GREENSBURG, Pa. -- Move over cheesesteak; Sunoco’s APlus convenience stores are bringing a taste of Texas to Philadelphia.
Specifically, the chain is expanding its Laredo Taco Co. brand into its Pennsylvania c-stores.
An APlus store in Greensburg, Pa., became the first site in the state to offer the line of fresh-made tacos and other Mexican foods this winter, according to a report in the Tribune-Review.
The company, which has 158 Sunoco and APlus-branded convenience stores in Pennsylvania, is rolling out the menu to seven locations in the Philadelphia region, the report said.
The corporate-owned store in Greensburg was selected as the first in the area to add the Laredo Taco Co. offering because of its location in a high-traffic area, Sunoco spokesman Jeff Shields said.
Sunoco spent $50,000 to demolish a store last summer, then built a larger, 3,500-square-foot store for $676,000, according to the newspaper report.
Sunoco is also looking to add the Laredo Taco Co. menu at stores in Virginia and Nashville, as well as new properties it acquires, Shields said. “Sunoco is looking to invest a lot of money” into the concept, he said.
Sunoco gained access to the taco quick-service-restaurant concept through its $1.9 million purchase last year of Susser Holdings Corp., Corpus Christi, Texas. With Laredo Taco Co. being one of the shining stars in Susser Holdings’ Strips convenience stores, Sunoco announced in November it would begin adding the concept to some of its stores to the north.
“We are in the process of testing in the Northeast, and we’re hoping that gains traction,” CEO Bob Owens said at the time.
At the Greensburg APlus c-store, breakfast tacos, typically made from eggs and meat, are priced at $1.79 each, or two for $3. Lunch and dinner tacos are priced at $2.79 each or two for $5, according to a report in the Philadelphia Enquirer.
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