Dive Brief:
- Midwest convenience retailer Fireside Market has unveiled a new store design that will become its flagship format moving forward, a company spokesperson shared with C-Store Dive.
- The 9,700-square-foot store in Slinger, Wisconsin, features the retailer’s made-to-order food menu with a drive-thru and curbside pickup. Electric vehicle chargers along with traditional fuel are offered in the forecourt. The drive-thru and EV chargers are not offered at Fireside’s other stores, the spokesperson said.
- Wisconsin-based Fireside is the latest c-store retailer experimenting with large-format, food-focused stores as the industry’s appetite for these types of locations increases.
Dive Insight:
Fireside operates two other locations in Wisconsin, which are about 7,500 square feet and 16,000 square feet, the spokesperson said. Although the store in Slinger isn’t its largest, the retailer said it intends to use the format for future locations after conducting a “brand identity” evaluation with the help of c-store design firm Paragon Solutions. Fireside is currently building another location that follows this same format in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, the spokesperson added.
"Paragon was instrumental in this project," said David Lloveras, executive vice president of Fireside Market. "They took our vision and helped make it a reality.”
The Slinger store marks Fireside’s first foray into drive-thru service, through which it’ll sell its made-to-order burgers and sandwiches, salads, soups and gelato. Although convenience retailers like Sheetz and Wawa have found success with drive-thrus, most of the industry has struggled to get the service up and running for various reasons, such as limited real estate and challenges settling on the right assortment, experts have said.
The new location will bring 30 new full- and part-time jobs to Slinger, a small town about 33 miles northwest of downtown Milwaukee. Besides its focus on foodservice and EV charging, the location also features outdoor green spaces and “gathering spaces” for guests, according to an announcement shared by the spokesperson.
