Dive Brief:

• Rusty Lantern Markets reopened its store in Turner, Maine with its “next-generation” site design following a six-month remodeling process, according to a Wednesday press release from the company.
• The new look is larger and brighter and includes an indoor/outdoor fireplace, lodge-style indoor and outdoor seating, a larger bathroom and kitchen and a more open floor plan. Rusty Lantern will open two additional stores over the next two months that follow this design.
• Rusty Lantern is the latest in a string of convenience retailers taking a fresh approach to their store layouts and amenities in 2023. 

Dive Insight:

As c-store companies make themselves more of a destination by increasing their focus on loyalty, food and customer experience, many are coming up with open, inviting store designs that encourage shoppers to spend more time inside. 

The new building, designed by Paragon Solutions, is about 5,400 square feet, up from the approximately 3,800 square feet the store previously featured. The extra space was used to expand the kitchen, seating areas and bathrooms, a Rusty Lantern spokesperson said via email. 

The store also added new technology, including touch-free bathroom fixtures, self checkout and an area for delivery and pickup of online orders. 

The larger kitchen incorporates a multilayered design that’s more streamlined to assist the back-of-house employees and lets them “expeditiously cater to in-person requests and online orders,” the spokesperson said. 

“Food Service is an integral part of all Rusty Lantern Markets sites,” the spokesperson said. “This new generation build affords us more space than usual to support our business activities.”

Rusty Lantern Markets’ menu includes craft roasted coffee and an array of fresh, made-to-order foods, including pizza, sandwiches, salads, breakfast items and more. 

The updated store also includes an on-the-go order holding area in the foodservice space that’s designed to keep pickup and delivery orders at the right temperature.

Rusty Lantern has also added more fuel pumps and made other changes in the forecourt to make it easier to get into and out of the lot. 

The store fully closed down on Sept. 12 to finish the build and officially opened on Wednesday. It is holding a “Welcome Back Weekend” through Dec. 10, featuring product sampling and giveaways, including gas cards, pizza, coffee, chocolates and more to a select number of people starting at specific times each day. 

Rusty Lantern plans to open two additional stores in Maine that follow the new store design. The first, in the town of West Paris, will open later this month, while another in Bethel will open in mid-January.

The reopening of the Turner Rusty Lantern Market comes less than a week after Rutter’s also reopened a remodeled store with a brand new look. That store, in Rutter’s home city of York, Pennsylvania, grew from one to two stories, with the second floor housing a 30-seat dining area.  

Enhanced meal offerings are a point of emphasis for retailers’ redesigned stores. Family Express recently announced a new prototype that separates food transactions from the rest of the transactions. Dash In, meanwhile, rolled out its new food-forward design earlier this year.

Brunswick, Maine-based Rusty Lantern Market operates 26 convenience stores across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.