OAK BROOK, Ill. -- "Open & Shut" features a few of the many new-store openings, reopenings, closures, sales and rebrandings taking place around the nation by chains small, medium and large that have not otherwise been reported in CSP Daily News.
Especially on the independent operator level, this recurring roundup provides a snapshot of the frequently changing retail marketplace that includes such outlets as convenience stores, gas stations, truckstops, travel centers and related locations.
California
Stanley's Food Mart and gas station [image-nocss] closed December 31, city officials told The Visalia Times.
7-Eleven opened new stores in Riverside, Lakewood and Mission Hills in December, and is opeing stores in Arcadia, Fountain Valley, Burbank, Garden Grove, Long Beach, and Temple City in January, 7ElevenSoCal said on Twitter.
Colorado
Beth's Market Shell closed December 15, said The Fairplay Flume. Employees and customers had petitioned to keep it open. Scott Paulson, a partner of owner Silco Oil Co., said the timing of the store closing was not great, but the store could have been closed years earlier with a decline in fuel and in-store sales.
7-Eleven opened a store in downtown Colorado Springs, The Colorado Springs Gazette said on December 1.
Florida
VR Business Brokers Fort Lauderdale office in November listed for sale the Bass Pro Shop's gas station in Fort Lauderdale in record time, it said in a press statement: within hours of becoming a franchisee. It only took VR's new office only hours, again, to start bringing in offers for purchase, it said, and the station was under contract within a week. The seller for the Bass Pro Shop's gas station offered 70% seller financing.
Georgia
After working for 30 years, the last 11 as owner, at one of Albany's last full-service gas stations, Gieryic's Dawson Road CITGO, sold its last remaining gallons of fuel in mid-December. It will still provide mechanic work. ""We were in a position where we had no other choice," owner Tom Gieryic told The Albany Herald. "In the old days, we'd pump 120,000 gallons of gas here a month, and 90% of it was for full-service customers. As more and more c-stores moved into the area, our volume dropped. Today, our full-service sales, for which we charge more, have reversed themselves. We do less than 10% full-service sales today."
A Murphy Express opened in Valdosta on December 2, MurphyUSA said on Twitter.
Illinois
Pilot Travel Center opened on December 6 in Woodhull with 35 new jobs. The business has a restaurant, though the food facility, a deli, will open at a later date, project manager Catherine Adkins told The Register-Mail.
A Super Pantry opened in Bloomington, the company said in early December.
Indiana
Today, Roger Sharp has reopened the former Gnaw Bone Food & Fuel station as Gnaw Mart, said The Brown County Democrat. In addition to c-store items, it will serve hot food until 7:00 p.m. six days a week, including what Sharp said is the original Gnaw Bone Tenderloin sandwich. He also plans to have gasoline pumps at the store by spring.
Gerry and Mike Laycock of Country Porch Convenience Stores opened their seventh location on November 30. Their purchase of a 2,400-sq.ft. store is their second location in Linton, said Robert T. Novak, vice president of International Business Brokers, Lafayette.
Iowa
The new Kum & Go store in Sioux City celebrated its grand opening December 10, said The Sioux City Journal. The new store, which replaces a smaller, adjacent Kum & Go, was built at the site of an old apartment building that was demolished last year.
Casey's General Stores opened new locations in Spenser, Boone, Dallas Center, Clarksville, Jefferson, Granger, Manchester and Conrad in November and in Madrid, Slater and Clarence in December, the company said on Facebook.
Kentucky
The former "Pickles Corner" c-store in Shepherdsville, along with all furniture, fixtures and equipment, was auctioned on January 11, said Tranzon Auction Services. Improvements on about two-thirds of an acre include an approximately 3,000-sq.-ft. store and 1,800-sq.-ft. adjacent building. Parking of approximately 20 spaces are provided for on site.
Maine
An Xtramart gas station in Ogunquit shut down on November 30, said Secoastonline.com. The lease was set to expire December 30 and Xtramart officials were not satisfied with the amount of business it had been drawing. The 1,148-sq.-ft. property is now up for sale for $595,000. The next owner will not be able to operate a gas station on the property.
Samuel's Mini Mart in Portsmouth was sold during a foreclosure auction in early November, said Seacoastonline.com. The unnamed high bidder purchased the property for $685,000. The gas station-store combination was sold at auction by order of the mortgage lender. The property, about a third of an acre, includes a 1,006 sq.-ft. c-store and a four-pump gas station. The assessed value is $645,600. Public records indicate Jay Laveson was the former principal of PEJ Fuels, which owned the business.
Maryland
A Liberty gas station opened in North Potomac on November 16, said The North Potomac-Darnestown Patch. Owner Aldo Carbonaro said the site includes a c-store and auto service bays.
Massachusetts
Linear Retail Properties LLC said it has bought a commercial property in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood from 7-Eleven for $4.1 million. The 7-Eleven store that has occupied the site for about 20 years "is in the process of being converted into an independently run convenience store named Charles Street Market," Linear Retail Properties told >I>The Boston Globe in early January.
Michigan
A BP station was sold in the fall through the county's tax foreclosure auctions, and the station BP is going out of business, reported AnnArbor.com in early December. Before Thanksgiving, the store stopped accepting credit cards. Then balloons were added to the property, drawing drivers' attention to the "going out of business" sign. The business is operated by Big M Fuel LLC BP.
In October, the mortgage-foreclosed Firebird gas station in Adrian was sold to the second-highest bidder after the winner backed out. Owners of the station and c-store defaulted on a $650,000 bank loan taken out in 2006, said The Daily Telegram. A foreclosure judgment was granted to Huntington Bank in June after owners Uday and Jyothi Nyalakona failed to respond to the suit. The judgment was for $708,239, plus interest, owed to the bank. A company formed last year to run the station failed to come up with the $141,000 price it bid within seven days. A judge approved an uncontested motion to sell the station to the second-highest bidder, Sudhakar Reddy, for $140,000. If another sale is needed, each bidder will have to submit a $50,000 certified check and the winner would forfeit the money if full payment is not made on time.
Missouri
Casey's General Stores opened new locations in Ozark, Huntsville and Diamond (as well as a re-opening) in November and in Albany and Senath in December, the company said on Facebook.
Nebraska
Casey's General Stores opened a new location in Kearney in November, the company said on Facebook.
New Jersey
The Ashwood Exxon station in Summit reopened December 21 after being closed for about 13 months, reported The Summit Patch. The station made headlines in 2009 when it was selling gasoline for $4.89/gal. In April 2010, owner Eel Chang, along with Jeff O'Connor, owner of the River Road Exxon, filed suit against Exxon over the company's zone pricing policy. The legal battle and money woes forced Ashwood Exxon to close without notice. During the time the station was closed, its auto repair shop was open.
New York
Tops Markets on December 7 opened its first Tops Fresh Xpress c-store and gas station in West Seneca, reported The Buffalo News. The 1,600-sq.-ft. store, located in a former Valero station, will carry a range of items including frozen foods, beverages, snacks, single produce items and a Tim Hortons coffee kiosk. The store also will sell made-to-order fresh food, including pizza, salads, subs and wraps. The store, which is a prototype for future stations that are not located at the site of a full-scale Tops supermarket, is part of the grocery chain's multimillion-dollar capital improvement plan.
Stewart's Shops opening a store in Chatham on December 11 and closed its Philmont location, reported WNYT. It marked the opening of its 328th shop by making a $4,000 donation to the Columbia County Agricultural Society. "We are looking forward to improving our service in Columbia County," said president Gary Dake. "The Chatham shop is easy to get in and out of and will feature all the products and personality Stewart's is known for." He added, "The combination of a larger Stewart's in nearby Chatham, and the need for an upgrade to the Philmont location, meant we had to make a difficult decision. We thank our customers for their loyalty. We look forward to seeing them in our new shop."
Reid Stores Inc. opened a new Crosby's c-store in Sardinia on December 8. Crosby's features the Corner Cafe Coffeehouse, which has a wide variety of hot beverages and Magic Cow flavorings. It offers free Wi-Fi access in the store's Corner Cafe Connect seating area. The store features a takeout menu as part of Crosby's Corner Cafe. The pizzeria offers fresh-baked pizza and calzones, with Crosby's 100% whole milk mozzarella, served by the slice or whole. The sub shoppe offers patrons made-to-order hot or cold subs made with Crosby's own rolls, while the bake shop serves cookies. It will carry cold beverages, an expanded offering of dairy and frozen food and grocery items, as well as tobacco products and other amenities including an ATM, prepaid wireless phone cards, gift cards, New York State Thruway E-Z Pass and New York State Lottery games. Crosby's fuel services, with pay-at-the-pump option, carry Gulf brand fuel.
Mercer's dropped the Sunoco brand in early January. G. Terry Mercer, owner of the c-store/gas station in Watertown, told The Watertown Daily Times the business is going "unbranded" so it can sell less-expensive fuel. Mercer's temporarily has disabled its pay-at-the-pump option until the new pumps installed. "We are going to replace all the signs," he said. "Everything will just say Mercer's."
Stewart's Shops opened a location in Chatham on December 8, the company said on Facebook.
North Carolina
Soses Enterprises LLC purchased four acres of land and a convenience store in Raleigh, dBusinessNews said in late November.
North Dakota
A Love's Travel Stop & Country Store opened in Fargo on November 18. Spokesperson Jenny Love Meyer told INFORUM the new location is the first on I-29. It has a McDonald's and a Subway, as well as all of the usual amenities the chain offers.
Ohio
A friendship between two men that began in kindergarten recently grew into a partnership when they formed Green Springs Energy and bought a gas station near Green Springs, said The News-Messenger in early January. It opened October 9. Bill Frankart, who owns Corner Drive Thru and Ridgeview Farms, and Jason Deel, who owns JD Automotive, bought the station to keep the business in town. Both were customers when it was owned by Sunrise Energy, and they made a last-minute decision to buy it when they heard it was going to be demolished. It offers convenience items, such as chips, pop, candy, beer and tobacco. Many customers come for the shredded chicken, pork and beef sandwiches. "We offer a lunch special. You get a hot sandwich, chips and a pop for $3," Frankart said. The store's biggest draw is soft-serve ice cream.
Waterway Gas & Wash opened in Pepper Pike on December 11, The Sun News said. It offers full-service car washes, BP gasoline and a freestanding c-store. The $5 million facility is situated on 44,000 square feet of land. It generated 50 new jobs--five full-time managers and 45 other employees. The facility includes a water reclamation system capable of reducing up to 75% of car-wash water usage; a sand-oil separator that keeps solids, detergents and contaminates from entering the stormwater sewer system; LED and other energy-efficient lights under the fuel canopy and inside the store; recycled fill dirt for site work; and underground detection to reduce the impact of storm water flowing off site.
Howard's CITGO in Port Clinton will no longer sell gasoline, but will still offer auto service. "I'm getting out of the gas business," Howard Ballard, who has operated the station for about 37 years, told The News Herald. "It has to do with the EPA and the whole system.... I got the feeling they want the bigger companies selling gas and they want to get rid of the mom-and-pop businesses." In 1987, he said, EPA regulators forced him to install new tanks and lines. Before the year was out, he said, they returned with new orders. At a cost of more than $54,000, a second round of upgrades included even newer lines to replace the new lines. Last year, he said, the EPA asked him to replace everything and begin yearly tests. "I had the tests done last year and it cost over $6,000," he said. "My margin is less now than when I sold gas for 40 cents a gallon."
Pennsylvania
The Pony Express General Store in South Abington Township opened in mid-December, said The Scranton Times Tribune. The 4,400-sq.-ft. store employs 12. It has a deli, a grocery, a small food counter that serves pizza and sandwiches, a seating area and several refrigerated beer cases for beer.
Tennessee
On December 17, Jamie Dove opened his new c-store in Johnson City, reported TriCities.com.
In November, Roopani Properties LLC and A&S Fuels LLC financed two c-stores/gas stations in Memphis through Brighton Bank for a total $1.4 million, said The Memphis Daily News. The first property, on about an acre, has a station and a 2,350-sq.-ft. c-store built in 1988. Roopani Properties bought the property in June from Mapco Express Inc. for $650,000. The Shelby County Assessor's 2010 appraisal is $489,600. The second property has a station and 2,368-sq.-ft. c-store built in 1988 on about an acre. Roopani Properties bought it in August for $700,000. The Shelby County Assessor's 2010 appraisal is $644,100. The loan secured by this lien was made under a Small Business Administration program that uses tax dollars to assist small-business owners.
Marketplace Development LLC has bought a former gas station/c-store in Memphis from Circle K Stores Inc. for $525,000, said The Memphis Daily News. The property includes a 1,726-sq.-ft. c-store built in 1990 and sitting on about two-thirds of an acre. The site also includes a car wash. A $1.2 million construction loan was taken out at the time of the sale.. Circle K Stores Inc. bought the property in December 2005 for $650,000. It was one of 12 Memphis-area Circle K Stores bought in separate deeds for a
total $23.4 million.
Texas
A new RaceTrac in the Dallas-Fort Worth area opened on December 30, RaceTracDFW said on Twitter.
A new Duchess Exxon station in Thrall is under construction and slotted for opening in January, reported The Taylor Daily Press. Owner Steven Vickers owns four other stations in nearby towns. In addition to a minnow room, frozen bait and tackle, the store will offer basic convenience items, though the focus won't be on groceries.
Vermont
The Pleasant Valley General Store, the only c-store in Barkhamsted, has closed about a year after it was reopened under new management, reported The Republican-American. Charles Lynes, who owns the building, said business owner Jim Parrott walked away one year into a three-year lease. "December 1 he closed the store at 4:00 p.m.," Lynes said. "The next morning, he had cleared everything out. No warning ahead of time."
Virginia
A Shell gas station in Arlington closed in mid-December and will be demolished to make way for a multi-story office building, reported TBDNeighborhoods.com.
Margaret "Vickie" Ricks made two changes when she took over Flowers Exxon on January 3, according to The Tidewater News. She changed the Courtland c-store's name to Vickies Country Store, and she made it smoke-free. "We're not planning any major changes, and the No. 1 option is we will keep the famous James Flowers' hot dogs," she said. On December 24, James Flowers, 74, retired from the gas station/c-store he has owned for 57 years. Ricks purchased the store's stock. Parker Oil Co. will continue to own the building. Flowers Exxon has been around for more than 100 years.
The only Blockbuster Video store in Burke closed in late November, making way for the area's third 7-Eleven, reported The Burke Patch. The 7-Eleven, which was slated to open December 28, has two coffee makers, two cappucino makers and two Slurpee machines. The store is applying to Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) for a license to sell beer and wine.
Washington
A new 7-Eleven in West Seattle opened in early January, reported The West Seattle Herald. It held a grand opening celebration January 7. It replaces an Exxon station and c-store that shut down 14 months ago. It is the second 7-Eleven store to be owned by Nirbhai Singh, who purchased his first location more then seven years ago. The new store has a new coffee storage and dispensary system with each flavor or brew in its own hotpot, with each one being brewed fresh every two hours.
West Virginia
A new BFS gas station opened in White Hall, said WBOY-TV. The new 7,000-sq.-ft. facility includes a Little Caesar's, a Gloria Jean's coffee shop, a Dairy Queen and an Orange Julius. It is also a full convenience store and offers beer and wine.
The North End BP Station closed on December 15, said The Journal, marking the end of nearly 30 years of business as a BP and nearly 70 years as a gas station. Andrew Ryan, sales manager of Roach Energy, said the station was the last local gas station to offer full service. R M Roach & Sons is moving its full-service facilities to a ROCS station.
Please send your store openings and related announcements to Greg Lindenberg at glindenberg@cspnet.com,www.twitter.com/glcspdn or www.facebook.com/glcspdn.
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