New Convenience-Store Roundup for August 2016
By Greg Lindenberg on Sep. 12, 2016CHICAGO -- This edition of New Convenience-Store Roundup features new convenience-store openings, closings and stores under new ownership for the month of August 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.
Click through for a state-by-state breakdown.
Alabama
Tori Siniard opened Route 99 Store & Deli, a convenience store with a drive-thru in Owens, Ala., in mid-August.
Arkansas
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores opened a location in Blytheville, Ark., on Aug. 4. It features IHOP Express, Chester's Chicken and Godfather’s Pizza restaurants, coffee, fresh fruit, gift merchandise, name-brand electronics and more. It offers seven showers, 94 truck parking spaces and a Love’s Truck Tire Care center.
California
A Shell gas station and food mart in Mt. Mesa, Calif., closed in early August for health reasons, according to the Kern County Health Department. Inspectors found fresh rodent droppings along snack aisles and in cabinets, and gnaw marks on food packaging. They also found gaps in the front door and below the mop sink.
A newly constructed Chevron gas station in Victorville, Calif., opened for business in early August.
A new Arco gas station opened in Topanga, Calif., on Aug. 9. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with six pumps and a full-service ampm mini-mart, the store replaces a Thrifty gas station that shut down in 1994 after a landslide.
Florida
Love’s Travel Stops opened for business in Hawthorne, Fla., on Aug. 4. The 24-hour, 10,000-square-foot travel stop features a McDonald’s restaurant, coffee, fresh fruit, gift merchandise, name-brand electronics and more. It offers five showers and 71 truck parking spaces.
Cumberland Farms held the grand opening of a new c-store in West Melbourne, Fla., on Aug. 18.
Idaho
Maverik opened a new c-store in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 3, the first 3,000-square-foot location the company has built in Eastern Idaho.
Stinker Stores opened a new c-store in Meridian, Idaho, on Aug. 26. It includes a Taco John restaurant.
Illinois
The Red Rooster c-store moved to a new location within Glenview, Ill., holding a grand opening on Aug. 16.
A new Speedway gas station and convenience store in Hampshire, Ill., held a grand opening on Aug. 13. The location has 16 gasoline pumps and diesel lanes for trucks, while its cafe menu includes frappes, submarine sandwiches, smoothies, pizza, breakfast, paninis and lattes.
Minnesota
A new Kwik Trip c-store in St. Cloud, Minn., held a grand opening on Aug. 2
A Holiday Stationstores location in St. Cloud, Minn., closed down in mid-August. Signs posted on its gas pumps and front door said, “Sorry … This Holiday location is closed. Please visit us at any of our other local Holiday Stationstores.” Becky Estby, senior vice president of human resources and organizational development with Coborns, said, “That store was operated as a Holiday franchise and Holiday has certain standards. We were going to have to make a significant investment in order to meet those standards, and we decided that it was just time to exit the location.”
Missouri
Pilot Flying J opened a Flying J Travel Plaza in Springfield, Mo., on Aug. 27. It features 12 fueling positions and nine diesel lanes with high-speed pumps; Wendy’s, Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s and PJ Fresh, with fast-casual food offerings including soup, salads, sandwiches and hot dogs; coffee and cappuccino; and everyday products for quick shopping needs
New Jersey
QuickChek opened a 4,542-square-foot c-store in Butler, N.J., on Aug. 9. Open 24 hours a day, it features custom-made, oven-toasted fresh subs, sandwiches, wraps and salads and personalized hot and cold beverages. Its coffee wall features baristas who custom make more than 60 varieties of handcrafted hot and iced cold drinks, including blended-to-order fruit smoothies and espresso. Additional menu items include cappuccinos and lattes, hot chocolate, chai teas, frozen chocolate treats, iced and frozen fruit lemonade and iced and frozen lattes.
New York
A new Fastrac c-store in Utica, N.Y., built near its former site, represents a realigned corporate focus and an upgraded store model that it is now being implemented across the chain. The 5,600-square-foot store held a grand opening on Aug. 5 and features the new Fastrac Cafe, with expanded products and services that include a drive-thru window, freshly prepared food and baked goods, online and in-store kiosk ordering, bistro-style seating, expanded grocery items and bulk foods and an assortment of frozen concoctions and beverages. It also offers 12 fueling positions and three high-speed diesel pumps. “It’s our largest store to date, and one of seven launched over the past 18 months,” said Jim Allen, vice president of marketing.
Stewart’s Shops held a grand opening on Aug. 19 for a new c-store in New Hartford, N.Y. It features milk, ice cream and coffee, as well as fresh-made pizza (pies and by the slice), subs and other easy food options such as pastries, sandwiches, deli dogs and hot entrees. Non-ethanol gasoline is also available, as well as diesel. The company also opened a bigger c-store in Coxsackie, N.Y., on Aug. 11 next to an existing location, which is being knocked down to make way for more parking and expanded fuel service, including diesel. It also offers more easy food items such as fresh pizza, a beer cave, more seating and two restrooms. And Stewart’s held a grand opening for its newly rebuilt shop in Rome (Town of Lee, N.Y.) on Aug. 26. It built this new shop to replace a previous location; it includes a variety of easy food items such as pizza and made-to-order subs. It also has a walk-in beer cave and extra seating. It expanded the parking lot, and the new gas island offers nonethanol gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
Ohio
Aug. 4 marked the official grand opening of the new Speedway convenience store in Gallipolis, Ohio. The project included the demolition of a historic home. The company erected a marker to commemorate the spot where the house once stood.
Oklahoma
QuikTrip held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new c-store in Wagoner, Okla., on Aug. 4
Oregon
Love’s Travel Stop in Roseburg, Ore., reopened on Aug. 11. It was temporarily closed after a fire damaged the location in March. While it was closed, the company took the opportunity to add a new roller grill and a new coffee bar. The Arby’s restaurant (above) also reopened.
Pennsylvania
In early August, Korner News closed its downtown Sharon, Pa., flagship c-store as a result of Pennsylvania’s new cigarette tax, which will be $2.60, up from $1.60. Toby and Jaque Abrutz own the store and say the increased tax is more than they can take. Cigarettes were their main source of business and with this tax, they just can’t keep up. “It really hurts because you’re trying to make a buck and they keep on penalizing you,” said Toby Abrutz, owner of Korner News. “Every time you try to get ahead, the state puts another tax on something.”
Tennessee
Love’s Travel Stops opened for business in Dyersburg, Tenn., on Aug. 11. The 10,000-square-foot facility is open 24/7 and features Godfather’s Pizza and Chester’s Chicken restaurants, coffee, fresh fruit, gift items and more. The location also has 89 truck parking spaces, five showers, RFID cardless fueling, CAT scales, a Love’s Truck Tire Care Center and other driver services.
Texas
The Vitorino Group brokered the sale in August of an Empire Petroleum gas station and c-store in Grapevine, Texas, a single-tenant, net-leased asset just north of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The Vitorino Group acted as an intermediary between a local Dallas owner and a private, Dallas-based real-estate investment trust (REIT). It did not disclose the terms of the sale.
Kwik Chek Food Stores, celebrated the rebranding and grand opening of a c-store in, Bonham, Texas, on Aug. 22. The new store features an entirely new concept of health-oriented options in addition to the traditional comfort foods. It offers fresh fruit cut daily and offered in convenient to-go cups; chargrilled chicken; made-to-order salads and sandwiches, daily lunch specials and Kwik Café fried chicken; new Hayden Valley snack items; 24 flavors of fountain, featuring “chewy ice” and flavor shots; an expanded coffee island with cappuccino and iced coffee; and an expanded offering of craft beers and local wine.
Virginia
A 24-hour Sheetz c-store with gas opened its doors on Aug. 31 in Galax, Va.
A 45-year-old 7-Eleven held its grand reopening on Aug. 26 in Richmond, Va., after months of renovations. Owner Julia Maupin said the previous store had bad floors, old equipment and was in need of additional space. “Now, we’ve modernized it. It is 1,250 square feet larger. We have an open ceiling with sky lights,” she said. “We got a 12-door vault, a lot of gondola space with 500 more SKUs than we’ve had before. Everything inside of the store is state of the art.” Maupin decided to rebuild when Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) began adding dorms nearby.
Wisconsin
A Cenex c-store in Menomonie, Wis., closed on Aug. 10. Paul Diemert, general manager of Cedar Country Cooperative, confirmed that the store has been sold but could not confirm to whom. He said the company decided to sell it to conserve the equity of the co-op’s members: “This was not a choice we made lightly.” A new Kwik Trip c-store, under construction across the street, is set to open in mid-October.
Krist Oil has acquired the Astor Park Mini Mart in Green Bay, Wis., and is in the process of renovating and rebranding it. Owner Krist Atanasoff did not specify when he expects the store to reopen.
A new Mobil gas station and c-store opened in early August in Marshall, Wis. It replaces the Landmark Cenex gas and c-store that closed more than a year ago. The 14 gas pumps at the former gas station have been replaced with three dispensers for six pumps. There will be four types of fuel offered, diesel, regular, premium and a special formula called Synergy. The store will offer lottery tickets, drinks, snacks, food, sandwiches, hot dogs, coffee and bakery items such as muffins and donuts.