What's In Store: Love's Travel Stops, Nittany MinitMart & Onvo
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.
Foxtrot Café & Market
This fall, Foxtrot reopened its third and fourth location. The Foxtrot Café & Market in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago threw open its doors on Oct. 17. The store boasts an expanded coffee experience and a reimagined food offering. Additionally, the retailer's full-day menu features breakfast, lunch, afternoon and snack items.
Foxtrot in Fulton Market, located at 171 North Green St. in Chicago, welcomed customers on Nov. 13. The store features seasonal coffee blends, pressed paninis, farm-to-bowl salads and a variety of treats like the company's popular gummy assortments. Foxtrot in Fulton Market will be open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Love's Travel Stops
Love's Travel Stops is growing its network along Interstate 49 in Missouri with the addition of a new travel stop in Jasper. This store is Love's second new location in Southwest Missouri this year, following the opening of a store off Interstate 44 in Sarcoxie in June.
The Jasper travel stop adds 61 truck parking spaces and other amenities for professional truck drivers, including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) fueling for cardless payments.
In addition to Love's Fresh Kitchen with food offerings prepared daily, this travel stop includes a Dunkin' and a Subway. The location is also part of Love's growing RV network, with five RV hookups and four additional RV parking spaces, RV dump, Wi-Fi and other amenities.
Additionally, the 15,000-square-foot location features eight diesel bays, five showers, laundry facilities, a CAT scale, 99 car parking spaces, self-checkout options and a dog park.
Nittany MinitMart
Plans are underway for a new Nittany MinitMart location in Emporium, Pa., on the site previously occupied by GKN Sinter Metals LLC. Nittany MinitMart and Potter Lands LLC are in the early stages of design and development, with Nittany MinitMart employees and local officials working through the due diligence and permitting processes.
The new store, which will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is expected to bring added convenience to Emporium residents. Nittany MinitMart is known for offering a wide range of services, including fuel and fresh food options.
Nouria
Nouria began ringing up guests at its latest convenience store in Bridgton, Maine. The retailer's newest Maine location features access to top-grade gasoline and diesel for all types of vehicles, as well as a Nouria's Kitchen location featuring Amato's.
Onvo
Travel center operator Onvo celebrated the grand opening of a plaza in Pottsville, Pa. The site marks a significant milestone as Onvo introduces its first Made-to-Order food program, Food on the Fly, featuring the Craverito, a signature burrito, as well as bowls and quesadillas. The plaza also serves a new line of handcrafted coffee, espresso and lattes. It also houses an Onvo convenience store and Burger King with expansive seating.
Onvo's largest location to date, the 9,961-square-foot building includes three showers and laundry facilities. Outside, the site boasts 36 truck parking spaces, with an additional 80 spaces planned. There are 10 fueling lanes, six high-flow diesel pumps, and four fast-charging EV locations under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. The EV charging location will come online in 2025.
Additionally, the plaza will feature a hotel, with a target opening in 2025.
Royal Farms
Royal Farms is keeping busy opening new locations across its operational footprint. In the past month, the convenience retailer cut the ribbon on a c-stores in Hampton, Va., and two locations in North Carolina, one in Washington and the second in Greenville.
The Washington Royal Farms features a gas station with 16 fueling positions, including ethanol-free fuel dispensers. The Royal Farms in Hampton and in Greenville each feature a gas station with 16 fueling positions, plus a car wash.
The stores are open 24/7, 365 days a year, providing round-the-clock access to freshly prepared fried chicken, made-to-order sandwiches, a wide range of breakfast options and premium fuel services.
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