Circle K Stores

It’s a circle K. I didn’t expect gourmet food. But they do have a nice store with a decent selection. Their gas prices are usually the best in town.

«I saw your coworker’s car in the parking lot,» I said to the lone cashier. «He should be helping you.»
Behind me, the line stretched to the back of the store, as it had since I had arrived there. Several prospective customers had peeked in the front doors, sized up the situation, and quickly turned around and left. My wife had even called me, worried that I had fallen into a black hole.
The cashier glared at me for a moment and said, «He is working. He is in the back, stocking the freezer.»
The brief exchange at the checkout counter typified my experiences at this store. It is the only convenience store for miles around, across the street from a 4000-​employee office complex and near several other large companies. Still, it is chronically understaffed. Believe me, I know. I stop there almost every evening to buy a soda on my way home. But only because there are no alternatives.
There are some aspects of the store that are even worse than the long lines. Take the restrooms. They are constantly filthy and smell to high heaven. The inside of the men’s restroom door is covered with graffiti.
The whole store suffers from lack of maintenance. Sometimes it exudes a pungent, unidentifiable odor. Sometimes the soda machines are down for days at a time.
The cashiers display varying degrees of interest in their jobs. Some of them, despite the insufferable working conditions, are genuinely friendly. My favorite is Alphonsus, who displays a jovial disposition no matter how busy he is.
As I explained in a Unilocal review of another store, Circle K and I go back a long way. I remember when Circle K ruled the convenience-​store market in Phoenix. But if management at the company’s headquarters does not take control of its stores and ensure a consistent customer experience, Circle K will go the way of the local 7-​Eleven stores.
I don’t know who owns the remaining vacant lot at the corner of Queen Creek and Price, but if he or she were to build a competing convenience store, this Circle K would have to shape up quickly.

2 Stars, that is for the gas, it’s always at a great price.
The staff is pretty nice, but slow, not really in a rush to help you unless there is more than 6 people in line.
The store its self is really dirty, really dirty, the soda area looks like 10 5yr old kids just ran through it like it was a free for all sugar rush.
The hotdogs, ew.
Other than that, typical booze prices and a great place to see what your co-​workers drinks of choice are, true because you will be in line long enough to see someone you know.

I’ll give them a 3 on the price of fuel but a 0 on how clean the store was. The soda area looked like no one has cleaned it in days. Poor customer service when I mentioned it.

You should stop here on your way down to Tucson or on your way up to Phoenix and grab yourself something to drink and wake you up.
Friendly staff.
Drive safe!

This place has the SLOWEST gas pumps. I’ve never waited longer to fill my tank than I do here. It’s always this way too.