A Hub of Convenience
The Hub Convenience Stores began its first day of business on Jan. 8, but there are already big plans in motion for the future of this new convenience store company, which offers multiple foodservice programs, a large car wash and more at its first travel center-style location.
“As the first upscale convenience store in our area, we are excited to show our guests a new brand of convenience retailing — one unlike they’ve ever seen before,” Jared Scheeler, managing director of The Hub Convenience Stores, told Convenience Store News.
The inaugural store is located at 191 40th St. West in Dickinson, N.D., which is on the southern edge of the Bakken and Three Forks oil patch. In the past decade, the area population has doubled, giving The Hub a major strategic business opportunity.
Scheeler, the former director of operations at Minneapolis-based Bobby & Steve’s Auto World, and Chris Fitterer, a partner at North Dakota-based Fitterer Oil Co. and West Dakota Oil Co., have been working on The Hub since 2012, putting effort into creating a great team of employees, as well as great amenities in the store itself.
“The Hub’s initial goals and objectives revolve around establishing a workplace culture where our team members can thrive,” said Scheeler. “To achieve this, we’ve invested the necessary time in proper hiring, onboarding and educational processes to put our team members in the best position to succeed.”
The Hub store makes up a 7,840-square-foot building with a 2,550-square-foot car wash that features the HubWashClub, which uses RFID technology. Outside, drivers can fill up at separate gasoline and diesel fueling areas.
Inside, hungry customers can choose from a variety of fresh food offerings. Options include a Godfather’s Pizza franchise, a Schlotzsky’s Deli and a Cinnabon Express owned and operated by The Hub. A proprietary grab-and-go program called The Bite is also offered. Additionally, the store has a section dedicated to healthy snacks called #healthyhub, and signature food items such as kolaches, Hubwiches (hot sandwiches in rolled dough), Boylan fountain soda, and more.
“The Hub has been a labor of love for almost two years now and I’m both excited and relieved to finally be opening the doors,” Scheeler said. “Dickinson is a community that has seen many challenges in managing the exponential growth that the oil industry has brought. We’re glad that we have been able to overcome the hurdles we’ve faced to reach this day. Now, the focus turns to delivering on The Hub’s brand promises each and every day.”