RaceTrac Charts Major New Market Expansion

ATLANTA — RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. is embarking on its first move into a new market in more than 15 years.

The Atlanta-based convenience store retailer plans to open 30 new convenience stores in Middle Tennessee by 2023. The expansion will create 600-plus jobs, reported The Tennessean.

"Nashville is undergoing a true transformation with an influx of new residents and businesses that provide a foundation for continued growth. We believe the city's young, vibrant population — along with the growth in commuting and mobile workplaces — is a natural fit for RaceTrac," said RaceTrac President Billy Milam. "Our expansion into the area deepens our roots in the Southeastern region, and we look forward to becoming a part of this flourishing community."

The first Middle Tennessee store is slated to open in 2020 on Medical Center Parkway in Murfreesboro, the news outlet reported.

According to Milam, additional sites will be based on visibility and access, among other factors. He said the company is looking at real estate in Nashville and the surrounding markets. 

"There are quite a few wonderful, vibrant communities in and around what we would call the greater Nashville area," the president noted.

The new Nashville-area stores will offer food and beverage options, free Wi-Fi and indoor/outdoor seating. There will be grab-and-go breakfast items, sandwiches, fruit and salads; a Swirl World frozen treat station with ice cream, yogurts, sorbets and Italian ice; fresh brewed coffee with creamers and sweeteners; and hot dogs, tamales, taquitos; and other RaceTrac staples. 

Milam said RaceTrac will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in opening the 30 new stores and recruiting and training employees for these locations. RaceTrac will begin hiring staff for the Nashville market in 2019.

According to the company, associate pay ranges from $9.50 to $10.25 an hour and management pay ranges from $11.50 for entry level to $70,000 a year for general managers. Management positions are eligible for bonuses, benefits and vacation.

RaceTrac operates more than 450 convenience stores across Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas.