Dive Brief:
- RaceTrac is seeking to build a large “state-of-the-art convenience store” in Cobb County, Georgia, less than a mile from its headquarters, according to documents filed with the county board of commissioners.
- According to the statement of intent submitted by the convenience retailer, the site “will provide RaceTrac a location to try out new services, meet with vendors and have a show case operation for training purposes.”
- The site is also expected to offer 12 EV charging spots, continuing a program that RaceTrac unveiled in October.
Dive Insight:
At a time when c-store chains are trying out all sorts of new store formats, RaceTrac is looking to build a supersized location that functions as a combination R&D lab and full-service retail site.
The 20,000-square-foot, two-story building will, if approved, house a convenience store along with meeting and training areas, offices and a chef’s kitchen, according to the application. There are also plans for 16 fueling positions and a sit-down restaurant area on premise.
Additionally, about 1,600 square feet of space is specified as a “research and development center,” according to the application.
RaceTrac is seeking a rezoning of the site to community retail commercial, which would allow this mix of amenities. The board of commissioners is slated to consider the matter at its Dec. 5 meeting.
The targeted site is currently a Barnes and Noble, according to Tomorrow’s News Today, which first reported the plans.
RaceTrac is in the midst of a flurry of expansion plans. The retailer expects to open in two new states — Indiana and South Carolina — by the end of the year, with its first Ohio stores coming at an undisclosed point in the future.
It also has plans to add EV charging to more sites. After opening its first EV chargers in Oxford, Alabama, in early October, the company said it plans a wider rollout of the amenity. RaceTrac mentioned stores in the Dallas area at the time, and this announcement shows it’s also looking to bring EV charging to its home state of Georgia.
Atlanta-based RaceTrac operates more than 570 convenience stores across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee.
