Dive Brief:
- Sunshine Gasoline Distributors recently opened a dual-branded Taco Del Mar and Quiznos at a c-store in Cape Coral, Florida, in partnership with REGO Restaurant Group, according to a Wednesday press release.
- This dual restaurant will be the first of at least 13 of these sites expected to open inside Sunshine convenience retail locations in cities including Orlando, Tampa and Miami in Central and South Florida.
- The second dual Taco Del Mar and Quiznos restaurant will open in May, in Venice, Florida, with more expected to debut over the next six months, according to the announcement.
Dive Insight:
As foodservice continues to be a growing focus of convenience stores across the country, adding these QSRs’ familiar toasted subs and fish tacos gives Sunshine a differentiated offering.
“The partnership with REGO and their two iconic brands is a perfect addition to our services as we consistently seek out ways to offer further convenience to our customers,” said Eddy Alvarez, senior operations manager at Doral, Florida-based Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, Inc. “The deal is also an opportunity to grow our business and expand our suite of offerings while meeting the cravings of local guests.”
The restaurants’ area will use components from an updated store design REGO unveiled for both chains last year, intended to be more compact and take advantage of smaller spaces.
“We are thrilled to expand our footprint in the Sunshine state in this unique, convenience store-friendly format, with a tremendous partner in Sunshine Gasoline,” said Tim Casey, CEO of REGO Restaurant Group, which owns the two QSR brands. The company manages nearly 800 restaurants in nearly 32 countries.
This agreement follows another in December between Quiznos and franchisee Sam Patel for 10 new restaurants, including standalone locations with drive-thrus and ones inside c-stores along Interstate 75.
Family-owned Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, founded in 1987, supplies gas to over 500 stations in Florida, and owns roughly 400 of those.
