ALTAVISTA, Va. -- Workman Oil Co. has signed a letter of intent to buy three convenience stores in Virginia. The Forest, Va.-based company will rebrand the three stores in the Altavista area to Apple Markets.
The three sites--Gateway Minute Market, Altavista Minute Market and Riverside Minute Market--are being bought from Leon Simpson, according to a report in the Altavista Journal.
Warner Hall, president and co-owner of Workman Oil, told the newspaper his company plans to open the stores the week of April 4.
Before opening, Hall said, the stores need [image-nocss] business and alcoholic beverage control licenses. He also wants to put in new gasoline pumps and dispensers at the Altavista and Riverside sites that will allow customers to pay at the pump.
Gateway is open, but Altavista Minute Market and Riverside Minute Market have been closed since late January.
"We're looking forward to being part of the community," Hall said last week.
Hall said Workman's approach to convenience stores is to offer a full line of products, including snacks and groceries. He said the three local stores fit well in that plan. He said they have traditionally offered groceries and produce.
The Altavista and Riverside markets will continue to offer deli and chicken foodservice programs. All three will have Apple Market-branded gas.
These will be Workman's first Apple Market sites in the Altavista-Hurt, Va., area. Others nearby are in Yellow Branch and the Gretna area.
Workman Oil Co. is the operator of 45 convenience stores under the "Apple Market" banner in central and southwest Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. It also owns 13 branded franchise food operations, 30 dealer accounts and fuel transports.
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