New Convenience-Store Roundup for April 2016
By Greg Lindenberg on May 17, 2016OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- This edition of New Convenience-Store Roundup features new convenience-store openings, closings and stores under new ownership for the month of April 2016.
The unscientifically gathered roundup—gleaned from company announcements, websites, social media and newspapers around the country, among other sources—is by no means complete, but serves as a monthly competitive snapshot of newly opened or closed U.S. convenience stores, gas stations, truckstops and travel centers not previously reported in CSP Daily News.
Many of the stores are owned by independent operators, while others belong to major chains, some part of CSP's Convenience Top 101. Some represent new entrepreneurs, while others are longtime businesses exiting the industry.
Casey's, Virginia, Ill.
Arizona
A Sahuarita, Ariz., gas station and convenience store that closed abruptly in 2013 reopened on April 27. The Dairy Queen under the same roof remains closed, but plans are moving ahead to reopen it. Formerly a Texaco station, it is now branded Shell. The station and restaurant closed when the owner of both businesses, Dunlap Oil, went into bankruptcy.
Florida
On April 1, operators Nick Salem and Moe Isa celebrated the grand opening of their Nick and Moe’s Shell gas station in Sarasota, Fla.
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores opened its doors for business on April 21 in Davenport, Fla., its first on U.S. Highway 27 in central Florida. It has 69 parking spaces for trucks, seven showers, a Love’s Truck Tire Care facility, RFID cardless fueling and CAT scales and an Arby’s restaurant.
CEFCO opened a convenience store in Niceville, its third in the Florida Panhandle, on April 22. The 5,500-square-foot store is the company’s 24th prototype location. The open design features modern treatments and upgraded finishes. It offers hot and cold Fresh Eats grab-and-go items including Fresh Yo self-service frozen yogurt. It also has a car wash.
Illinois
Casey’s General Stores opened a new convenience store in Virginia, Ill., on April 6.
TravelCenters of America opened a new Petro Stopping Center in Wilmington, Ill., on April 14.
Sinclair, Cambridge City, Ind.
Indiana
Sinclair Oil has returned to Indiana with a new Dino Mart offering “Dinocare” gasoline in Cambridge City.
New York
A BP gas station in New York City’s Soho neighborhood closed on April 14. The Porcelli family, which acquired the parcel in 1976 and founded Gaseteria, the previous gas station on that site, is redeveloping the land.
Breeze Thru, Raleigh, N.C.
North Carolina
A new Sheetz convenience store opened in Conover, N.C., on April 12. It has a 24-hour drive-thru and a car wash.
The Lexington Corner Market opened in mid-April in Asheville, N.C. As an in-and-out kind of place to grab a fresh sandwich, a jar of Lusty Monk mustard, a to-go pint of ice cream from The Hop or a couple of Buchi kombuchas. “This will be a very Asheville kind of store with something for everyone,” said owner Rebecca Hecht, who also owns the Adorn Hair Salon and Day Spa next door. Hecht took over the lease for the property at the beginning of 2016. Instead of expanding her salon, she decided to diversify and fill a need for both tourists and locals who live and work downtown.
Breeze Thru Markets opened a new convenience store and CITGO gas station in Raleigh, N.C., on April 27.
A new Ingles Gas Express and Market opened for business on April 27 in Waynesville, N.C.
South Dakota
An Ampride convenience store in Freeman, S.D., that opened in 1991 is under new ownership as of April 11, said Eric Machmuller, the general manager and operating partner with Total Stop Convenience Store, an independent chain serving southeastern South Dakota. Total Stop purchased the stores in both Freeman and Menno from County Pride Cooperative and expects to take ownership of the store in Chancellor. The Freeman store will continue to operate under the Cenex/Ampride name, Machmuller said. Plans are in the works to update the store interior, including new coolers, new countertops and the return of milkshakes. Plans also include a reintroduction of the Hot Stuff pizza franchise and fried chicken through BirdShack, a division of Chester’s. Total Stop has a presence in eight South Dakota communities: Alcester, Beresford, Canistota, Centerville, Emery, Freeman, Menno and Lennox. Country Pride Cooperative announced that it would sell its c-stores in Freeman, Menno and Chancellor last year.
Kwik Trip, Weston, Wis.
Texas
Sunoco LP opened a Stripes convenience stores in Brownsville, Texas, on April 21, and Navasota, Texas, on April 25. The new Stripes c-stores feature Laredo Taco Company, Sunoco fuel and 20 and 16 Sunoco-branded fuel-dispenser options, respectively, which include unleaded, superunleaded and diesel. The 7,000-square-foot locations have dining areas that seat 20, “beer super coolers,” and “the wall” fountains beverage stations.
Wisconsin
A full-service gas station in Kenosha, Wis., ended gasoline service and let its tanks run dry in early April. Bert & Rudy's Mobil is getting out of the fuel business to focus on auto repair. It has been around for 48 years, but the owners said they would need to upgrade the pump system. "Coming up in the year 2020, state law requires us to have secondary containment underneath our gas pumps and the piping by our gas tanks. And the cost of it was just too much. So we just decided to eliminate the gas and concentrate on the repair work," manager Greg Lemke said.
A BP gas station in Kaukauna, Wis., closed in mid-April. Wisconsin Court System records show the Department of Revenue filed delinquent sales-tax warrants Jan. 11, Feb. 9 and April 20 against DJ Convenience LLC, the store operator. It is unclear if those filings played a role in the closure.
Kwik Trip opened new convenience stores in Sheboygan, Wis., on April 21, and Weston, Wis., on April 28.