GPM & Sbarro Enter Into a Strategic Partnership

RICHMOND, Va. — GPM Investments LLC will team up with Sbarro, the Original New York Pizza, to open new restaurants inside four Village Pantry stores in Indiana through a new strategic partnership.

Two locations are expected to open this month, with two more anticipated to launch in early 2022.

Among the items the participating convenience stores will serve include:

• Sbarro's extra-large, New York-style pizza slices that are handmade daily and include freshly prepared and stretched dough; hand-shredded, 100 percent whole milk mozzarella cheese; and San Marzano-style tomatoes with a variety of toppings;
• Stromboli, bread sticks and whole pizzas; and
• Chicken wings and chicken tenders.

The partnership will enhance GPM's in-store experience and provide sought-after food offerings to customers, all while adapting to evolving consumer shopping habits, according to the company.

"We're constantly evaluating and thinking through new ways to meet the needs of our customers and expand our foodservice offerings," said Arie Kotler, chairman, president and CEO of ARKO Corp., GPM's parent company. "With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting dining options for many living in remote locations and with pizza remaining one of the top selling food items in convenience stores, we look forward to this new partnership with Sbarro and providing even more value to our customers and stakeholders."

The announcement of the strategic partnership with Sbarro comes soon after GPM expanded its pizza program across 200 locations, as Convenience Store News previously reported.

GPM held a grand opening event to celebrate the launch of the first Sbarro store, located at 513 W. 3rd St. in Connersville, on Dec. 6. Festivities included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and exclusive promotions available for customers and members of the fas REWARDS program.

Richmond-based GPM Investments is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ARKO Corp., and operates or supplies stores in 33 states and the District of Columbia. As the sixth largest convenience store chain in the United States, GPM has approximately 3,000 locations comprised of approximately 1,400 company-operated stores and approximately 1,675 dealer sites to which it supplies fuel.