Pros
Speedway is an excellent company to work for in store management if you are a self motivated, career oriented individual in healthy physical condition. If you are considering working at Speedway, now is the time to do so. With a recent acquisition of HESS branded gas stations, the company has expanded all down the East Coast and has become a powerhouse in the convenience store industry. This means that the company needs to hire store managers, district managers, field marketing professionals, etc in LOTS of new markets. Being relocatable is a must for advancement above store level, but if that is not an issue, the opportunities are abundant. Store operations level work is for somebody who not only can handle, but thrive in a fast paced environment. Depending on the store, "fast paced" can be an egregious understatement. If you chose a career in Speedway store management, you will meet some amazing people no matter what store you go to. Every store has regulars who buy the same things Monday through Friday. You get to know these people by name, they remember your name and the names of your whole staff, ask about you when you are absent, etc. This is not a job for someone who is not truly a "people person", as dealing with customers and developing employees is 90% of a days work. Pay is decent. Bonuses awarded to store management on a monthly basis. The amount of said bonuses can vary wildly, based on factors both within and outside of the store manager's control. The best thing about my personal experience working for Speedway has been the recognition of accomplishment and success, for both myself and those around me. Any part time cashier who wants to be promoted to a shift lead or better, and has the appropriate availability, has the opportunity to do so. Many of the employees that have worked for me have advanced in such a way, and I myself have moved through the ranks at a rate I find most acceptable. Speedway culture is unique in that it is laid back in a sense, while still putting emphasis on becoming the best in the industry. I am able to joke with my boss and those above my boss with ease. Even my regional manager, whom I only encounter a few times a year, is very approachable. Speedway is not a suit and tie type of business culture. The standards of excellence in the stores are high, but attainable. You will be held accountable for performance failures, and more often than not a store manager's performance failures are a direct product of failures on the part of the manager's staff. This results in a strong culture of accountability being encouraged inside of the stores.
Cons
The bottom line worst part of a store management job for Speedway is an industry problem, more than a "Speedway" problem. There is always a plausible chance that an employee will call off of any given shift. There is no "points" type system for tardiness or absenteeism, as factory type jobs often have. It is up to the store manager to hold his or her employees accountable in a way they see fit. You essentially will get the amount of absenteeism that you tolerate. I have never felt pressure from the powers that be to cover these shifts, nor been reprimanded for not covering them. However, if a third shifter, who typically runs the store all by themselves at night, does not show up and absolutely nobody else is available, the store manager is responsible for covering that shift. The hours are long, which is not for everyone. 50 hour weeks are a requirement, and that is most definitely a bare minimum. Circumstances will sometimes keep you in the store for 11-12 hours or more. The extremes of long hours are rare, but are something you have to be physically and mentally prepared for. That said, recruiters do a good job at keeping your store staffed and district managers typically do what they can to correct staffing situations as they arise. There are pressures related to inter-company inspections that are held in the stores every month. Passing these shops requires more that just showing up and taking care of the store, but rather an intimate understanding of the inspections themselves. This you can truly only obtain from experience and proper training, and you will learn from your failures before you master the art. This pressure is what you make of it, it can either make you petty and disgruntled, or it can make you and your store better, depending upon your mentality.