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Longtime Topeka business Larry’s Shortstop has closed its doors. What we know.

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Longtime Topeka business Larry’s Shortstop has closed its doors. What we know.

A longtime Topeka business closed its doors this week, but its closure may be larger in scale.

Larry’s Shortstop, 3834 S.W. Topeka Blvd., closed its doors Tuesday afternoon.

Its previous owner — Larry Jones — retired from the business in September 2022 after 37 years of operating the convenience store. Before closing its doors, Larry’s was part of the SQRL fuel stations, based out of Arkansas.

Why is Larry’s Shortstop closing?

Handwritten “Closed” signs are posted outside the store, but offered no reason for the closing. The inside of the store appears empty.

Joseph Blake Smith, SQRL fuel station founder and former CEO, agreed to sell the convenience stores to Gas Hub Investments LLC, a newly created business in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for an undisclosed amount, C-Store Dive reported in April.

The reason for the sale was “significant liquidity issues,” as detailed in an email to store managers.

C-Store Dive reports on insight and news shaping the convenience store industry, its website said.

Since the sale, ongoing multimillion-million-dollar disputes and allegations of fraud have heated up the legal action surrounding the business dealings of Smith and SQRL, the Arkansas Business reported July 22.

The Capital-Journal reached out to the owner but didn’t receive a response.

How many SQRL-owned convenience stores are in Kansas?

In addition to the recently closed Topeka Boulevard location, there are six other SQRL convenience stores in Kansas, according to its website. They include the following:

  • 2901 S.E. Fremont St., Topeka.
  • 415 E. Kansas Ave., McPherson.
  • 101 E. Lake, McLouth.
  • 1000 W. 30th Ave., Hutchinson.
  • 917 W. 4th St., Holton.
  • 1110 N. Main St., Cheney.

A Capital-Journal reporter visited the 2901 S.E. Fremont St. location, which also was closed. The inside was empty.

What will happen to the time-and-temperature telephone line?

Topekans for 81 years had called 785-233-6471 to get the current time and temperature. The service was first offered in February 1941 by Merchants National Bank, according to WeatherFone Co. in Atlanta, which provides the logistical support for the service.

For more than 31 years, that service had been provided by Larry’s Shortstop. Equipment and services provided by WeatherFone Co. revealed the temperature on a device on the roof of the service station.

When Jones sold the business in 2022, SQRL realized the number still had marketing value and decided to maintain the number, said Randall Hinton, a spokesperson for WeatherFone Co. at that time. The Capital-Journal reached out to Hinton for an update but wasn’t able to reach him.

The temperature line appears disabled, ringing without response Wednesday.

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.

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