Dive Brief:
- The Kent Companies, which operates over 100 convenience stores across the Southwest and Southeast U.S., is testing out a new food-focused format, a company spokesperson confirmed to C-Store Dive.
- These locations feature a made-to-order kitchen, a beer and ice cave and two-bay car washes, while the latest store being constructed will also include the retailer’s second-ever dog wash, the spokesperson said. According to Kent’s website, this location will also feature a drive-thru.
- Kent has so far rolled out “a couple” of these new formats across its Kent Kwik banner, the spokesperson said, and the next store is expected to open in June, according to the company’s website.
Dive Insight:
With food-focused c-store designs continuing to roll out across the industry, Kent — one of the fastest-growing mid-size retailers in the U.S. — is capitalizing. On LinkedIn, Kent called the latest location under this design an “all-in-one destination.”
The made-to-order kitchen and drive-thru will center around the retailer’s Kwik Eats Deli, which offers meals across all dayparts, ranging from breakfast burritos and skillets to burgers, pizza and chicken sandwiches. Meanwhile, the car washes are an ongoing investment for Kent, which has about a dozen already in its network, according to its website. All Kent car washes operate 24 hours a day, with select locations having staff on-site for part of the day.
It’s unclear where the first few food-focused stores are located, although the spokesperson noted the newest site under construction will be in Kent’s home area of Midland, Texas. This store will be a stone’s throw away from a 7-Eleven-owned Stripes and a FEMSA-owned DK gas station, which will soon be converted to an Oxxo.
Kent, whose c-store network includes the Kent Kwik and the Bountyland Quick Stop banners, joins a slew of convenience retailers placing food at the forefront of their operations through new formats. 7-Eleven has been the most notable example through its ambitious plan to open hundreds of food-focused stores in by 2027. Meanwhile, earlier this month, GPM Investments began building the first of seven new pilot stores which will feature its new Fas Craves foodservice program.
