What's In Store: Kwik Trip, Love's & TravelCenters

3/12/2015

NATIONAL REPORT — The convenience store industry landscape is constantly changing as chains open and close stores each week. On a regular basis, Convenience Store News highlights these comings and goings in this special roundup.

CST Brands Inc.

Seven Corner Store locations opened in the first two months of this year. All of the new convenience stores are in Texas.

The stores are larger with ample parking, a colorful and spacious design, and a wider variety of food options. Most are equipped with kitchens to prepare breakfast tacos with homemade tortillas, empanadas, whoopie pies, cookies, doughnuts, savory kolaches and other items in the store’s signature food line, Fresh Choices.

Additional details about each store include:

Manor: At 5,553 square feet, the store features a Subway with indoor dining, a Redbox, ATM and 20 fueling stations with E85 and diesel fuel. Opened Feb. 5.
El Paso: At 4,683 square feet, the store features a Redbox and 14 fueling stations with E85 and diesel fuel. Opened Jan. 29
Waco: At 7,707 square feet, the store features a Subway, indoor dining, a Redbox, car wash, ATM and 10 fueling stations with E85 and diesel fuel. Opened Jan. 29.
Killeen: At 4,683 square feet, the store features a Redbox and 14 fueling stations with E85 and diesel fuel. Opened Jan. 27
Kingwood: At 4,683 square feet, the store features indoor dining, a car wash, Redbox and 14 fueling stations with E85 and diesel fuel. Opened Jan. 19.
Stockdale: At 6,132 square feet, the store features indoor dining, a Redbox and 24 fueling stations including diesel fuel. Opened Jan. 14.
San Antonio: At 4,683 square feet, the store features indoor dining, a car wash, ATM and 14 gasoline dispensers with E85 and diesel fuel. Opened Jan. 13.

This year, CST Brands plans to continue adding to its network of 1,046 stores throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona and California. More than half of CST's U.S. stores are located in Texas, one of the fastest-growing states in the nation.

Kwik Trip Inc.

Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip plans to open three Kwik Star convenience stores and gas stations in Iowa's Quad Cities this year. Two stores are rising in Davenport and one in Bettendorf.

Kwik Star opened its first Quad City location in August at 100 W. 65th St. in Davenport.

Kwik Trip operates the Kwik Star banner in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The company also has Kwik Stars in surrounding cities, such as Camanche and Clinton, and Tobacco Outlet stores in Bettendorf and Davenport.

Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores

Love's opened two locations in February in Ingalls, Ind., and Bidwell, Ohio.

Located at U.S. Highway 35 and Ohio State Route 850 in Bidwell, the new Love's adds 72 truck parking spaces to the Buckeye State. The 24-hour facility also offers gourmet coffee, fresh fruit, gift items, name-brand electronics, seven showers and a Hardee's restaurant.

The newest Indiana Love's travel stop is located off Interstate 69 and offers 95 truck parking spaces, seven showers and a Love's Truck Tire Care center. The 24-hour facility features gourmet coffee, fresh fruit, and Chester's and McDonald's restaurants.

Both locations also feature other driver services such as RFID cardless fueling and CAT scales.

QuickChek Corp.

QuickChek opened its first new store of 2015 at 2333 Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne, N.J. It is the company's second location in the township.

The new store is open 24 hours a day and features a Q Café, which offers handcrafted smoothies, lattes, espresso and more; a no-fee ATM; indoor seating for 13 people and outdoor seating for eight; eight fueling stations; and 47 parking spaces.

The location created 35 new local jobs. Added to the 56 employees at its other Wayne location near William Paterson University, the retailer has created 91 positions in the township.

"Wayne is a large and vibrant community," said QuickChek CEO Dean Durling. "We look forward to continuing to serve this market by providing neighborhood shopping destinations close to where our customers live and work."

QuikTrip Corp.

QuikTrip is replacing and expanding its convenience store in Bartlesville, Okla., to include made-to-order food and an outdoor dining section.

The new 5,773-square-foot building will rise on the site where a 4,000-square-foot QuikTrip is currently located. The larger store will have 70 parking spaces and 12 gas pumps.

The existing convenience store will remain open during construction, which is slated to begin in April.

TravelCenters of America LLC

TravelCenters of America, operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers travel center brands, expanded its network with the opening of TA Columbia in Columbia, S.C.

Amenities at the 24-hour TA Columbia travel center currently include a Travel Store, Subway quick-service restaurant, driver’s laundry room, 11 showers on a fully automated system, WiFi, truck scales, ample truck parking, ATM, cash advance, check cashing and Western Union services.

Upgrades in the near future are expected to include a TA Truck Service facility, Reserve-It parking and an additional quick-service restaurant.

"We are thrilled to add another TA location and expand our network in the capital and largest city in South Carolina," said Tom O'Brien, president and CEO of TravelCenters. "The addition of TA Columbia gives us the opportunity to extend our options and services to professional drivers along I-20 and better accommodate their needs."