The Pantry Completes Acquisitions of 33 Convenience Stores in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

SANFORD, N.C. -- The Pantry, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., today announced that it has completed the previously disclosed acquisitions of 33 convenience stores. The largest of the transactions was the acquisition of 24 Sun Stop convenience stores in Florida, Georgia and Alabama from Southwest Georgia Oil Company, Inc. These stores, which generated revenues of approximately $110 million in 2005, mark the Company's initial entry into the Tallahassee, Florida and southwest Georgia markets.

The Company also recently completed the acquisition of eight convenience stores in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida, from Rousseau Enterprises, Inc. Those stores operate under a variety of banners, including LeStore, and generated revenues of approximately $21 million in 2005. In addition, the Company has completed the acquisition of a convenience store in the Naples, Florida market - its second store in that market.

Separately, the Company recently has entered into definitive agreements to acquire two additional convenience stores in the Naples market, as well as a single store in Louisiana. These acquisitions, which are subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, are expected to close in the Company's third fiscal quarter.

All of these transactions, which are expected to be immediately accretive to the Company's earnings per share, have been or will be financed with a combination of cash on hand and lease financing. Terms were not disclosed. These transactions bring the total number of stores the Company has acquired or agreed to acquire so far in fiscal 2007 to 136.

About The Pantry

Headquartered in Sanford, North Carolina, The Pantry, Inc. is the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States and one of the largest independently operated convenience store chains in the country, with revenues for fiscal 2006 of approximately $6.0 billion. As of February 15, 2007, the Company operated 1,558 stores in eleven states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express(SM), its primary operating banner. The Pantry's stores offer a broad selection of merchandise, as well as gasoline and other ancillary services designed to appeal to the convenience needs of its customers.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements made by the Company in this press release relating to future plans, events, or financial performance are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current plans and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to vary materially from the results and events anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any number of factors could affect actual results and events, including, without limitation: the ability of the Company to take advantage of expected synergies in connection with acquisitions; the actual operating results of stores acquired; the ability of the Company to integrate acquisitions into its operations; fluctuations in domestic and global petroleum and gasoline markets; realizing expected benefits from our fuel supply agreements; changes in the competitive landscape of the convenience store industry, including gasoline stations and other non-traditional retailers located in the Company's markets; the effect of national and regional economic conditions on the convenience store industry and the markets we serve; the effect of regional weather conditions on customer traffic; financial difficulties of suppliers, including our principal suppliers of gas and merchandise, and their ability to continue to supply our stores; environmental risks associated with selling petroleum products; governmental regulations, including those regulating the environment; and acts of war or terrorist activity. These and other risk factors are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on the Company's estimates and plans as of February 20, 2007. While the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.