Best Single-Store Original Design: The Hub

Best Original Design
Winner: The Hub, Dickinson, N.D.
Designer: Paragon Solutions

Located on the southern edge of the Bakken Oil Formation in western North Dakota, the Dickinson convenience store is the first edition of The Hub. Design objectives for this brand-new concept were to build an upscale yet fun store that differs from the vast majority of stores in the area, according to the retailer.

Situated on seven acres, The Hub provides convenient access for semis and other large vehicles, with a Schlotzsky’s Deli and Cinnabon Express adjacent to the store.

The Hub’s logo contains a gear icon, which represents the many products and services offered. The retailer created three different sub-brands playing off the gear icon: The Grind (coffee), The Bite (food) and The Chill (cold beverages).

The challenge with this store’s design was finding the right ratio of foodservice to retail space.

“In this market, foodservice in convenience stores isn’t heavily established, so we knew we’d be blazing a trail, per se,” the retailer said. “Also, the store was designed to combat all of the negative industry stereotypes [like] gross restrooms, poorly lit, bad security and narrow aisles.”