Daybreak Powers Up for Growth With Next-Level Amenities Through Motiva Partnership
Spacious, restaurant-like eating areas; full-service car washes; high ceilings; wide, well-lit aisles, and restrooms with touchless fixtures aren’t typically found in c-stores. But for 38-unit, Boca Raton, Fla.-based Daybreak Market & Fuel, they are the norm—and a catalyst for cultivating a loyal base of customers.
“We continuously strive to exceed customer expectations,” with a special emphasis on creating a comfortable c-store experience for parents and children, said Daybreak Chairman Hani Baskaron. “Our vision is to turn the usual c-store experience into customers’ preferred experience, becoming their c-store of choice and concentrating on making them comfortable by doing more than offering competitive prices.”
Toward this end, Daybreak Market & Fuel locations feature well-appointed, expansive seating sections where customers can take a break and enjoy selections from an extensive menu of fresh food items and coffees. Free Wi-Fi is available for shoppers’ use. High ceilings and ample lighting create a bright, airy look and a sense of cleanliness and security. Restrooms have state-of-the-art accoutrements, such as toilets and sinks with hands-free controls, and keeping them scrupulously clean ranks on employees’ list of responsibilities.
Full-service car washes at every location also set the c-store operator apart from the pack. Customers can select from individual wash or monthly subscription options and pay securely from their mobile phone using the Daybreak app, without getting out of their vehicle to do so.
Additionally, stated Baskaron, the company is taking customer comfort and service to a higher level by investing heavily in employee training and financial incentives. Employees wear uniforms to impart an element of professionalism. “Labor is our biggest challenge,” observed Baskaron. “You can do a lot to have great stores, and great gas stations, but you also need passionate, dedicated employees. We’re spending more to hire them, develop them, and keep them.”
Fueling Up
Meanwhile, on the petroleum front, Daybreak operates 76® branded fuel stations supplied by Motiva. Headquartered in Houston, Motiva is credited with reintroducing the iconic 76® brand on the East and Gulf coasts after a hiatus. Baskaron had become familiar with 76® in the course of running other petroleum operations in California, where the brand has a major presence, and signed on to carry it because he was convinced its reputation for quality would spark its popularity in Daybreak’s market. Daybreak’s 76® branded gas stations ring up 8,000 to 12,000 gallons per day in fuel sales, a volume Baskaron deemed rare for most fuel retailers. “We’re exceeding our expectations of volume with 76®,” he added.
Daybreak’s relationship with Motiva extends far beyond supplying fuel, however. “It’s a partnership in the true sense of the word,” and has been a true catalyst for growth, Baskaron said. “We know how to run c-stores, but Motiva provides the expertise and support when it comes to building a following for (76® branded) sites.” That support is delivered in the form of traffic-driving promotions; local community sponsorships; site-specific advertising programs; special events like grand opening parties that feature discounted fuel as well as food and entertainment; and targeted media buys, including billboards, radio, digital, and social advertising.
However, there is more to the equation. “The support is just the beginning,” stated Baskaron. “Motiva doesn’t treat us like a dealer. We have personal relationships with their team. Just as our approach is that we and our employees are a family, Motiva’s approach is that we and their team are a family. Any time there is an issue, a question, a need for a suggestion on something that’s in their area of expertise, I know I can pick up the phone without hesitation and get an answer. No stone is left unturned, and that goes a long way."
Growing Forward
Not surprisingly, the appeal of the Daybreak concept is such that plans call for expanding its footprint to about 100 stores in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina over the next few years, with multiple stores in all regions where the company operates. The expansion is being executed under the umbrella of Latitude Ventures, a recently formed retail joint venture between Daybreak and Motiva.
Baskaron said undertaking the expansion with Motiva in its court as a strong partner in a joint venture will bode well for its success. He expects that Motiva’s marketing expertise and innovativeness in developing compelling consumer programs, as well as its supply infrastructure, will fully support and complement Daybreak’s wide-ranging, fast-paced growth plan in moving his company forward.
“Reliability is important,” observed Baskaron, noting that Motiva has long met his company’s needs on this front. Motiva offers a reported 99% supply reliability performance on gasoline and a 97.5% supply reliability performance on diesel.
Additionally, he noted, “Motiva has already made it possible for us to be introduced to new communities. We’re looking at getting to 100 stores in the next three years, but continuing this way—along with everything else we get from the Latitude Ventures partnership—could definitely speed things up. We share a passion for state-of-the-art c-stores, and together, we look forward to mutual growth."