What's In Store: 7-Eleven, Buc-ee's & CITGO (2024)

7-Eleven Inc.

7-Eleven Inc. opened the following locations in the United States throughout the month of June:

• A rebranded 4,650-square-foot store in Fremont, Calif., which includes six multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a 76-branded forecourt.
• A new 3,010-square-foot store in San Bernardino, Calif., which includes six multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a 7-Eleven-branded forecourt.
• A new 4,100-square-foot store in Coral Springs, Fla., which includes six multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a 7-Eleven-branded forecourt.
• A new 4,650-square-footstore in Naples, Fla., which includes eight multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a 7-Eleven-branded forecourt.
• A rebranded 4,153-square-foot store in Vero Beach, Fla., which includes six multipump gasoline dispensers and four commercial fueling lanes offering diesel, on a Mobil-branded forecourt.
• A new 4,650-square-foot store in Fort Pierce, Fla., which includes eight multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a 7-Eleven-branded forecourt.
• A new 2,575-square-foot store in Emerson, N.J., which includes five multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a Valero-branded forecourt.
• A new 4,650-square-foot store in Lexington, N.C., which includes eight multipump gasoline dispensers and four commercial fueling lanes offering diesel, on a 7-Eleven-branded forecourt.
• A new 2,802-square-foot store in Bluffdale, Utah, which includes five multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a 7-Eleven-branded forecourt.
• A new 4,650-square-foot store in Harrisonburg, Va., which includes six multipump gasoline dispensers, including auto diesel, on a 7-Eleven-branded forecourt.

Buc-ee's

Buc-ee's unveiled its newest travel center in Smiths Grove, Ky., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 24.

The Smiths Grove location at 4001 Smiths Grove-Scottsville Road is the second Buc-ee's in Kentucky, following a Richmond store, which opened in spring 2022.

"We are so excited to celebrate the grand opening of our latest travel center on this beautiful stretch of I-65 between Nashville [Tenn.] and Louisville [Ky.]," said Stan Beard of Buc-ee's. "Smiths Grove may be small, but the community has welcomed us with as much love and enthusiasm as our largest cities, so we're excited to be here and watch this partnership grow."

The new site occupies 53,000 square feet and offers 120 fueling positions, in addition to thousands of snack, meal and drink options, such as Texas barbeque, homemade fudge, kolaches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries.

Buc-ee's Smiths Grove also brings at least 200 jobs to the area, with starting pay beginning above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6% matching 401(k) and three weeks of paid vacation.

CITGO Petroleum Corp.

CITGO Petroleum Corp. celebrated three grand openings in Wisconsin in June.

Two locations opened in Lodi and Deforest, respectively, followed by The CITGO Spot opening in Milwaukee on June 20. The latter included giveaways for guests, including free food, T-shirts and swag.

Customers could also take advantage of CITGO Fuel gift cards and other promotional offers through the company's loyalty program, ClubCITGO Savings.

EnMarket in Dublin, Ga.

Enmarket

Enmarket opened its first Dublin, Ga., location on June 28.

Located at 2307 U.S. Highway 80 West, the second newly constructed store of 2024 brings the total number of Enmarket c-stores to 132.

[Read more:Enmarket Rolls Out Car Wash Subscription App]

"We're incredibly proud to expand our presence and serve the residents and visitors of Dublin, Ga.," said Enmarket President Matt Clements. "With our exceptional food and beverage options, convenient outdoor seating, and best-in-class car wash, we're excited to offer our customers a quality experience. As we celebrate our 60th year in convenience, we remain dedicated to enriching the lives of our customers and employees."

The 5,178-square-foot location features 16 fuel pumps, a Marketwash car wash, and Enmarket's proprietary food brand, The Eatery. The Southern-inspired menu has been expanded to include fresh, healthy and on-the-go offerings, alongside other customer favorites, such as Mooz Frozen Yogurt, bean-to-cup coffee, Sweet Tea, and dozens of fountain and frozen beverage options.

Though the store is currently open for customers, grand opening activities are planned for a later date.

Love's in Rural Hall, N.C.

Love's Travel Stops

Love's Travel Stops opened four new locations in Rural Hall, N.C.; Baker City, Ore.; Sarcoxie, Mo.; and North Lima, Ohio. All locations are open 24/7 and offer the following amenities:

• Private showers
• CAT scales
• Premium Wi-Fi
• ATMs
• Transflo
• Truck parking
• RV dump service
• Bulk DEF
• RFID pump start
• Dog park
• Laundry facility
• RV friendly parking
• RV hookup
• Overnight parking

All of the locations except the North Lima center also include a Tripak Express. The Rural Hall plaza also includes a Bojangles, while the North Lima travel center includes a Hardee's and a Subway. The Baker City and Sarcoxie feature an Arby's.

In honor of the grand openings, Love's donated $5,000 to the Rural Hall Elementary School Special Education Program and split $5,000 donations between the Baker County YMCA and Baker City Head Start Center; the Sarcoxie Public Library and Sarcoxie Police Department; and the Beaver Police Department and Beaver Township Fire Department.

In addition to new travel centers, Love's also opened a new Love's Truck Care location to serve professional drivers in Salinas, Calif., and completed upgrades to five existing locations, two of which now have truck wash services. These investments add five service bays, four truck wash bays and three new service trucks to Love's nationwide maintenance network.

The remodeled locations can be found next to Love's Travel Stops in Calvert City, Ky.; Wells, Nev.; Sidney, Ohio; Columbia, Tenn.; and Ranger, Texas.

Parker's Kitchen in Augusta, Ga.

Parker's Kitchen

Parker's Kitchen hosted an official ribbon cutting for the first Parker's Kitchen in Augusta, Ga. Local dignitaries in attendance included Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson, Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Parr, and Columbia County Chamber President and CEO Russell Lahodny.

Strategically positioned at 3661 Mike Padgett Highway at the intersection of the highway and Tobacco Road, the Augusta store features the c-store operator's Southern-style, made-from-scratch menu, as well as indoor dining, popular grab-and-go food options and a hot bar with electronic kiosk ordering. The entire Parker's Kitchen menu is handcrafted on-site by local chefs.

"Augusta is on the rise and is an exciting place to be," said Parker's Kitchen founder and CEO Greg Parker. "We're incredibly honored to be part of the community and have received an incredible response from customers in the Augusta area."

Additional highlights include bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, freshly brewed sweetened and unsweetened tea, Fancy Lemonade, 28-degree beer and a wide range of fountain drinks. The new store also offers 19 fuel dispensers with regular, mid-grade, premium, diesel, ethanol-free, truck diesel and DEF fuel.

Every new-to-industry store provides 25 to 30 jobs for local residents, while each build employs 75 to 85 contractors in the metro Augusta area.

Royal Farms

Royal Farms will be opening three new locations in North Carolina throughout July, including stores at 4530 U.S. 13 in Greenville; 34 U.S. Route 64 West in Plymouth; and 214 U.S. 13 in Windsor.

"We are excited to strengthen our footprint in North Carolina with the addition of these three new stores," said Kim Kneipp, district leader at Royal Farms. "Our goal is to bring more convenience, high-quality food options, and exceptional service to the communities of Greenville, Plymouth and Windsor. We are excited to become a bigger part of these communities and look forward to serving our new neighbors."

Each new location will be open 24 hours, 365 days a year and will feature Royal Farms' fried chicken, fresh coffee, prepared food, convenience items and fuel. The Greenville location will also include a car wash.

[Read more:Royal Farms Goes Undercover for Chickenpalooza]

To celebrate the grand openings, Royal Farms will host a ticketed soft opening event at each new location where customers can check out the new store and receive one free meal from the soft opening menu.

Visalia Travel Center

The Visalia Travel Center recently addedWetzel's Pretzelsto its growing food court lineup, which complements existing eateries at the facility, including Porta Subs and Sbarro.

Sam Sabbah will own and operate the Wetzel's location while spearheading the development of the travel center itself alongside his family.

"The debut of this Wetzel's location signifies a pivotal moment for my family and me," Sabbah said. "Incorporating Wetzel's into our travel center was an obvious choice, and its delectable menu offerings are certain to entice travelers to stop in for a sweet or savory treat. I am confident that our local community will embrace the new center as a dependable rest stop, no matter where their travels take them."

Located at 6610 Betty Drive in Visalia, Calif., the site has space for more than 60 semi-trucks and Tesla charging stations. Amenities like sleep pods and showers cater to long-haul drivers.

As the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary, Wetzel's is strategically positioned for another monumental year with a concentrated effort on expansion, the company stated. In addition to convenience stores, Wetzel's will tap into other locations where consumers are looking for a hot, fresh snack that's portable and convenient, and where this is optimal foot traffic to support the business. This includes growing its food truck fleet, as well as its presence in Walmart and Macy's stores, airports and traditional mall locations.

"It's operators like Sam who allow us to grow our brand across the nation," said Jon Fischer, head of development at Wetzel's. "We're always looking for passionate individuals or groups who want to develop alongside the brand and bring Wetzel's into new locations. We're confident Sam will make a positive mark to travelers along the Highway 99 corridor and we are excited to witness his impact on this monumental community project."