Dive Brief:
- Rutter’s will open two new c-stores featuring a 21-and-over bar and lounge this spring, the retailer announced on Tuesday.
- The 14,000-square-foot stores, located in Johnstown and Milton, Pennsylvania, will feature an extensive array of alcoholic beverages in addition to several TVs and video gaming terminals.
- Adding a bar is the latest way Rutter’s is taking advantage of its spacious store layouts. The company has been increasing the size of its stores over the past few years to give more room to amenities like foodservice stations and beer caves.
Dive Insight:
While many Rutter’s stores already have adult-only areas for video gaming terminals, its latest stores will have “an extensive list of canned cocktails, beer, and wine” along with live sports tickers and games playing on TV screens, the company said in its announcement.
In addition to the 21-plus amenities, these stores will feature Rutter’s fresh food program, beer caves and other traditional c-store products, as well as fuel in the forecourt.
Rutter’s new 14,000 square-foot locations are the latest step up in store size for the company.
Two years ago, its stores were mostly 8,000 to 10,000 square feet. But in 2023, as the company revealed plans to increase its footprint by around 60%, it upped its store size to an average of 10,000 to 12,000 square feet. More recently, Rutter’s rolled out a new prototype for its traditional c-stores that covers 13,500 square feet.
This steady growth has put Rutter’s at the forefront of a trend that’s seeing c-store operators open larger locations.
This experimentation is also coming as Rutter’s prepares for its entry into Virginia, the first of two states it expects to add to its footprint as part of its current growth plans. It also stated plans to move into Delaware as it targets 130 total stores by 2028.
