Take a look inside Kent Kwik’s mini convenience store in a sports complex

Kent Kwik’s new convenience store isn’t in a typical location.

The Kent Cos. opened its new store inside the Diamondback Energy Athletic Complex in Midland, Texas. It’s the first-of-its-kind format for a Kent Kwik store, Meredith Bright, director of corporate communications and brand development for The Kent Cos., told CSP Daily News. 

The 1,804-square-foot mini c-store features fresh food, cold drinks, hot coffee, ice cream, snacks and more. 

It’s more food-focused than a typical convenience store, Bright said. It offers fresh popcorn, grab-and-go ice cream and a large cold box featuring fresh sandwiches, protein boxes, fruit cups, yogurt, vegetables and more. 

It also has grab-and-go hot food options that are made on site, including burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, breakfast burritos and sausage biscuits. 

The cold vault includes carbonated soft drinks and Kent Kwik water, but focuses a little more on athletic drinks than a normal store would.

“We want to create a memorable experience not only for the athletes but also the families and fans that come to support them,” Bright said. 

The idea for the concept started when John Scharbauer, one of the founders of the sports complex, reached out, Bright said. It eventually grew into the idea of a partnership where The Kent Cos. would have naming rights to the concession areas throughout the complex. 

“Kent Kwik built a mini convenience store inside the facility to bring an elevated concessions area to all athletes and fans,” Bright said. “The concept is to offer better-than-concession-standard food that is fast, convenient and really good to eat. With a wide variety of food options all made on site, the guests can expect the same quality, freshness and great guest service, just in a fun format.”

Bright said they’re open to other concepts like this but currently don’t have anything in the works. The Diamondback Energy Athletic Complex store officially opened June 22. 

The Diamondback Energy Athletic Complex is a 115,000-square-foot facility that hosts soccer, tennis, volleyball, pickleball, indoor soccer and basketball year-round, Bright said. It was a great fit for The Kent Cos. because they love to support local youth programs, she said. 

“As a mom of four, I know firsthand how demanding tournament weekends can be. With back-to-back games, families often spend the entire day at the complex, and finding a convenient, quality meal can be a challenge,” Bright said. “We wanted to create a place where athletes, parents and fans could enjoy fresh, satisfying food without having to leave the excitement of the tournament.”

• The Kent Cos. is No. 55 on CSP’s 2026 Top 202 ranking of convenience-store chains by U.S. store count. 

Midland, Texas-based The Kent Cos. had 132 stores as of Jan. 1, operating mostly under the Kent Kwik banner.