OAK BROOK, Ill. -- "Open & Shut" is an occasional roundup of some of the many new-store openings, reopenings, closures and sales taking place around the country by chains small, medium and large that have not otherwise been reported in CSP Daily News.
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 stations, truckstops, travel centers and related locations.
Alaska
John Boone has become the [image-nocss] new lease manager for the Valley Tesoro Alaska service and detailing station in Juneau. He told The Juneau Empire in mid-November that he came to take over through his work with Glacier Gas & Food LLC, of which he is a managing member. He said he had done some contract work for Delta Western, which owns Valley Tesoro Alaska's building, and was asked if he would be interested in taking over management. He has just introduced Kodiak Koffee there, and is now working on the building. He also intended to bring in more products and services. He said the car wash will be redone next summer.
California
A 7-Eleven opened in Culver City on September 30, 7ElevenSoCal said on Twitter.
A Chevron gas station in Los Angeles closed in mid-September, said Curbed Los Angeles.
Paul Singh opened a 7-Eleven store in Cathedral City on October 22, reported The Cathedral City Sun.
7ElevenSoCal said on Twitter that in early November, 7-Eleven opened a new store in Hollywood.
Colorado
A 3,000-sq.-ft. 7-Eleven convenience store is scheduled to open in December in downtown Colorado Springs, reported The Gazette.
Connecticut
Lori's Mobil gas station and c-store in Colchester closed October 25, reported The Norwich Bulletin. A note posted by owner Lori Bansavich said ExxonMobil's Environmental Risk Assessment Program determined that the station's fuel tanks were a "liability to the public water supply." As a result, the station will no longer sell gasoline and is ending its franchise relationship with ExxonMobil.
Georgia
Flash Foods said on Facebook that it opened a new travel center in Waycross on October 21.
Hawaii
The First Stop Store, a combination deli, liquor store, beach store and convenience market in Kailua, closed in late September, reported KITV.
Illinois
New owners of a former Marathon station in Plainfield plan to replace existing building with a 2,400-sq.-ft. c-store and to put in all new pumps and underground tanks, reported The Plainfield Patch in late September. The station, shuttered more than a year ago, will reopen next spring as a Shell station.
Indiana
The Oppenheim Group is selling the nonbranded Crawfordsville Travel Plaza in Crawfordsville: Approximately eight acres; 5,000-sq.-ft. c-store/trucker store/restaurant; built in 1976.
Kansas
The Oppenheim Group is selling the Shell-branded On The Go Travel Center in Edwardsville: Four acres (additional 2.3 available); 7,500-sq.-ft. retail building; full-line c-store; completed in June 2007; high traffic volume; food court.
Kentucky
A Thorntons is scheduled to open in Louisville on December 16, the company said.
Louisiana
A Pointe-aux-Chenes gas station and community store is open again after being closed for about two years, said Houma Today. The Cajun Corner Stop & CC's Grill, formerly H's Corner Stop & La Pointes PoBoys, is under the management of Chantel and Jamie Ellender. The store was founded by H.L. Hawthorne about 25 years ago, but had incurred storm damage and closed. The Ellenders bought the property at a sheriff's sale this year. Since then, the new owners have put about $100,000 into renovations to reopen the store, including the adjoining restaurant, which will serve burgers, po-boys, pizza, kids' meals and salads.
The Oppenheim Group is selling the nonbranded Bayou Belle Truck Stop/Casino Convenience Store & Restaurant in Henderson: Six acres; 8,724-sq.-ft. retail building; 3,427-sq.-ft. c-store/trucker lounge; 3,095-sq.-ft. video poker casino; 2,202-sq.-ft. restaurant area; 166,422-sq.-ft. concrete parking; completed in 2002; video gaming equipment and gaming and establishment licenses to be conveyed with sale.
Maine
The Ugly Moose c-store closed down on October 15, reported The Sun Journal. Owner Gary Smith cited the stagnant economy and other business priorities for the closure.
Maine
A Valero station in Kennebunkport was auctioned in early November, The Kennebunkport Post said. Tom Saturley, president of Tranzon Properties, served as auctioneer and opened the bidding at $500,000. Seller and mortgage lender Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution bid $550,000 on the property after registered bidders refused to go higher than $250,000. With no counter bids, the property was sold back to the seller. The property, which the bank foreclosed upon, was assessed at $487,800. The location includes a 3,785-sq.-ft. building, nearly half an acre, four gasoline dispensers, eight fueling positions and private water and sewer. Saco & Biddeford Savings will list the property for regular sale.
Maryland
A new gas station was set to open in early November on a lot vacant for four years before Aldo Carbonara and his partner bought the property. After renovations are completed, Carbonara said he expects to open a Liberty station there, said The North Potomac-Darnestown Patch.
Massachusetts
On November 18, 7-Eleven had a grand opening celebration for a new store--formerly a White Hen Pantry--in Swampscott, 7-Eleven New England Celebrations said on Facebook.
Michigan
In late October, under the VG banner, Spartan Stores opened its 25th fuel center, located in Fenton. The 1,100-sq.ft. prototype has been updated inside, and under the canopy there will be the usual four blender dispensers, including one with diesel.
A new 7-Eleven store in Livonia will hold a grand opening celebration December 2, said The Livonia Observer.
Ann Arbor's first 7-Eleven convenience store, a ,500 sq.-ft. building is projected to open December 30, Margaret Chabris, 7-Eleven spokesperson, told The Ann Arbor News. 7-Eleven real estate manager Chris Benne said the store will include an upper-level seating area, with an extension of retail space.
New Hampshire
The former Flight Deck gas station and c-store in New Durham recently reopened under owner Pat Donahoe, said Foster's Daily Democrat. It was owned and operated by his late father, Frank, until 2007. High gasoline prices and Frank's failing health forced the station to close three years ago after more than 30 years in business. Donahoe is still working on permits to sell alcohol and tobacco at the store.
The Olde Port Convenience store opened in downtown Portsmouth, reported Seacoastonline.com in late October. Owner Troy Allen said the store will soon offer lottery and will continue to add items as the need increases. It sells paper products, beer, wine, water, soda, energy drinks, Tylenol, batteries, nail polish remover, shampoo, disposable razors and other such items. Allen's son Jake has chosen the store's eclectic beer selection, and Allen has hired a wine consultant.
New Jersey
Wawa opened a store in Barnegat in late November, said The Asbury Park Press. The new store has 12 gasoline pumps and four diesel pumps, and is one of the company's new store design prototype, including 4,600 square feet of retail space.
Pete's Convenience Store opened in mid-October in Atlantic City, reported The Press of Atlantic City. The store plans to offer more fruits and vegetables and more Hispanic items; also milk, bread and eggs, some dollar items, coffee, candy, newspapers, cleaning products, groceries, pet foods and cigarettes and other tobacco products. It also has some gift items, such as gift bags, gift-wrap and little household items and gift cards.
New Mexico
Ron Brown, with a background in management for a national travel center company, is opening Latitudes, a prototype c-store, deli and gas station in Albuquerque, said The Albuquerque Journal. He recently closed on a two-acre site and plans to build a 15,000-sq.-ft. store that will include a 24-hour deli, a cafe-style seating area with Wi-Fi, grocery area, beer cave and coolers for imported beers and wines. It will have 24 fueling stations dispensing gasoline and diesel. Construction is to begin in early December, with completion projected for May. Based on focus-group research, Brown hopes to attract women and parents by carrying upscale food products and ready-to-eat items like rotisserie chicken. Once established, he plans to offer frequent fueler discounts and downloadable applications to allow customers to place orders for food deliveries online. Design features include energy-efficient artificial lighting, water-thrifty landscaping and low-water-use plumbing fixtures.
New York
A new Stewart's Shop is being constructed in Warrensburg. The 3,000-sq.-ft store, which is expected to be completed about December 13, features four gasoline pumps with pay-at-the-pump service. Construction of a new Stewart's Shop in Chatham, is nearing completion, as well , expected to be done in early December. It will feature six gasoline pumps with pay-at-the-pump service.
New owner John Bouck of Sherrill Automotive repair facility and full-service gas station opened the business in Sherrill on September 1 after purchasing the station from the previous owner, who was selling because of illness. The location was closed for four years, said The Oneida Daily Dispatch.
A newly expanded Wilson Farms in the village of Oakfield held a grand opening event on October 22, reported The Daily News. "We've more than doubled in size here," said CEO and president of Paul Nanula. The entire project cost a little over half a million dollars. Before the renovation, the store was 1,700 square feet. Now, with a 2,400-sq.-ft. expansion that turned a back storage room into a Subway, the store is 4,216 square feet total. Wilson Farms has added 500 to 600 more items for sale. Also, seven cooler doors were added, as well as two handicapped-accessible bathrooms.
A $1.5 million to $2 million Nice N Easy c-store/gas station that is three times the size of the building it is replacing opened last week in Fayetteville, The Post-Standard said. The 4,500-sq.-ft. store replaces the older store torn down in October, and the new store erected at its back door. "This new design has a lot more bells and whistles, and it's in line with the newer stores we've been building," said Ron Rowland, Nice N Easy vice president of corporate operations. The new store, which is set back farther on the one-acre property, will feature an Easy Street Eatery, full-service foodservice with made-to-order subs, pizza and other choices. There is a sitdown bar along the front window, and three tables, with total seating for about 14 people. It has three gasoline pumps with six filling stations, replacing two pumps and four stations.
The owners of E&M Market are planning to open a second convenience store in Saranac Lake, said The Adirondack Daily Enterprise said in late October. Paresh and Pragna Prajapati are under contract to purchase the former River Street Nice N Easy from P.J. Hyde & Son Inc. The property, which they plan to turn into a c-store called Fusion Market, was a mini-mart and CITGO station until it closed in March 2009. They plan to rehabilitate the existing site and structure, replace the building's flat roof with a gabled roof and add a second story, which would be used as an office.
North Carolina
An Exxon station and auto repair facility in Reidsville reopened under the new leadership of partners Steve Wallace and Tate McMillan, said GoDanRiver.com in late September, after it sat dormant for the past two years. The Reidsville Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming Steve Wallace Auto Service to Reidsville.
A Shell station and Tops Mart changed hands in late September, reported WWAY-TV.
Rushco Davidson Market was under construction in Davidson in late September, reported Davidson News. The planned gas station and shop is two stories, with a downstairs food market and upstairs office space. Rusher Oil Co. developers Bobby and Joey Rusher first won approval for the building about seven years ago. Their plan calls for a market, offices, gasoline pumps under a canopy and a single-story car wash.
A Sheetz store is slated to open in Wallburg in February, reported The High Point Enterprise.
Oregon
Leif's Auto Collision Centers opened the Newberg Leif's Fuel & Auto Care Spa, the first of more than 30 stations planned throughout Oregon and southwest Washington, reported The Newberg Graphic. Located in a gas station that has been closed for a few years and previously bore the banners of Texaco and Shell, the Newberg location will offer retail gasoline, gourmet coffee services and auto body, maintenance and detailing services, including brakes, tires, alignments, transmission services, oil changes, collision estimates, towing and more.
Pennsylvania
Royal Farms opened a c-store, gas station and car wash in York in late September, said The York Daily record. It also plans to build a store in Wrightsville. And it will open a store near White Marsh next fall.
Rutter's Farm Stores opened a new location on October 26 in Monroe Township, Cumberland County, it announced. The 5,200-sq.-ft. store has a variety of eco-friendly attributes, including energy-saving skylights, LED exterior lights, a white reflective roof and an energy and climate control management system. Outside it has a bike rack and a recycling bin for empty bottles, cans and newspapers. The store offers fresh-food menus, touchscreen ordering, a premium-coffee island, seating and a surcharge-free M&T Bank ATM. The design includes open ceilings, floor and wall tiles and touchfree restrooms with floating ceilings, music and other upscale accents. Outside, two canopies cover 16 fueling positions for gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
The Diamond Mini Market in Berlin has undergone an extensive facelift that includes selling a new brand of gasoline, reported The Daily American. The BP sign came down in early November, to be replaced by a Valero sign. Brett Custer, of Custer Holding LCC, said the station has used BP gasoline for 15 years. The remodeling project began in February. The store now offers a sitdown area with free Wi-Fi and a new coffee bar featuring espresso, cappuccino and coffee. The lottery has been expanded. Another new feature will be a fuel discount and rewards program.
South Carolina
A new Zoomz c-store and gas station in Lexington. When completed in late November, the shop will feature six gasoline dispensers and it will be branded BP. Customers can choose from a variety of cold beverages, grocery, diary, beer, wine, healthy and beauty products. Additional services include lottery, ATM, money orders, propane and more.
Tennessee
SNS Properties LLC has paid $455,5000 for a 2,670-sq.-ft. c-store and Shell station in Memphis in mid-October from Summer Food Mart Inc., which had acquired it in 1997 for $500,000, said The Memphis Daily News.
MAPCO Express has sold the gas station in Memphis for $650,000 to Mutahar Sharhan, the The Memphis Daily News said. The sale closed October 13. MAPCO bought the 2,640-sq.-ft. c-store and station in 1990 for $469,812. This is MAPCO's second area sale in the past two months. The company in August sold a station for $700,000 to Roopani Properties LLC. That station includes a 2,368-sq.-ft. c-store.
Texas
Centric Capital Partners completed a sale-leaseback of the RaceTrac station and c-store in Dallas in mid-November, reported The Dallas Morning News. The property was bought directly from RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. Sterling Champ of CB Richard Ellis and Robert Williams of Centric Capital handled the negotiations.
A new RaceTrac store opened in Las Colinas in mid-November, RaceTrac Dallas-Fort Worth said on Facebook.
Stripes opened a new c-store in Laredo on September 18, the company said on Twitter.
The Pronto c-store in Austin closed in late September and was expected to reopen under new owners, said Austin360.com.
Utah
A 7-Eleven c-store is slated to open in American Fork on November 30, reported The American Fork Weekly Gazette.
Virginia
On December 24, James Flowers will retire from the gas station/c-store he has owned in Courtland for 57 years, said The Tidewater News. The 74-year-old promised that Flowers Exxon will reopen. He said he has four interested parties. Parker Oil Co. owns the building. Flowers purchased the more than 100-year-old business in 1953.
Washington
Ken's Gas & Auto Repair in Ellensburg on September 30, the last full-service gas station in town, Ken Volland, owner since 1984, told The Daily Record.
A Union 76 gas station in Seattle has closed, reported Central District News in mid-November. Its pumps have been taped off. The shelves of the quick market have been emptied. No information or signs were posted.
Wisconsin
The vacant, former home of Downer Garage in Milwaukee will be the home of an Open Pantry c-store. Open Pantry will move a current c-store to the new location. The store is scheduled to open by about February 1, said The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
A new Q Mart opened in Sheboygan on August 18.
Kwik Trip opened a store in River Falls on October 28, The River Falls Journal reported.
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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