’s 25 convenience stores in Wisconsin and Michigan are currently operated by Team Schierl Companies, which originally acquired the operational rights in 2022 from Mountain Express.

The news is a direct consequence of Mountain’s bankruptcy, as the new owner of the land and buildings is a property investment company that has told Team Schierl that it won’t extend the operational partnership.

According to a report by C-Store Dive, the original sale-leaseback agreement was signed between the operator and a division of Mountain Express. The company has announced that it intends to work with the “next operator” of the retail network for the transitioning process and aims to maintain all staff members in their current positions.

According to Team Schierl’s website, The Store’s history began back in 1977, when the company acquired nine stores and rebranded them. After years of expansion, it sold its store sites to West Hill Ranch Group in 2022 while retaining ownership of the equipment and maintaining all agreements with vendors.