KENOSHA, Wis. — Lou Perrine’s Gas & Grocery has opened its second convenience store, also in Kenosha, Wis. The new store features a licensed Einstein Bros. Bagels unit.
Owner Anthony Perrine, a third-generation operator, 2020 CSP Indie Influencer and 2021 CSP Power 20 honoree, posted a Facebook Live walk-through just ahead of the April 6 debut (see below). “This is a soft opening,” he said. “We’re going to feel everything out, try to figure out everything and find our sweet spot. … Everything I do evolves. You either grow or die.”
“This is my brain in a building,” said Perrine.
The store has been in the works for several years but was delayed by road construction, zoning issues and a vehicle crashing into the first store, according to the Kenosha News. It was finally slated to open in fall 2021, but it was delayed further by the pandemic and supply chain issues.
The retailer will hold an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 20.
The Einstein Bros. Bagels unit offers bagels, grab-and-go breakfast and lunch sandwiches and coffee, with approximately 70% of the quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand’s full menu. Beyond, the store will have an expanded Mama P’s HoHo Cake cooler, as well as the same Oliver’s Bakery doughnuts found at the original Lou Perrine’s location. And it has a beer cave, groceries and more.
For fuels, the site has unleaded, midgrade and premium gasoline, as well as E85 and E15.
“We were recipients of a federal grant to bring alternative fuels to the area,” said Perrine. “We’re super excited to support local farmers and corn growers and to expand on our offering.”
The store also features a wall honoring Lou Perrine’s history as an independent retailer, as well as photos throughout the store. “We get to tell our history. That’s literally what it’s all about. We’re not this big corporation. We are a small, family-run business that has served this community for over 67 years,” Perrine said. “I hope that when you come into our store, you get that vibe. It’s a family business that loves their town. This is a business that has character. It’s not a cookie-cutter chain, big oil nonsense where they throw them up on every corner.”
Lou Perrine Sr. started a small full-service Clark gas station in Kenosha in 1954, the company says on its website. Lou Perrine Jr. took over the family business following the death of his father in 1985. Eldest son Anthony Perrine joined in 2008.
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