OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Social media appears to be emerging as the venue of choice for many chains to announce new-store openings, as evidenced by this installment of "Open & Shut," CSP Daily News' occasional roundup of some of the many new-store openings, closures and sales taking place around the country by chains small, medium and large that have not otherwise been reported.
Especially on the independent operator level, this recurring feature provides a snapshot of the frequently changing retail marketplace that includes such outlets as convenience stores, gas [image-nocss] stations, truckstops, travel centers and related locations. It includes multimedia links when available.
Arizona
The new QuikTrip c-store in Marana had its grand on July 14, reported The Explorer. Work on the 14,500-square-foot lot began January 17.
California
An ARCO station in Alameda closed July 1 for unknown reasons, reported The Alameda Patch.
The Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce recently held a grand-opening ribbon cutting for the new ampm food store, gas station and car wash in Red Bluff, said The Contra Costa Times on July 15.
7-Eleven held a grand opening on June 10 in Wilmington and on July 15 in Ventura, 7ElevenSoCal said on Twitter.
Connecticut
A Litchfield station/c-store that closed earlier this year reopened under new management in mid-June, reported The Republican-American. Irving Twin Stop will be operated by Bantam Fuel, which operates the Bantam Fuel Mart across the street. Peter Aziz, Bantam Fuel's president, said the stations will operate as separate entities. Irving Twin Stop will retain its name, he said. "There are three gas stations in Litchfield, and they are all within a stone's throw of each other," he said. "There will still be price competition." The store was previously operated by Mirsabbir Ahmed, who in March agreed to pay $20,000 to the state to settle allegations of selling misbranded fuel. The state Department of Consumer Protection shut down the station's pumps in February at the Irving Twin Stop and another station in New Preston.
Gulf Oil posted photos on Facebook on June 22 for the grand opening of Mount Carmel Gulf in Hamden.
Florida
Mason Tush Jr., his wife, Aledia Tush, and their son Mason Tush III purchased a 2,950-sq.-ft. former BP station in Sarasota for $950,000 ($322 per square foot) from Xeena O Inc., said The Gulf Coast Business Review on July 15. The station closed earlier this year. The building was originally constructed in 1969, and it was last renovated in 1998. Aledia Tush said, "Our plans right now are to reopen it as a gas station." She says they plan to take their time evaluating the future of the property.
The US Food Mart c-store in South Daytona is under new ownership, The Daytona Beach News-Journal said on June 20. Urvi K. Sheth, doing business as UK Enterprises LLC, recently purchased the half-acre site and 2,100-square-foot store for $200,000, according to court records. The store does not sell gasoline, and city officials are working with the new owner to have the underground fuel storage tanks, dispensers and the gasoline island canopy removed.
Circle K Florida said on Facebook on June 15 that it has opened a store in Port Charlotte.
Georgia
On June 21, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores held a ribbon-cutting event at a new travel stop in Emerson, located at I-75, Exit 283. It donated $2,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Bartow County at the event.
Gulf Oil posted photos of the grand opening for Bhomix Grocery Inc.. in Lawrenceville, it said June 8 on Facebook; it also posted photos of the grand opening ofHasty Mart No. 4 in Carnesville on June 9 and ofHasty Mart No. 12 in Dillard on June 11.
Hawaii
7-Eleven Hawaii's first downtown Honolulu store is officially open after a grand opening on June 24, the company said on its website
Aloha Gas posted photos on Facebook on June 21 of theAloha Island Mart in Kona.
Kahala Aloha Island Mart has reopened after being razed and rebuilt in a $2 million upgrade, reported KHON-TV. The new store features a beer cave, a soda fountain offering more than 100 combinations and an expanded selection of hot and cold snacks. A grand opening was held this month.
Illinois
Road Ranger LLC converted a store acquired in Bensenville into a Road Ranger, the company said on Facebook on June 23.
Red Rooster opened in a former 7-Eleven location April 1 in Glenview, it announced on Facebook.
Indiana
Family Express opened its newest store, the LaPorte Port Stop, the company said on Facebook July 10.
Iowa
Casey's posted photos on Facebook on June 8 of theSt. Ansgar grand reopening and on June 17 of theMonticello grand reopening.
Kum & Go opened a new store in West Des Moines, the company said June 16 on Twitter.
Kentucky
Gulf Oil posted photos on Facebook on June 21 ofJumpin Jacks 427 in Bowling Green; June 22 of Dimpy Corp. in Bowling Green; June 23 of Boris Haynes Service Center in Whitley City; June 29 of Georgetown Gulf in Georgetown, Ezy Stop in Crittenden,Brodhead Gulf in Brodhead and J.T. Petroleum in Lexington; June 30 for a grand opening inFannin Gulf in Paintsville; and on July 14 for the grand opening of Short Stop No. 28 in Louisville.
The 76 gas station in Covington opened its renovated Circle K store in early June, said The Reporter. Construction began March 8, about a year after owner Ghirmai Abraha decided that the station's auto repair shop was not financially viable. "It was not good business," he said. "It was really slow." He hopes that the renovations and the Circle K store will help draw customers. "It's bigger, cleaner, and has a nice image," he said. "We took it all the way down to its structural points, and then built everything new around it," said Alan Roberts, manager at AMR Environmental. The exterior and interior both have molded rock facades. The coffee, froster and soda signs replicate those of the 1920s and 30s. The back wall has a mural of the first gas station built in Maple Valley by Standard Oil. "They wanted the Taj Mahal and they got it," Roberts said.
Maryland
Tranzon said in late June that it is accepting offers for a gas station/c-store property Cambridge.
Massachusetts
Gulf Oil brand ambassadors hosted a mini grand opening in Waverly Square Gulf in Belmont. And it posted photos on June 26 for a grand opening inNorth Chelmsford and on June 27 in North Attleboro.
A High's Dairy Store c-store in Baltimore closed in early June, reported The Baltimore Sun. The city said the company's lease was up and another c-store, Nisha Food, will take its place.
Michigan
PS Food Mart Stores and CITGO Petroleum Corp. opened a PS Food Mart in Williamston, managed by Mike Crittenden and backed by fuel supplier Folk Oil, the companies said on June 22. It will offer three dispensers of fuel, including diesel, a convenience store stocked with products such as Java Peak Coffee, a beer cave, Big Chill Zone fountain drinks and more.
An Admiral gas station in Ionia made its premiere on July 9, said The Sentinel-Standard. Admiral regional supervisor Brett Lemmen said construction and updates to the building included a new roof, siding, gasoline pumps, piping and fresh paint. It will make more cosmetic upgrades indoors and out, including an electronic price sign, striping and other items. The c-store will also offer hot dogs, popcorn and nachos, along with bagged food and grocery items. It will sell beer and wine once it acquires a license. Also, he said he would like to take advantage of the full kitchen located in the back of the building. Leasing the area out to a pizza company may be in the works.
Jennifer Waddell recently opened Lakeside Pizzeria & Convenience Store in Munith, said The Jackson Citizen Patriot on July 15. A pizzeria will open in a couple weeks. She said the store has "a little bit of everything," including concessions, camping and beach accessories and basic household items. She hopes to get a beer and wine license in a few weeks.
A Mobil station that includes a c-store opened in Jackson opened in late June, reported The Jackson Citizen Patriot.
More than two years after it closed, a Mobil station in Ann Arbor has reopened for business. New owner Misty Filsinger opened the Pittsfield Township station June 17. "There are so many more to do on a closed gas station as opposed to one that is already in operation," she told AnnArbor.com. Filsinger is a former employee at the station under a previous owner. She said she bought the station because she believes it is a solid location for that type of business.
Minnesota
AVP Energy LLC has reopened a recently closed Sinclair station in Cambridge, said The Isanti-Chisago County Star on June 8. The store has been restocked with items from a new distributor. It has been approved for a tobacco license at the council meeting. Currently, the station does not sell lottery tickets.
The 59'er holds a cafe, c-store and 12-room motel in Detroit Lakes is open again, reported DL-Online.com in late June.
The Budget Oil station in Austin shut down on June 17, reported The Austin Daily Herald. The property was sold by owner Mike Ankeny to the city earlier this year, as it is in the Cedar River flood plain and could be used for flood mitigation. He said the time was right, given the current economic climate, to sell the property as the city might not make such a good offer again. The city offered $293,000 and the City Council approved the purchase in April.
Montana
The only gas station in Victor closed its doors in early June. Owner Andy Robinson told KPAX-TV that construction on U.S. Highway 93 caused a lot of hardship for the small town. "It's kind of a gamble now, stay in business and try and make it once everything is finished, or close," Robinson said. "And I think the gamble's too big; I mean I'm already going in the hole."
Nevada
ampm held grand openings for two locations in Sparks, the company said on Facebook on July 10.
New Jersey
A Gulf station reopened July 14 near the Holland Tunnel entrance in Jersey City, reported The Jersey Journal.
Borough Mayor Michael Giordano Jr. cut the ribbon of the North Plainfield Liberty Gas Station at a grand opening in late June in Plainfield, reported MyCentralJersey.com.
New Mexico
Michael's Mini-Mart, a Shamrock-branded gas station/c-store is for sale in Velarde, MikesMiniMart said on Twitter on July 11. It offers gasoline and a wide range of products, fresh takeout food, groceries, snacks, ATM, beer, wine and spirits, toys and more.
New York
7-Eleven Inc. purchased a building in Ossining from Seven Eleven Ossining Associates LLC for $1.3 million, or $520 per square foot. The 2,500-sq.-ft. freestanding building has been occupied by 7-Eleven for more than 25 years, and there are plans to continue upgrades on the already updated property, the CoStar Group reported on June 8.
Sunoco Inc. is continuing with its expansion into Western New York by acquiring a West Seneca gas station and c-store, reported Buffalo Business First on July 11. It purchased the Mobil On the Run from 1445 Union Road Ebenezer LLC for $500,000. The deal is the latest from late last year when Lehigh Gas Corp. announced it was selling 25 location stations to Sunoco.
A new Byrne Dairy c-store and gas station has opened in Norwich, WBGH said on July 4.
A new Mirabito c-store opened in mid-June in Preble, reported WSYR-TV. It includes a Dunkin Donuts.
7-Eleven held a grand opening celebration for a store in Merrick on July 16, reported WBAB.
Gulf Oil posted photos on Facebook on July 1 for a grand opening in Bellmore.
Pennsylvania
A new Dandy Mini Mart is under construction in Big Flats, the company said on Facebook on July 7.
A Super Wawa opened in mid-June in the Richwood section of Harrison Township, replacing a smaller Wawa nearby, reported The Gloucester County Times. It added 35 new jobs for a total of 60. It also features the chain's newest design prototype with 4,600 square feet of retail space and eight fuel dispenser sections, with room for 16 cars. Members from Ewan and Harmony fire departments participated in a hoagie-making contest. Each department received $1,000 to donate to the charity of their choice for participating.
Philadelphia has facilitated a lease for 7-Eleven in Center City Philadelphia. A grand opening is scheduled for this month across the street from the new Pennsylvania Convention Center expansion for the fist corporate 7-Eleven store to open in Philadelphia in recent years, and numerous additional locations are planned for the Philadelphia Metro Area, reported citybiz on July 12.
South Carolina
Gulf Oil posted photos on Facebook on June 11 of the grand opening ofHasty Mart No. 15 in Pickens.
Tennessee
Rafiq Devji purchased two Memphis properties from Circle K Stores Inc. for a total of $1.75 million. Both properties featured c-stores with gas stations. Circle K sold them as excess locations, and the new ownership group will rebrand both sites under an agreement with the seller. One site totaled 3,699 square feet and sold for $500,000 ($135 per square foot), and the other totaled 3,000 square feet and sold for $675,000 ($225 per square foot), the CoStar Group said on June 8.
Gulf Oil posted photos on Facebook on June 15 of the grand opening of Sam's Express in Nashville and June 19 for the grand opening ofPelham Gulf in Pelham and ofDaily's 6613 in Brentwood.
Texas
A new Ranglers c-store opened in Hamilton, the company said June 10 on Facebook.
Stripes posted photos to the grand opening celebration for its newRefugio store on June 20.
RaceTracDFW said on Twitter on June 10 that the company has opened a new location in Plano.
Utah
Flying J Auto Plaza in Cedar City off of Exit 59 was sold to Singh Petro Inc., the company said on June 3. The 9,400-sq.-ft. c-store includes a Subway. The renamed Cedar City Travel Plaza has rebranded from a Flying J to a Texaco consistent with the focus on retail customers, not 18-wheeler traffic. Jackson Oil will be supplying Texaco with Techron fuel. The new owners, Robbi and Suman Singh are experienced c-store operators who owns two freeway interchange locations in St. George and two other convenience stores in Nevada. Mountain America Federal Credit Union funded the project in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Washington
Maverik Inc. held an open house in Pasco at its first location in the Tri-Cities on June 30, reported The Tri-City Herald. It offered samples of Maverik's convenience food and product lines, including Bonfire chips, Maverik beef jerky, Glacier Rain water, Glacier X sports drinks, Bundles, Maverik's signature cookies and other items baked fresh daily in house. Adventure Club Cards for discounts on fuel will be available, as well as entering Maverik's "Joe Schmo to Lambo" contest to win a Lamborghini Murcielago.
Wisconsin
Two new Kwik Trip stores opened on June 30, one in Waunakee, and one in Appleton, the company said on Facebook.
Please send your store openings and related announcements to Greg Lindenberg at glindenberg@cspnet.com,www.twitter.com/glcspdn or www.facebook.com/glcspdn.
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