Following on the expansion of its pizza offer to many stores, GPM Investments convenience store chain fas mart tomorrow will open its first Villa Italian Kitchen inside one of its stores. The opening is part of a new partnership with Villa Restaurant Group that will include three Italian restaurant openings in GPM stores by the end of this year.
Richmond, Virginia-based GPM Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arko Corp., has partnered with Villa Restaurant Group to bring the pizza concept to fas mart, fastmarket and Village Pantry store locations in Virginia, Arizona and Indiana by the end of 2023. The first site is the fas mart store in Gordonsville, Virginia, on Friday, May 26.
"We are always exploring innovative ways to cater to our customers' diverse palates and elevate our foodservice offerings," said Arie Kotler, chairman, president and CEO of Arko Corp. "Pizza continues to be one of the top-selling food items in our stores and, by partnering with Villa Restaurant Group, we can provide our customers with a premium and authentic dining experience at a reasonable price point."
In participating locations, GPM will serve a wide variety of traditional Italian and other menu items, from Neapolitan and pan pizzas, with 100% whole milk mozzarella and sauce made from fresh California tomatoes, to strombolis, garlic rolls, boneless wings and much more.
- Arko Corp. owns convenience retailer GPM Investments. GPM Investments is No. 6 on CSP’s 2023 update of the 40 largest U.S. convenience-store chains by store count. Watch for the complete 2023 list coming in June.
Upon opening, each store will offer several menu promotions available throughout the summer, including:
- $9.99 XL Pizza + 2L Coke for $2.00 (May 29-Aug. 27)
- Buy 1, get 1 free slice (June 5-18)
- Buy 2 slices, get free fountain drink any size (June 19-July 2)
- Free garlic roll with a slice (July 3-16)
- Buy 1, get 1 free slice (July 17-30)
- Buy 2 slices, get free fountain drink any size (July 31-Aug. 13)
- Free garlic roll with a slice (Aug. 14-27)
In recently years, GPM Investment has added new foodservice programs with Sbarros, Dunkin’ and its own foodservice programs.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to join forces with GPM Investments," said Andrew Steinberg, chief operating officer of Villa Restaurant Group, Morristown, New Jersey. "With over half a century of experience in serving authentic New York-style pizza, we are eager to introduce GPM's customers to our delicious, fresh and hot slices of pizza, along with our diverse range of delectable offerings."
Richmond, Virginia-based Arko Corp. operates in four reportable segments: retail, wholesale, fleet fueling and GPM Petroleum, which sells and supplies fuel to its retail and wholesale sites. GPM Investments owns and operates c-store brands including Fas Mart, Shore Stop, Scotchman, BreadBox, Young's, Li'l Cricket, Next Door Store, Village Pantry, Apple Market, Jiffi Stop, Admiral, Roadrunner Markets, Jiffy Food Marts, E-Z Mart, 1 Stop, TownStarr, ExpressStop and Handy Mart.
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