Maverik Seeks More Adventure in Colorado
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Maverik is looking for its next big adventure in Colorado Springs, making it the latest convenience store to set up shop in the market.
The Salt Lake City-based convenience store chain has submitted plans to build a 5,500-square-foot store in central Colorado Springs, according to The Gazette. The store will be its first in the city. However, Maverik is finalizing plans for a second area location, Aaron Simpson, Maverik's chief marketing officer, told the news outlet, adding the retailer is looking for additional area sites.
Maverik currently has seven locations on Colorado's West Slope and single stores in Castle Rock and Fort Morgan. In all, the retailer operates 282 stores in 10 western states.
The retailer expects to open its first Colorado Springs store in May or June — part of 10 Front Range stores that Maverik plans to open next year as it expands in Colorado, Simpson said.
He told the news outlet expanding operations in outdoor-minded Colorado and Colorado Springs is a natural for Maverik, which markets itself as "adventure's first stop."
Maverik stores are designed to make customers feel as if they're "walking into the great outdoors," Simpson said. Walls carry pictures of mountains and waterfalls, while flooring has a wood tile look and buildings employ natural light.
In Colorado Springs, the building's exterior will have a board-and-batten facade and a heavy timber entryway, according to documents submitted to city planners. Stone veneer will ring the bottom of the building, the report added.
According to Simpson, Maverik stores are more than twice as big as some 7-Elevens and feature 10 fuel pumps. Employees prepare fresh food on site daily at the store's Bonfire Grill, including breakfast and lunch burritos, sandwiches and cookies.
Newer stores also have Cinnabon kiosks, and larger locations such as the one in Colorado Springs have customer seating.
Colorado Springs has attracted many convenience store chains. Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc. has more than 50 franchised and company-owned locations in the area. In addition, Des Moines-based Kum & Go LC entered the market in 2012 and is nearing 20 stores.
Other chains include Western Convenience, Loaf 'N Jug and Circle K.
"We've see it in our results, but we believe the customer really likes a different experience than just your average convenience store and that people will go actually go out of their way a little more for us than they would just based on convenience," Simpson said. "We think by providing that different experience for customers, they'll choose us over a 7-Eleven or other competition."