To many independent convenience-store retailers, spreading themselves thin professionally is simply baked into their DNA. Some own and operate c-stores while doubling as auto dealers, fishing guides, storage center owners and restaurateurs.
The latter skill set is certainly tied to convenience retailing—and so begins Dharma Gurung’s new retail journey.
Gurung, owner of KT Mart LLC in Erie, Pennsylvania, is leveraging the restaurant experience back to the store since unveiling the unit in January. A native of the southern Asian nation of Bhutan, she has owned and operated Tandoori Hut, a local Erie restaurant specializing in Indian cuisine, since 2017.
But there had been a void on the west side of Erie, and the answer to the breach was convenience retailing.
“I opened Tandoori Hut six years ago, and in early 2022 acquired the property that would become KT Mart by January 2023,” she said. “The new store fills a void, as there are few c-stores in the immediate area. It took nine months of extensive cleaning and renovation work before we were finally able to open. Prior to this, the store was a ‘Second Hand Rose’ thrift shop, for about 17 years.”
Located on Erie’s West side, KT Mart is named after Gurung’s parents. “I’m really excited to work in Erie, because it’s really welcoming. Another independent business opening is really helping local businesses overall,” she said.
Read ahead for details on the new c-store venture in Erie, Pennsylvania’s fifth largest city with approximately 260,000 residents.
Q: How did sales and volume fare during the first month?
A: When we opened, we found that the neighborhood people did not realize we had opened. We are open 12 hours a day seven days a week, and have a staff of two regular workers.
Q: What was the motivation for you to branch out into convenience retailing aside from the fact that Erie sorely needed a convenience outlet?
A: In the six years that I’ve been working in the restaurant, I wanted to take on a new business venture—something different and interesting. KT Mart is more than a job for me but a way to connect with the community and make a difference in people’s lives. Seeing the smiles on our customers’ faces and knowing that we are making their day a little easier and more convenient is what keeps me motivated every single day.
Q: How would you describe the clientele at the store—from locals to vacationers to other types of folks passing through the region?
A: KT Mart services a diverse range of customers, including locals, vacationers and many others. I like to call it a ‘local shop for everyday needs.’ Vacationers visit for snacks and essentials, and business travelers and tourist visit for quick and convenient purchases. Many pass through this city on the way to Pittsburgh, Philly, Toronto and Buffalo.
Q: What are some in-store food/beverage/general merchandise categories creating a spark across the retail footprint?
A: KT Mart offers a wide variety: tobacco products, coffee, cappuccino, snacks, cold can or bottled drinks, slushy machine, Pennsylvania lottery and more. I strive to offer excellent customer service and very competitive pricing—they are key factors to our early success: wide selection, clean store that’s well managed.
Q: Do you leverage some of your menu from the restaurant to provide food items at the convenience store?
A: I like to keep it separate, but we do spread the word about KT Mart LLC at the restaurant, so there’s that. At the store we offer individual frozen bowls and entrees that are both traditional American and Indian-inspired. Tandoori Hut is the only authentic Indian restaurant in town and KT Mart is really the only corner convenience store in the neighborhood, within a couple blocks.
Q: What do you offer at the restaurant the helps burnish your reputation as a local success story?
A: The restaurant is regarded as a simple, art-lined business with traditional dishes like tandoori chicken, meat curry, palak, garlic naan, vegetable samosa and beef samosa. We’re known for our lunch buffet. I feel that when folks leave happy with the restaurant experience, they assume—correctly—that they will have the same experience at the c-store.
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