What's In Store: 7-Eleven Inc., Enmarket & Parker's Kitchen

7-Eleven Inc.

Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors arranged the $2.4 million sale of a new construction, single-tenant property occupied by a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station in Imperial Valley, Calif. 

Built in 2021, the single-tenant 2,940-square-foot 7-Eleven is located on 0.78 acres at 555 North Imperial Ave. in El Centro. The property benefits from two 30-foot pylon signs and is directly adjacent to Carl's Jr. and Express Lube. 

The property serves the Imperial Valley and Mexicali (Mexico), creating a combined primary customer base of approximately 1.5 million people. The 7-Eleven property also benefits from its proximity to a development of 609 single-family homes, the Town Center Villas apartments and several planned communities.

"7-Eleven is one of the most sought-after single-tenant investments across the country in today's market," said Hanley Executive Vice President Bill Asher. "The company's operating success as an essential business during the pandemic further accentuated the attractiveness of this investment-grade tenant."

Hanley represented the seller Imperial Retail Investments LLC, while the buyer, a private investor from Orange County, Calif., was self-represented. The investment group currently has an additional brand-new, single-tenant 7-Eleven listed for sale in Beaumont, Calif.  

Enmarket

Enmarket celebrated the grand opening of a new Richmond Hill, Ga., location at 3651 Highway 17.

"We are excited to be able to better serve our customers in Bryan County," said Matt Clements, president of Enmarket, a division of Savannah, Ga.-based Colonial Group. "This new store will allow us to help motorists and shoppers in one of the fastest growing communities in the Southeast."

Although the new store had previously held a soft opening, the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 4, with guests treated to product samplings of fan favorites and free giveaways. Amenities at the site include foodservice from the Eatery, Mooz frozen yogurt and an in-bay Marketwash car wash.

The new store is the 130th store in Enmarket's inventory across Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Its build is a refinement of Enmarket's prototype, optimizing unused space in the original design and eliminating equipment. These adjustments make the store more efficient to build, operate and shop in but retain the look and feel of the prototype.

Parker's Kitchen

Parker's Kitchen hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newest store in North Charleston, S.C.,  which was attended by local dignitaries including North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, City Councilman Bob King and representatives from the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce

Located at 5644 N. Rhett Ave., the company's 75th retail location features Southern-inspired food prepared fresh on-site, including hand-breaded southern fried chicken tenders, savory mac-and-cheese, egg casseroles, biscuits and more. Drivers can also fuel up with regular, diesel and marine non-ethanol fuel.

The site —which is the company's 12th store in metro Charleston and 31st store in South Carolina — features a new Lowcountry-inspired prototype offering a modern, contemporary glass-front façade with lime-washed brick, handsome bracketry and designer lighting. The retail footprint additionally offers an optimized interior layout to maximize efficiency for customers, with manned as well as self-check-out stations.

[Read more: Parker's Launches Beverage Subscription Program]

QuickChek Corp.

New Jersey-based convenience chain QuickChek opened two new locations: one in Nanuet, N.Y., at 330 Route 59 West, and one in Union Township, N.J., at 172 Perryville Road.

The Nanuet location stands at 6,752 square feet, while the Union Township store stands at 5,694 square feet. Both sites are open 24 hours a day and include a Fresh to Go interior layout designed to enhance the shopping experience for those who live, work in and travel through the respective area. More than half of the stores are dedicated to freshly prepared food and beverages, including fresh brewed hot and iced coffees.

At the Nanuet site, QuickChek Rewards members who made a purchase at the store within the first 10 days of the opening also enjoyed one free coffee per day for 10 days.

Both locations also featured updated menu offerings and amenities, such as touchscreen ordering stations for personalized subs and sandwiches; an open floor plan with clean sightlines and spacious standalone food displays; consumer-friendly, wide aisles; mobile ordering through the QuickChek Rewards app; and contactless self-checkout counters.

The Union Township site is additionally equipped with a generator so it can remain open during power outages, a vital lifeline for those living in the area or traveling along Route 78, the company stated.

Royal Farms

Baltimore-based Royal Farms expanded into Grandy, N.C., with a public opening in May after a successful soft opening event earlier in the spring.

As part of the commemoration of the store opening, the convenience store made a donation to the Lower Currituck Food Pantry, which serves Currituck County residents who struggle to make ends meet and are in need of emergency food assistance. The donation included a truckload of products ranging from beverages and protein bars to snacks and toilet paper. 

"We are thrilled to expand into North Carolina and bring our dedication to supporting the communities we serve with us. At Royal Farms, we are passionate about finding ways to give back to the neighborhoods we do business in. Our donation to the Lower Currituck County Food Pantry is our way of thanking Grandy for welcoming us into this historic community," said Frank Schilling, director of marketing.

[Read more: Royal Farms Builds Up Tesla EV Charging Partnership]

Thorntons

Thorntons opened its newest Nashville, Tenn., store at 1525 West Main Street. The company now operates a total of 19 stores in Tennessee.

The grand opening celebration included numerous deals and giveaways for guests, including a Thorntons mystery gift card which customers could immediately scan at the register to determine the value, with one customer winning a $1,000 gift card. The event also featured music and games, as well as the presentation of a $2,500 donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee by Thorntons leadership. 

The 4,400 square foot facility is set on 1.55 acres and features a number of amenities to serve guests, including self-checkout stations, LED lighting, freshly made burritos and sandwiches prepared throughout the day at the onsite kitchen, a variety of top-of-the-line beverages and 20 auto fueling positions.

Based in Louisville, Ky., Thorntons is part of the BP portfolio.

Tri Star Energy

Nashville-based Tri Star Energy cut the ribbon on two new Twice Daily convenience store locations in Tennessee: one in Clarksville at 2220 Madison Street, and one in Springfield at 1001 Memorial Blvd. The latter location also includes a White Bison coffee shop.

To celebrate the openings, Twice Daily presented a $1,500 check to Clarksville Area Urban Ministries and another check in the same amount to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. 

Twice Daily has served middle Tennessee communities since 2011 and expanded to the North Alabama market in 2019. Both store openings are part of a three-year plan for the retailer to convert all of its Sudden Service and Southern Traders c-stores to the Twice Daily banner throughout Tennessee and Alabama.

"As we navigate these store conversions, our priority will continue to rest in our guests and store teams. Providing the highest-quality service and offerings has always been top of mind for us and will continue to stay a constant throughout this transition," said Steve Hostetter, CEO of Tri Star Energy. 

While the converted stores will be rebranded under the Twice Daily name, returning guests can expect the same teams and guest service the brands are known for, according to Hostetter.

In addition to traditional convenience items, Twice Daily's premium offerings range from grab-and-go snacks, including organic brands, to a selection of staple groceries. A fresh deli case provides handmade and healthy options featuring fruits, sandwiches, salads and snacks.  

The White Bison Coffee concept offers handcrafted specialty coffee drinks, such as drip coffee, single origin pour-over coffees, cold brew, hot and cold espresso beverages and more. Guests can also enjoy freshly baked pastries and handmade breakfast and lunch items, including sandwiches, salads and bistro snack boxes.