What's In Store: Energy North Inc., H-E-B & Parker's Kitchen

Energy North Inc.

Family-owned Energy North reopened a gas station and convenience store location at 71 Essex Street in Gloucester, Mass., under the Haffner's brand name. The company worked in tandem with the City of Gloucester over the past several years to redevelop the property.

The rehabbed site now features a Sal's Pizza, a Crack'd Coffee Bar, a state-of-the-art beer cave, self-checkout stations and three grades of Mobil brand fuel, including diesel. 

"This reopening aligns with our strategic vision for growth and community connection," said Brian Koenig, chief retail officer at Haffner's. "We believe that the Gloucester community will once again appreciate the unique blend of convenience and history that Haffner's brings to the table."

Although the shop's doors are open as of Dec. 19, a formal celebration is planned for the spring of 2024. 

H-E-B

H-E-B opened its latest Fresh Bites location in Hutto, Texas, at 5008 Gattis School Road.

[Read more: H-E-B Continues Rollout of Fresh Bites Brand]

According to an Instagram post made by the company, the newest location in central Texas includes a True Texas Tacos restaurant, along with other c-store staples such as fresh produce, chef-inspired prepared meals, and convenient snack options.

H-E-B partnered with the Hutto Chamber of Commerce to create the new store, according to a Community Impact report via a story from MRT.

Parker's Kitchen 

On Nov. 27, Parker's Kitchen hosted a ribbon cutting for its new location at 230 Church St. in Georgetown, S.C. It is the second Parker's store in Georgetown.

Positioned on Highway 17 near the Great Pee Dee River Bridge and open 24 hours a day, the store offers Parker's Southern-style, made-from-scratch food for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a wide range of convenience items.  

"We're thrilled to bring a second elevated convenience store experience to Georgetown County," said Parker's founder and CEO Greg Parker. "[We] look forward to deepening our connection with the local community through our Fueling the Community charitable giving program."

The site features Parker's now standard Lowcountry-inspired design and a retail footprint that includes indoor dining and a hot bar, as well as popular grab-and-go options. The Georgetown store also offers six fueling positions with unleaded, premium unleaded, ethanol-free marine and high-flow diesel as well as three high-flow diesel fueling positions for trucks.

Royal Farms

Royal Farms will be ringing in the New Year with the opening of a new location in Norfolk, Va., on Jan. 15, 2024.

The new store and gas station will be located at 6103 Military Highway, just seven minutes away from Norfolk International Airport and eight minutes away from Norfolk Botanical Garden. The location will feature a carwash, gas station with 16 standard flow fueling positions (including an ethanol free pump), and operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"Royal Farms is excited to join the artistic city of Norfolk and add our World-Famous chicken statue to the collection of mermaid statues located around the community. We encourage customers to swing by and pose for a picture and enjoy some World-Famous chicken," said Elaina Leatherbury, Royal Farms district leader.

Royal Farms plans to host a ticketed soft opening event where customers can check out the new store and be served one free meal from the soft opening menu. The free tickets are available on Eventbrite. 

As part of the opening celebration, the company will also be making a monetary donation to Norfolk State University. 

Stewart's Shops

Stewart's Shops opened three new locations in New York this fall: one at 168 Oneida Street in Oneonta, just off Interstate 88 Exit 13; one at 2090 Saranac Avenue in Lake Placid; and a third at the corner of East Main and South Frankfort Streets in Frankfort, just south of the New York state Thruway.

[Read more: Stewart's Shops Marks First Anniversary of Online Store]

The Oneida location is the second Stewart's located in Oneonta and features a newly constructed new road built by the company that connects NYS Route 205 and NYS Route 7. The West Oneonta shop will be one of five Stewart's Shops in Otsego County. 

In honor of the West Oneonta shop grand opening, the company donated $2,000 to the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club. 

Situated in the heart of Adirondack State Park, the Lake Placid site is a rebuild of a shop originally connected to another store which was subsequently demolished to expand the retail footprint of the Stewart's. It features brown paneling to blend with the forested area and is the second shop in Lake Placid, one of seven overall in Essex County.

Measuring in at 4,000 square feet, the shop in Frankfort offers guests a new, larger location on Main Street, adding pizza and an expanded food-to-go lineup, including empanadas and crispy chicken sandwiches. The store also includes a beer cave and, in January 2024, an expanded fuel island.

The Frankfort shop was built as part of Stewart's $50 million capital investment plan for 2023.