Royal Farms

Royal Farms is an operator of neighborhood convenience stores throughout Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The chain said it will enter the North Carolina market for the first time in early 2023 with a new-build location in Grandy. It will follow with additional stores opening in New Bern, Greenville, Lumberton, Kinston and Jacksonville. Royal Farms has plans to open more locations in other areas of the state, as well.

Store menus will be centered around the retailer's "world-famous" chicken, which was awarded "best fast-food fried chicken" by Food and Wine magazine. Royal Farms will also offer a variety of side dishes, such as macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes, so customers can take a complete meal or platter home. Other features will include Royal Farms' hot or iced coffee from bean-to-cup machines and f'real milkshakes at the blending station. Every location will also feature surcharge-free ATMs, air-pump stations, lottery and fuel. Carwashes will be available at select locations.

Royal Farms launched an updated mobile app with a point system and other new capabilities in early 2022. It includes mobile ordering that allows customers to order ahead for delivery or pickup. Customers with the app can earn Royalty Points on all purchases—two with every dollar they spent on food and groceries, and one with every gallon of fuel they purchase. The customer can get free products based on the number of points they save. There are four tiers ranging from 50 points to 400 points, with each tier providing a different choice of free items including coffee and fountain drinks to breakfast sandwiches, chicken salad and chicken.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2023.