What’s In Store: Openings & Closings

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.

Here are the latest company spotlights:

CEFCO Convenience Stores
CEFCO Convenience Stores opened a new location at 3309 South Fort Hood St. in Killeen, Texas, on Jan. 14. This is the eighth prototype store reflecting the company’s latest design, which incorporates a number of innovative enhancements made possible by an open, fresh design with modern treatments and upgraded finishes.

"We invite the public to visit this new CEFCO location and be treated to an exciting shopping experience unmatched by any other local convenience retailer," said Brett Giesick, CEFCO’s chief retail officer. "We believe that the enhancements built into this site reflect our core values of providing the best customer experience for every customer, every day."

This new store is part of CEFCO's stated growth strategy of adding up to 10 organic locations per year, in addition to the 128 Food Fast and Taylor stores acquired since August 2011.

Davey’s Super Carry-Out
Davey’s Super Carry-Out in Middletown, Ohio, which closed in January 2009 after a 52-year run, recently reopened under new ownership.

The property at 1510 Germantown Road was purchased for $210,000 by a Tipp City company, N&G Takhar Oil Co., which renovated the interior, greatly reducing the size of the store, and added gas pumps, Amarjit Singh, owner of N&G Takhar Oil, told the Middletown Journal.

Singh noted that his company owns 30 Valero gas stations in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio. The company spent approximately $34,000 to install the canopy for the gas station and $32,000 remodeling the inside, according to the news report.

Staying competitive in the fuel business is a major priority at Davey’s, Sonny Patel, the store’s manager said, explaining that he drives around Middletown daily and checks out the gas prices at area stations to make sure the gas at Davey’s is a few cents less per gallon than the competition.

Besides gas, Davey’s offers a beer cave with an extensive beer selection, groceries, a coffee bar, deli, Hunt Brothers Pizza and numerous Ohio Lottery games.

Kwik Trip Inc.
La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip is considering expansion in its home state, looking at two new sites in Duluth and Superior, Hans Zietlow, the company's director of real estate, told WDIO.com.

One of the locations is the former site of Superior's Central High School, later Central Middle School, at the corner of Belknap Street and Grand Avenue, which is now owned by Atwater Group, and is part of the city's Central Blaine Planned Development District, according to the news outlet.

The store proposed for the Belknap Street site would cost about $5.5 million to build and have approximately 32 employees, according to a letter from Kwik Trip Chief Financial Officer Scott J. Teigen, to Jason Serck, Superior's planning director, the report stated.

Thorntons Inc.
Thorntons opened its 15th location in the Cincinnati market -- a new Springboro, Ohio, store located at 945 W. Central Ave. In addition to fuel, the store offers “hot off the grill” convenience food items; hot, cold and frozen beverages; and food and grocery items.

Louisville-based Thorntons now operates more than 170 gasoline and convenience stores in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee.

United Supermarkets LLC
United Supermarkets finalized arrangements for a new Amigos location, as well as a standalone United Express convenience store in Hereford, Texas, next year. The site is a 5.2-acre tract at 520 North 25-Mile Ave., near the corner of Highway 385 and West 15th St.

The Amigos store is slated to be approximately 36,000 square feet, along with a 2,400-square-foot United Express convenience store, with a four-pump (eight dispenser) fuel station. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in late summer, with the opening targeted for late spring 2014.

United’s Amigos store format offers a unique blend of traditional and cultural favorites for Hispanic shoppers. The new Hereford location will be the company’s first “ground up” Amigos location, as the other three were converted from other United banners.

"This will truly be next-generation Amigos," said Juan Enchinton, business director of Hispanic initiatives for United Supermarkets. "We will pay special attention to our 'fresh' departments, with a great selection of products throughout the store and a special focus on value for our guests."