PHOTO GALLERY: What's In Store — June 2021
NATIONAL REPORT — The convenience store industry landscape is constantly changing as chains open and close stores each week. On a regular basis, Convenience Store News highlights these comings and goings in this special roundup.
Bearden Travel Center
A new Pizza Inn Express store opened in the Bearden Travel Center in Bearden, Ark. The quick-service restaurant is owned and operated by franchisee David Blackmon, president of Blackmon Oil and a member of Pizza Inn’s Franchise Leadership Council. The Bearden Pizza Inn Express is Blackmon's fifth location in west Arkansas.
The Bearden Pizza Inn Express will feature fan favorites like cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizza, and specialty pizzas like Buffalo Chicken Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, and Supreme Max Pizza. The express location offers a fast and seamless experience for customers looking to get a slice, according to the operator.
The Bearden Pizza Inn Express is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
CEFCO Convenience Stores
CEFCO Convenience Stores celebrated the grand opening of a new store in Gun Barrel City, Texas.
The c-store offers hot and cold menu items, including Fresh Yo! self-service frozen yogurt, CEFCO Kitchen made-to-order burritos, fried chicken, pizza, tacos, breakfast, and other offerings. The store is open 24 hours a day.
The 6,054-square-foot store sits on nearly two acres and has 43 parking spaces. It features 10 multi-product dispensers, which include ethanol free fuel as well as diesel.
EG Group
EG Group threw open the doors on a new Tom Thumb convenience store in Gulf Shores, Ala., on June 1. The store features the company's latest design, equipment, and menu — all of which were created to expand the food choices and enhance the customer experience. In addition to the convenience store, the location also features a Burger King and Pizza Hut onsite.
At twice the size of a typical location, the 7,600-square-foot Tom Thumb features 10 gas fueling stations across five islands, 31 parking spots, and the curbside pick-up/order ahead capabilities available with the SmartPay Rewards app. An AutoSpa Car Wash is set to open later this summer.
GPM Investments LLC
Broyles Hospitality LLC, a GPM Investments LLC subsidiary, opened a Dunkin' next-generation restaurant in Gray, Tenn. The location is the company's 11th Dunkin' franchise.
The new Dunkin' restaurant features a modern design and Dunkin's signature cold beverages served through an innovative tap system serving eight consistently cold beverages such as coffees, iced teas, cold brew coffee, and nitro infused cold brew coffee. The site is a DD Green Achievement restaurant, which is designed to save 25 percent more energy compared to a standard Dunkin' restaurant.
"We're thrilled to open the doors of GPM's 11th Dunkin' franchise location," said Arie Kotler, president and CEO of GPM. "Our franchise partnerships are an important part of our strategy, and we're always looking for new ways to evolve and grow that strategy while elevating the customer experience in key stores and markets."
Kum & Go LC
On May 13, Kum & Go opened the doors of its newest no-fuel, no-parking retail walk-up store. The new store located at 1610 Little Raven St. in Denver features freshly prepared food, beverages and snacks, as well as health aids, phone accessories, craft beer, and wines. Already operating in Des Moines and Ames, Iowa, and Omaha, Neb., the urban store concept has proven a success with high-foot traffic areas.
"Kum & Go is always challenging the definition of convenience to see how we can best reach our customers where they are," said Senior Vice President of Store Development Niki Mason. "The walkup store has all the items Kum & Go is famous for, but it is also designed to highlight our healthier grab-and-go offerings. This is an upscale experience that we're really proud of."
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
Love's Travel Stops is now serving customers in Diamond and Etna, Ohio; Mosheim, Tenn.; and Walsenburg, Colo.
The Diamond travel stop measures more than 12,000 square feet, and features 93 truck parking spaces, 64 car parking spaces, and three RV parking spaces. It also includes eight diesel bays, seven showers, laundry facilities, a Fresh Kitchen concept, a Mobile to Go Zone, CAT scale and a dog park. A Speedco is set to open at a later date.
At more than 14,000 square feet, the Etna travel stop features 124 truck parking spaces, 76 car parking spaces, and three RV parking spaces. It also includes nine showers, laundry facilities, a Fresh Kitchen concept, a Mobile to Go Zone, CAT scale, and bulk propane. A Hardee's and a Speedco are set to open at a later date.
The Mosheim travel stop also measures more than 12,000 square feet and features 109 truck parking spaces, 52 car parking spaces, and nine RV parking spaces. It includes eight diesel bays, laundry facilities, a Fresh Kitchen concept, a Mobile to Go Zone, CAT scale, and a dog park. A Speedco is also set to open at a later date.
At more than 11,000 square feet, the Walsenburg travel stop features 46 truck parking spaces, 61 car parking spaces, and nine RV parking spaces. It also features six diesel bays, six showers, a Fresh Kitchen concept, a Mobile to Go Zone, and CAT scale. The site also has a Godfather's Pizza and Subway.
In addition, Trillium recently converted three Love's Travel Stops in Illinois to solar energy. The solar energy systems were designed and built by Trillium, marking eight Love's locations across the country that use solar power to fuel operations. The new solar-powered locations are in Hamel, Kankakee and Knoxville.
RaceTrac
RaceTrac welcomed customers at its second new build in Alabama this year in late April. The Oxford, Ala., store joins RaceTrac's first location in Gardendale, Ala., which opened in January, as part of the chain's re-entry into Alabama in 15 years.
Its third store in Chelsea, Ala., located at 15486 Hwy 280, Chelsea, AL 35043, will open this summer, and a site in Alabaster, Ala. will open toward the end of 2021.
"It's incredible to see our expansion plans in the Alabama market come to fruition with our second store opening just this year," said Trey Spivey, RaceTrac's executive director of real estate. "Neighborhoods across the state are continuing to grow and we know they want and also need a place they can refuel and recharge with fresh food and beverage options, a variety of fuel options and a safe, clean and well-lit location, and RaceTrac provides that experience and more to our guests."
Tiger Fuel Co.
The Markets, owned and operated by Tiger Fuel Co., added a new location in Dillwyn, Va., to its network.
The Market at Dillwyn, formerly known as Lucky's Exxon, opened in early May and is located slightly west of the intersection of Route 20 and Route 15 on James Madison Highway. Renovations and operational upgrades are planned for the next several months. Dillwyn will serve The Markets' signature fried chicken and freshly brewed coffee, as well as offer fuel savings through The Market Rewards customer loyalty program.
"We are beyond excited to open our doors in Buckingham County," said Maurice Lamarche, retail director at The Markets. "We've received overwhelmingly positive feedback about bringing our delicious gourmet-to-go offerings and awesome customer service to new communities. We cannot wait to serve the customers in Dillwyn."
The family-operated retailer has set its eyes on expanding to Scottsville, Va., within the next 18 months.
The Market at Scottsville is tentatively set on 2.9 acres at the intersection of Route 20 and James River Road. Plans call for six gas pumps, two diesel dispensers, a 4,500-square-foot convenience store, a car wash with a self-service option, and a drive-thru window. The architectural design will feature key Market-branded elements and a covered porch with outdoor seating, while the store will focus on preparing its signature sandwiches in an innovative drive-thru experience.
Yesway
Yesway begin ringing up customers at new c-stores in Bangs and Wall, Texas. The stores are the most recent in a previously announced series of 27 new-to-industry stores, and major raze-and-rebuilds Yesway will be undertaking within both the Yesway and Allsup's portfolios over the next 18 months.
The Bangs Allsup's store features a forecourt with 16 fueling positions and 5,500 square feet of interior merchandising space. A diesel island with three fuel bays is slated to open this month.
The 24-hour location also offers Allsup's foods and snacks, a new trucker/automotive section, a large selection of Hispanic foods, beer cave, Allsup's Word Famous Burritos and other hot foods, along with services including Western Union, and an ATM.
Amazon Lockers, Primo Water, and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream are planned for the store.
The new Wall store, which was built on-site and adjacent to the existing Allsup's location, also boasts nearly 5,500 square feet of interior merchandising space joining with its recently refurbished fuel forecourt with 24 fueling positions and five high-flow diesel fueling lanes. This new prototype store replaces the former Allsup's store at this location.
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