The gas pumps were working again at most Barney’s Convenience Marts in Toledo on Tuesday, after 14 Barney’s stations ran out or nearly ran out of gas Monday as the owners tried to resolve unspecified financial problems, the Toledo Blade reported.
Still, nine of the chain’s 35 stations, which sell BP brand gas, remained closed Tuesday. Five others have been sold to the Circle K chain owned by Couche-Tard of Laval, Que. Circle K, which now operates 44 stores in northwest Ohio, bought a station in Toledo, another in Waterville, and three in Bowling Green.
The five stores will now operate under the Circle K banner, but will continue to sell BP brand gas, Brian Koenig, regional director of operations at Circle K told the Toledo Blade. The sale of the five stores was completed yesterday and has been pending for several weeks. Koenig said the acquisition was unrelated to the financial problems at the Barney’s, which came to light this September when many BP/Barney’s stations stopped accepting credit card payments and came to a head on Monday with a suspension of gas sales at most stations when supplies ran out.
“We plan on remodeling all of the stores in the near future,” Koenig said. Signs will be changed to Circle K by the end of the week, he added.