KAR Group was founded in 2003 by Mohammad Khalid Aziz, beginning with a single fuel station in Okotoks, Alberta. In 2007, his brother Rashid Aziz joined him, and together they set out to build something lasting.
Over the following decades, the company grew steadily and deliberately, expanding from its roots in fuel and convenience retail into quick service restaurants and commercial development. Today, KAR Group is one of Western Canada's leading independent operators, with a network of sites spanning the region and a team of over 200 people.
KAR Group started in 2003 with one store in Okotoks, Alberta, as a fuel retail licensee. We learned the business from the ground up there, and that store set the foundation for how we've operated ever since. From Okotoks, we grew into Jasper and Fort McMurray.
In 2010, we took over a site in Virden, Manitoba, becoming our first dealer site. It came with challenges we'd never faced before, and every one of them made us stronger.
After our experiences with Virden, we found another opportunity in Wandering River, Alberta. This was the first site we developed ourselves, paving the way for future developments.
For long-term stability and success, there was a need for diversification. We made the decision to diversify within our core business: retail gas stations. This growth has taken many forms—operating QSRs as franchises, providing RBOSS, and offering consulting services, as well as undertaking larger site developments with multiple retail spaces for tenants.
In 2019, we launched our own in-house convenience store brand, KIKIT—offering not just the everyday convenience essentials but a whole range of novelty items, from shirts to toys and more. Today, we own and operate 28 KIKIT stores.
Moving forward, we want to maintain our sustainable growth and keep building on the strong foundation we've laid.
We aim to grow responsibly, serve communities well, and create opportunities for the people who work well with us.