Street Corner Makes Inroads Into Northwest

TOPEKA, Kan. – Street Corner Inc. took its first step into the Northwest region of the United States with the May 2 opening of a Street Corner franchise in The Great Mall of the Bay in Milipitas, Calif. The 624-square-foot store is Street Corner's 46th location overall.

The Street Corner chain focuses on small and underused spaces inside shopping malls, universities and other locations. The stores offer many products not found in a mall, such as cough drops, aspirin and bags of potato chips, which can sustain busy shoppers or help employees get through their shifts.

"Mall employees are virtually a captive audience, so the goal is to bring them the convenience of a street-side shop without the need to leave the premises, while serving the needs of mallgoers too," stated Street Corner CEO Peter LaColla. "This is our first store in northern California, and our hope is to use the Bay Area as a stepping stone to gain a foothold in the northwestern U.S."

Currently, Street Corner has franchisee-owned stores or kiosks in 19 states. Seventy-three percent of Street Corner stores are minority-owned, and the company has repeatedly been named a top franchise for minorities by USA Today.

The other Street Corner stores in California are located in Palm Desert, Santa Ana and Glendale.