Eye on Growth

The Roam ‘n Stop banner debuted in Las Vegas with three stores. The new convenience channel player plans to open several additional sites starting in late 2024.

The retailer does not yet have a definitive timeline for the start of construction, according to Jeff Nadalo, general counsel for Buc-ee’s. However, the New Kent County Virginia Economic Development Department shared on Facebook that the store is anticipated to open in 2027.

Buc-ee’s kicked off a multistate expansion plan in 2019. In addition to expanding its footprint into Virginia, the company is also developing its first Wisconsin store.

ARKO Corp. closed the books on its purchase of WTG Fuels Holdings LLC, owner of Uncle’s Convenience Stores and GASCARD fleet fueling operations. The deal totaled an estimated $140.2 million plus the value of inventory at closing.

QuickChek opened two new locations: one in Nanuet, N.Y., and the other in Union Township, N.J. The Nanuet location stands at 6,752 square feet, while the Union Township store stands at 5,694 square feet.

Gaubert Oil Co. closed on its acquisition of the former Morgan Oil Co. commercial fuels business from Majors Management LLC. The transaction included a bulk plant facility in Nacogdoches, Texas, and a commercial fuels distribution business.

Royal Farms welcomed customers to its first North Carolina store in Grandy on May 1. A second location in Greenville followed on June 15. The Baltimore-based retailer has plans to open additional locations in New Bern, Lumberton, Kinston and Jacksonville, N.C.

Tri Star Energy cut the ribbon on two new Twice Daily convenience stores in Tennessee: one in Clarksville and the other in Springfield. The latter location includes the company’s White Bison Coffee concept.

Retailer Tidbits

GPM Investments LLC is partnering with Villa Restaurant Group to launch three Villa Italian Kitchen restaurants. The quickservice restaurants will open inside fas mart, fastmarket and Village Pantry stores in Virginia, Arizona and Indiana by the end of 2023.

Kum & Go LC is rolling out BLK & Bold specialty coffee to more than 300 of its stores, following an initial launch in select stores in January. BLK & Bold is the first Black-owned nationally distributed coffee company dedicated to bringing accessibility and quality to consumers.

Warrenton Oil Co., operator of the FastLane convenience store brand, launched a monthly subscription option for car and truck washing. The project was designed in partnership with Liquid Barcodes Inc.

Pilot Co. partnered with fintech company Relay Payments to launch a digitized diesel payment platform across its network of more than 800 travel centers. Relay Payments are now accepted at Pilot, Flying J and One9 Fuel Network locations.

Stinker Stores is enhancing its customer experience and driving customer loyalty through a new partnership with PAR Technology Inc.’s Punchh loyalty solution. The retailer will tap Punchh’s customer analytics to measure loyalty ROI as well.

Supplier Tidbits

Altria Group Inc. closed on its acquisition of NJOY Holdings Inc. The tobacco company on March 6 entered into a definitive agreement to acquire NJOY for approximately $2.75 billion in cash.

PDI Technologies integrated with touchless self-checkout system Mashgin. The partnership will enable Mashgin to deploy its computer vision self-checkout system with retailers that use PDI.

An operating company of Reynolds American Inc. inked a pact to build a water reclamation plant at the Reynolds Operations Center in Tobaccoville, N.C. The WaterHub installation is projected to reclaim more than 60 million gallons of water a year.

Flagstone Foods is growing its portfolio with the acquisition of Emerald Nuts from Campbell Soup Co. With this deal, Flagstone expands into the branded nuts segment.

Five Star Food Service opened a new corporate headquarters and support center in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn. The site also serves as a showcase for breakroom innovation with a modern micro market and kitchen, and has a dedicated room for testing new customer technologies and products.

Paytronix entered into an integrated partnership with customer data platform mParticle that will enable retail brands to connect data from Paytronix to mParticle. Through the pact, brands can create a 360-degree view of the customer.

Coca-Cola Flex Dispenser

The Coca-Cola Co. unveils Coca-Cola Flex, a new front-of-house beverage dispenser that, according to the company, offers an enhanced guest experience while reducing operational complexity. With more than 40 beverage choices available in the same footprint as a standard six-valve fountain dispenser, Coca-Cola Flex combines the benefits of traditional fountain dispensers with the innovation offered by the high-powered Coca-Cola Freestyle dispenser. In addition to a simple installation process and maintenance, other features include Coca-Cola’s PurePour technology, a 15-inch touchscreen display, easy access to inventory alerts and quicker diagnostics. Commercial launch is slated for the first quarter of 2024.

THE COCA-COLA CO. • ATLANTA • COCA-COLAFREESTYLE.COM

Chester’s Fried Chicken Sandwich

Chester’s relaunches its Fried Chicken Sandwich with a new bun, new bird and new sauce. The sandwich is built using a specially marinated and double-breaded whole breast fillet, which is topped with Chester’s tangy signature sauce and crunchy, crinkle-cut dill pickles on a Martin’s Famous potato roll. According to the company, the result is a juicier, crispier, more flavorful version of the chicken sandwich that made Chester’s famous. The updated Fried Chicken Sandwich is now available nationwide at all 1,100 Chester’s Chicken locations.

CHESTER’S CHICKEN • BIRMINGHAM, ALA. • CHESTERSCHICKEN.COM

Hostess Kazbars

Hostess Brands debuts its newest innovation, Hostess Kazbars, a candy barinspired treat for the snack cake market. Kazbars come in two fan-favorite flavors — Chocolate Caramel or Triple Chocolate — and combine layers of soft chocolate cake, crème, candy crunch and caramel or smooth chocolate fudge before being covered in a rich chocolate-flavored coating. Kazbars are available in two package sizes: a 10-ounce box containing eight individually wrapped, 1.25-ounce mini bars or a single, individually wrapped 2.75-ounce bar at convenience stores. HOSTESS BRANDS INC. • LENEXA, KAN. • HOSTESSCAKES.COM

PeaTos Puffs

Snack it Forward’s PeaTos brand expands its line of chips and curls with the introduction of PeaTos Puffs in two flavors: Crunchy Fiery Lime Puffs and Crunchy Cheese-less Puffs. PeaTos aims to offer the flavor and fun of junk snacks, but with the added benefit of better-for-you nutrition. According to the maker, it replaces the traditional corn base of other chips with nutrient-dense peas for a unique snack experience that offers double the protein and three times the fiber of the leading salty snack counterparts. PeaTos products are Non-GMO Project certified.

SNACK IT FORWARD • LOS ANGELES • PEATOS.COM

GoodToGo Microwavable Containers

Good Natured Products Inc. introduces the GoodToGo microwavable collection, the first Compost Manufacturing Alliance-certified compostable, high-clarity takeout containers that are heat resistant and made with 97 percent plant-based materials. The new containers are designed specifically to meet the requirements of single-use plastics regulations. They are stackable, leak-resistant and have hot/ cold applications. Like all good natured products, the GoodToGo microwavable collection contains no chemicals of concern, like BPAs, that are potentially harmful to human health, especially when heated.

GOOD NATURED PRODUCTS INC. • VANCOUVER, BC • GOODNATUREDPRODUCTS.COM

CHEESEBURGER RollerBites®

Fill your roller grill or hot case with a new classic. Made with quality cuts of meat and cheese and that grilled-in-the-backyard flavor consumers love—this protein-packed bite is so awesomely delicious—it can’t help but roll customers right through your doors.

BIC Special Edition Supercar Series Lighters

BIC offers a new set of lighters for car enthusiasts and racing fans: the Special Edition Supercar Series. The set features an array of brightly colored sports cars, vibrant futuristic concepts and smoke-cloaked muscle cars, allowing consumers to show off their passion for the automobile with each use. The lighters in this series have a suggested retail price of $2.29 per unit and, like all BIC Maxi Lighters, are longlasting, reliable and 100 percent quality inspected.

BIC USA INC. • SHELTON, CONN. • US.BIC.COM

Slingers Signature Cocktails

The Boston Beer Co. introduces Slingers Signature Cocktails, a malt-based lineup of 8 percent ABV cocktail-style drinks available in 24-ounce cans. Debuting in three flavors — Bahama Mama, Peach Screwdriver and Pineapple Punch — Slingers hit shelves in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and select areas of New Hampshire in May. According to the company, Slingers were crafted to capitalize on the triple-digit growth of the ready-to-drink category and the growth of higher-ABV offerings, all with pricing that won’t break the bank and in a convenient single-serve format.

THE BOSTON BEER CO. • BOSTON • MEGAN.BAYLES@DOGFISH.COM • DRINKSLINGERS.COM

Nature’s Garden Sweet Snacks

Cibo Vita Inc. presents two new confectionery snacks as part of its Nature’s Garden brand: Oat Milk Chocolate Covered Strawberry Almonds and Probiotic Strawberry Yoggies. The almonds feature Fino de Aroma cocoa from Colombia, wrapped around an almond with a strawberry finish. The snack is kosher-certified, vegan and retails for $4.99 per 5-ounce package. The yoggies feature yogurt-coated, real fruit strawberry morsels infused with probiotics and 3 grams of fiber per serving. They are also kosher-certified and retail for $11.99 per 30-count snack pack. Both new snacks debuted in May at the 2023 Sweets & Snacks Expo. CIBO VITA INC. • TOTOWA, N.J. • NATURESGARDEN.NET

Frank’s RedHot Mild Wings Sauce & Nashville Hot Seasoning

McCormick For Chefs presents two new products under the Frank’s RedHot brand intended for foodservice operators: Mild Wings Sauce and Nashville Hot Seasoning. The sauce offers a mild heat and is appropriate for food items from breakfast to salads to main dishes. Available in a one-gallon jug, it’s ready to use right out of the bottle. The seasoning delivers a hot kick and a bit of sweetness with a blend of cayenne peppers, brown sugar and garlic. As a dry seasoning that doesn’t affect crisp or crunch, it’s tailored for dishes that don’t like getting saucy. MCCORMICK FOR CHEFS • HUNT VALLEY, MD. • HANNAH_FORCE@MCCORMICK.COM • MCCORMICKFORCHEFS.COM

Facilio Connected Refrigeration Solution

Facilio’s Connected Refrigeration Solution is a cloud-based supervisory control platform that enables remote monitoring and optimization of refrigeration systems. According to the company, the solution can optimize existing refrigeration systems and deliver up to 20 percent savings in energy for multisite food retailers, including convenience store operators. Facilio’s other smart building product offerings include the Connected CMMS Suite, a single system of record for operations and management, and the Connected Buildings Suite, an IoT-enabled platform for energy and carbon efficiencies.

FACILIO • NEW YORK • LALITHA@FACILIO.COM • FACILIO.COM