Seasons Drive-Through Market a First for Utah

OREM, Utah -- Development group BBK Holdings LLC recently launched the first of several planned Seasons Drive-Through Markets in the intermountain west region. The concept is a drive-thru grocery market combining elements of a big-box store and a c-store -- with a focus on being convenient.

Scott Brown, managing partner of BBK and director of Brown Management -- the c-store consulting firm behind the concept -- came up with the idea while developing the successful 24/7 Xpress c-store chain in the Las Vegas market.

"I wanted to create a model that really appealed to women and could overcome some of the pre-existing perceptions shoppers have," Brown stated in a news release from the company. "Convincing women and even men to spend their grocery dollars in the c-store format will always be a challenge [with] gasoline in the mix. I'm talking about really tapping into household grocery dollars."

The Seasons Drive-Through Market location will feature necessities found at a big-box grocer combined with a small selection of traditional convenience items such as fountain and energy drinks and fresh pastries.

The concept was to deliver the quality and pricing of grocery store products without compromising convenience. Time-consuming grocery shopping and "convincing c-store customers to spend their grocery dollars on traditional grocery items like fresh produce, dairy products and breads" were two problems solved by the drive-thru market, according to Brown.

Seasons Drive-Thru Market has two separate drive-thru lanes and large glass doors allowing for easy visibility from a vehicle. The operation features a mix of technology from both channels for maximum efficiency.

"The speed of service has exceeded my expectations," stated Brown, who has held management positions for 7-Eleven, Tosco and 24/7 Xpress. "We wanted to be able to process transactions at a rate equal to or better than the industry average for QSR drive-thrus."

BBK plans to build eight new stores over the next five years in the Salt Lake City, Reno, Nev., Denver, and Las Vegas markets.

For more information on the 24/7 Xpress convenience store chain, see the April 16 issue of Convenience Store News.
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