TOPEKA, Kansas -- Street Corner, a convenience chain known for its small-square-footage inline stores and mall kiosks, has announced that it has begun offering franchisees small and large street-side stores.
The company has also announced that it has engaged industry veteran Ed Davidson as part of the team that will build the new business segment.
The street-side locations further broaden Street Corner's offerings. Besides the inline stores and kiosks, the chain has been experimenting with self-service sites in office buildings and other restricted settings.
"This expands Street Corner's footprint beyond the shopping mall, which until now has been our bread and butter. We're excited to literally extend the brand to the street," said Peter LaColla, CEO of Street Corner parent McColla Enterprises. "And I can't think of anyone better to guide us than Ed Davidson. It's like we're the Royals and brought in George Brett as our new coach."
Davidson, of ER Davidson & Associates, recently retired from 7-Eleven, where he held various positions during two stints with the Dallas-based convenience retailer, most recently serving as a real-estate manager. In all, he has spent 45 years in the convenience, retail and gasoline industries, also working for Amoco Oil in Chicago and BP Amoco in Virginia. From 1987 to 1988, he served as president of the New England Convenience Store Association (NECSA).
"Ed's varied experience is a perfect fit with Street Corner as we move to street-side, especially with the goal of creating free-standing stores with fuel down the road," said LaColla.
Davidson will consult on everything to do with street-side, LaColla said, with an emphasis on location selection, including building from scratch and rebranding other stores.
"It's always thrilling to have the chance to launch or grow a new market," said Davidson.
Street Corner is based in Topeka, Kansas, and currently has 45 locations in 19 states. It was among Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 Rankings in 2005, 2007 and 2011, and was recently named one of USA Today's 50 Top Franchises for Minorities for the third consecutive year.
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