PHOTO GALLERY: Fuel City Puts Foodservice Front & Center
HALTOM CITY, Texas — What happens when a convenience store chain that's coined "home to the best tacos in Texas" partners with a nationally recognized fried chicken quick-service restaurant (QSR) concept?
The answer, according to Fuel City, is customers' foodservice dreams come true.
Since 1995, Fuel City, a family-owned and -operated chain of seven convenience stores throughout Texas, has been delivering a one-of-a-kind experience to customers by way of the company's slogan: "Where Dreams Come True."
Maintaining a food-forward focus, Fuel City was recently searching for a high-value, complimentary foodservice program to partner with for the opening of its newest store in Haltom City. Offering a scalable, well-recognized food concept that specializes in quality and quick service, Fuel City found a partner in Chester's Chicken.
"We were drawn to Chester's by its strong, established history and bright future. Most importantly, the product is excellent. ... The core menu is unlike any of our existing food offerings and brings a rich new mix of options to our loyal customers," Joseph Bickham, CEO of Fuel City, told Convenience Store News. "We are receiving excellent feedback from our customers already."
The partnership reintroduces Chester's Chicken to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as the QSR chain puts The Lone Star State at the center of a company growth initiative.
"We have a strong presence in most of Texas with many travel center locations across the state. To us, the Dallas-Fort Worth market is a no-brainer, and we couldn't think of a better partner to reenter this market [with] than Fuel City," said Oliver Vereschagin, regional director, West, for Chester's International LLC. "We know they are top-notch operators with decades of experience in foodservice. Chester's is in good hands with Fuel City, and we know all of the Fuel City customers will get a great experience."
Chester's Chicken, which has 1,200 locations around the country, currently operates 40 locations in Texas. Two more sites are in the onboarding stage, and the company is targeting to add an additional 25 locations in the state by the end of 2023.
"As one of the most populous and largest states in the country, Texas has always been a target market for Chester's. While barbecue might be the first thing that comes to consumers' minds when they think of Texas food, we don't think fried chicken is far behind," Vereschagin noted. "We know we have a large customer base in Texas based on the success of our other franchises in the state, and we are excited to build on that success with our great, new partner in Fuel City."
On the Menu
The latest Fuel City site in Haltom City boasts a 10,000-square-foot convenience store situated on an 8-acre lot. The business opened to the public in June.
The store offers the full Chester's Chicken menu, including the brand's signature, double-hand-breaded tenders and bone-in chicken, and fried chicken sandwiches. These items can be complemented by five varieties of sauce: Chester's Sauce, Honey Mustard, Buffalo Hot Sauce, Ranch and BBQ.
There's also an array of sides to choose from, such as fresh-breaded livers and gizzards, honey butter biscuits, potato wedges, mac-and-cheese, green beans, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Additionally, staying true to what the brand is known for, Chester's offers two fried dessert options: fried strawberry cream cheese pie, and fried apple pie.
Also on the menu at the Haltom City store are Fuel City's award-winning tacos, which are served 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The taco program is nationally recognized for its quality, and has been named the Best Taco in Texas by Texas Monthly Magazine, Bickham pointed out.
Offered across all dayparts, the Fuel City Tacos menu encompasses several varieties, including the picadillo taco, the beef fajita taco, the chicken fajita taco, the barbacoa taco, and the pastor taco. Customers can order burritos, bowls and quesadillas, too.
Sides include homemade tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, and Mexican rice. For desserts, Fuel City partners with local bakeries and providers to offer pies, cakes, and other pastries and baked goods.
Other amenities available at the Haltom City location include:
- Delivery through Uber Eats;
- A one-of-a-kind Longhorn Ranch where customers can view live
- animals;
- A state-of-the-art tunnel car wash, which offers a free vacuum with
- every wash, as well as different wash packages available at multiple
- price points;
- Thirty fueling positions offering all fuel grades; and
- Indoor and outdoor dining spaces.
An eighth Fuel City store is currently under construction in Wylie, Texas, and is expected to open this year. According to Bickham, the company plans to continue expanding to serve customers all across the metroplex and Texas.
"Starting with the goal of convenience, service and fun in mind, Fuel City still strives to create positive experiences every day. But don't take my word for it, come see for yourself and visit us at Fuel City today," he urged.
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