Dive Brief:
- Rutter’s, which operates 85 convenience stores across the eastern U.S., has opened a two-story location in its home city of York, Pennsylvania, according to an emailed announcement.
- The store — an existing location that Rutter’s remodeled — features a second-floor mezzanine with dine-in seating for 30 people, according to the announcement. It also includes a larger kitchen, as well as a walk-in beer cave and an expanded wine selection.
- The upgraded c-store underscores Rutter’s broader growth initiative, which not only includes opening 50 new stores by 2028 and enhancing its foorservice offerings, but also building bigger locations with more space for food and new innovations.
Dive Insight:
Rutter’s latest remodel is about 7,800 square feet — nearly double the size of the store’s previous 4,300 square feet.
Beyond the second-floor dining area and enhanced beverage options, the upgraded location also includes new fuel options, such as unleaded 15, flex fuel, ethanol-free and auto diesel, according to the announcement.
The remodeled location reflects Rutter’s “commitment to innovation,” Chris Hartman, vice president of fuels, advertising and development for Rutter’s, said in the announcement.
“We’re excited to show off our newest store design ideas, which we feel the customers will truly enjoy,” he said.
While somewhat rare in the c-store space, Rutter’s two-story location isn’t the first to surface from a major convenience retailer this year. In August, news came out that Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip was finalizing a new two-story convenience store in downtown Fort Worth, Texas.
According to Now.Town, a website that tracks urban development projects in Fort Worth, QuikTrip’s 8,200-square-foot location features a large parking lot with a fueling canopy in the rear of the building, as well as patio seating directly outside the store. This location is the same square footage as all of QuikTrip’s travel centers, which the company has invested in heavily this year.
Atlanta-based RaceTrac is also seeking to turn a two-story building in Georgia into a “state-of-the-art” c-store with its regular amenities as well as research and development space, a chef’s kitchen and training area, according to plans submitted to Cobb County officials.
