Kangaroo Express Opens Military-Themed Store
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Kangaroo Express, a subsidiary of The Pantry Inc., opened its first military-themed convenience store here at 5642 Bragg Blvd. The new location celebrates the strong armed forces community in Fayetteville and Fort Bragg.
An official grand opening will be celebrated Friday, May 30, and feature a variety of festivities and recognition of the local military personnel and military families that helped shape the store.
Kangaroo Express hosted a roundtable at the United Service Organizations of North Carolina (USO-NC) Fort Bragg Center to collect input from servicemen and women and their families, and developed the store design as a direct result of their feedback.
Special features of this store include six murals depicting brave military men and women serving their country; a "Wash Rack" that offers both civilian and military vehicles automatic wash, foam, rinse and wax options; and a walk-in "Cold Canteen" always set to 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The mural selection and military-themed names were chosen unanimously through local input. The store will also feature a Subway restaurant with a drive-thru and seating for approximately 30 guests.
"Considering more than one-third of our employees have a direct connection to the military, supporting our troops is supporting our family," said Gordon Schmidt, senior vice president of operations for Kangaroo Express. "We knew that in order to provide the best possible service to our troops and their families, we needed to go to the source. Many features of the Fayetteville store, from the Wall of Honor to unique promotions, are the direct result of conversations with locals at the USO-NC center."
A Wall of Honor inside the store will recognize local community members making a difference in the Fayetteville area and around the world through their service. The wall will also display recognitions from local military service organizations, such as the USO-NC and Fisher House Foundation, for Kangaroo Express' support through its annual Salute Our Troops campaign and throughout the year, the retailer said.
Kangaroo Express' 2013 Salute Our Troops campaign raised more than $528,000 for the Fisher House Foundation -- the single largest contributor to the construction of the new Fisher House at Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, scheduled to open in spring 2015.
Additionally, Salute Our Troops has raised more than $763,000 for the USO-NC over the past three years, providing funds that directly support its centers, including the one at Fort Bragg.
The Fayetteville military-themed store is an example of multiple investments Kangaroo Express is making in its communities across the southeastern United States, the company said. It plans to open more quick-service restaurants and continue remodeling stores. More than 40 Fayetteville Kangaroo Express locations have received upgrades over the past year.