Texas firm to acquire Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes

CANASTOTA, N.Y. — Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, one of Central New York’s well-known convenience-store operations, will soon have new ownership.

San Antonio, Texas–based CST Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CST) on Wednesday announced an agreement to acquire the convenience-store assets, franchisor rights, and associated trademarks of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. CST expects the transaction, which is subject to customary conditions, to close early in the fourth quarter, according to a CST Brands press release that Nice N Easy posted on its website.

The acquisition provides CST Brands entry into a new geographical territory, adjacent to its Canadian network of sites, the company said.

The late John MacDougall, founder of Nice N Easy, started the sales process a year ago with “very specific provisions about the sale” that would protect the Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes name, image, people and his legacy, Fran Duskiewicz, president and CEO of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, said in the CST news release.

“It is bittersweet that we have reached this point without him with us to enjoy the potential growth of our program that we believe CST Brands will provide. Company culture is everything to us and we’ve made a decision that will allow that culture to continue and grow with a group with whom we share many business philosophies,” said Duskiewicz.

McDougall, who was known for his Nice N Easy television advertisements, died on June 21, according to the Nice N Easy website.

CST Brands’ stores across the U.S. and Canada “share a lot in common” with Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, making this a “great match culturally and a prime opportunity” for CST Brands to enter into new markets, Kim Bowers, chairman and CEO of CST Brands, said in the news release.

Based in Canastota, Nice N Easy operates 77 corporate and franchise stores in Central New York, according to the CST news release.

Its operations include 33 company-operated stores along with 44 franchise locations in the upstate New York region.

Nice N Easy, which employs more than 1,500 people, offers its own Easy Street Eatery concept in many of its corporate stores, along with a several grocery products.

In its news release, CST Brands describes itself as “one of the largest independent retailers of motor fuels and convenience merchandise in North America.”

CST currently employs nearly 12,000 people at nearly 1,900 locations throughout the Southwestern U.S. and Eastern Canada that offer convenience merchandise, beverages, snacks, and food.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com