Gas Station Restaurants and Food

[storewanderer]

QuikTrip does actually have some pretty decent food and a ridiculous number of drink choices ( the typical QT has an entire wall for sodas and frozen drinks and another wall for teas and coffees), and in the Western US Maverik has pretty good food as well (although I mostly stick to the breakfast stuff there.) Unfortunately I'm in Sheetz territory, and Sheetz is not a place you go for good food. Sheetz is a place you go because it's 2am, you skipped dinner and the last time you went to the Waffle House some drunk guy threw a chair at you. The closest QT is about 60 miles down I-85 heading toward Charlotte, and we generally try to make a stop when we are heading that way.

One thing I've noted recently is that Bojangles has taken to a strategy of building freestanding locations next door to larger gas stations and truck stops, which would presumably get them the traffic from the gas stations (although truckers might need to cross the road) without the hassle of co-locating. There are a few truck stops with Bojangles in them too, but not a lot.

Bojangles has an arrangement with Loves to develop locations outside their usual territory.

In Normal, IL is a Bojangles with Loves.

This Bojangles doesn't even serve bone in chicken; it only serves chicken strips and chicken sandwiches.

Quik Trip does an excellent job. The app has great deals and often if you order food on the app you get a free item if you click through their instant win game. The only thing that is a little clumsy with their app is after you order on the app (or kiosk in store) you do have to "pay inside" at the cashier for your order. I guess it is the same on the kiosk in store and this is like Sheetz/Wawa.

[bryceleinan]

They’re building a TA out in Wendover that’ll have Del Taco and Bojangles franchises, alongside a Black Bear Diner. That’s one of the first Bojangles stores anywhere in Northern Nevada.

https://www.westwendovercity.com/Home/C ... ws/2203/15

[storewanderer]

They’re building a TA out in Wendover that’ll have Del Taco and Bojangles franchises, alongside a Black Bear Diner. That’s one of the first Bojangles stores anywhere in Northern Nevada.

https://www.westwendovercity.com/Home/C ... ws/2203/15

This should work.

There was a Taco Time in the Shell on the Utah side (was an R Place Truck Stop at the time) which was despite being a nice facility, horribly misrun, and ultimately closed. No Taco Bell currently in Wendover. I want to say there was an Express unit there at one time, in one of the casinos (wouldn't have been one of the Peppermill properties since they don't franchise things) but I think I am wrong. I'm not convinced Del Taco was the right brand, but maybe that was the best they could get. I suspect this Las Vegas based operator doesn't know what Taco John's is, would have been a better choice, with potentially better name recognition out that way.

No fried chicken there at all so the Bojangles should get some business if anyone knows what it is.

[HCal]

Jacksons handles its own wholesale of their c-store products through a division called Capitol Distribution so they are positioned better to expand their stores than some other operators are.

I am surprised they want all of the space the Popeyes had as those units were actually pretty decent sized.

Jacksons may have made a calculated decision that the various wear and tear all of the Popeyes customers brought their site didn't pan out from the rent. Extra trash, extra restroom use, extra wear and tear on the asphalt, taking up parking for c-store customers, etc. Jacksons has an interesting way of doing business; they are a very smart operator and know how to make money on relatively low sales volumes and relatively low staffing levels. Operating jam packed super busy locations is not their strategy. But their car washes in AZ are sure well staffed.

I've never been to a Jacksons, but I can't wrap my head around this type of thinking. For a convenience store, how can higher customer counts possibly be a bad thing? If Popeye's is busy, then Jacksons can raise the rent (if it's not already a percentage of sales). But removing them because they are attracting too many people to the location makes no sense to me. Will they really be better off with less trash, less restroom use and more parking spots, and less people coming in?

[storewanderer]

I've never been to a Jacksons, but I can't wrap my head around this type of thinking. For a convenience store, how can higher customer counts possibly be a bad thing? If Popeye's is busy, then Jacksons can raise the rent (if it's not already a percentage of sales). But removing them because they are attracting too many people to the location makes no sense to me. Will they really be better off with less trash, less restroom use and more parking spots, and less people coming in?

Considering how the Popeyes in my area look and are maintained and how the customers of Popeyes treat the locations- yes. They are better off without Popeyes present. And I say this as a frequent Popeyes customer.

Jacksons uses a different model. Historically they staff low, 1-2 employees per shift, often full time employees, and pay well above typical market wages. Their stations are branded with Shell and Chevron. Their fuel pricing is always on the high end (not outrageously high... but always a few cents higher than other options). They are very concerned with their sites being properly clean and maintained to the standards set by Shell and Chevron and there is a high focus on keeping things maintained, clean, and in working order (they have company employed maintenance crews to repair pumps and store equipment). They have slipped some as they have grown but overall they still do an exceptional job.

They do have some higher volume sites which are run differently (that Red Rock one in Reno is one of those sites) with 4-5 employees per shift and those also run very well and they maintain their standards. But their primary site is the old 4-6 pump early 90's convenience store model.

They want "enough business" to turn a profit but they don't want so many customers coming through that it puts severe wear and tear on their stores, causes them to start falling from the oil company branding standards, spreads the manager too thin because now they have to deal with more "issues" that come from higher traffic and lose focus on upholding the oil company branding standards, etc. The lower customer count also enables them to keep a better watch on the customers to deter things like theft, vandalism, loitering, slip and falls, and the like.

Their high operating standards and top performance of their Chevron/Texaco sites in quality assurance evaluations are how they were able to get into the partnership with Chevron for Extra Mile. Chevron's corporate operated sites historically have been run very well, far better than any other gas stations on the west coast in terms of condition/cleanliness/service but follow a similar high price type of model. There is no other major gas station operator who can uphold the high operating quality that Jacksons upholds, Chevron recognized that, and that is why Chevron let Jacksons basically get control of Extra Mile (while Chevron Corporation remains the largest operator of Extra Mile units).

[Brian Lutz]

One of the interesting contrasts I've found between Washington and North Carolina was that in Washington it seemed like Shell (where most of the stations are now run by Jacksons) is pretty consistently one of the two most expensive brands of gas in town, with Chevron being the other (although the 76 near our house there was also on the expensive side). Here in North Carolina it seems like Shell gas tends to be on the cheaper side a lot of the time with Exxon and BP generally being the expensive brands. A lot of the Shell stations in the Triad area are run by an outfit called Quality Mart which seems to price pretty aggressively, but they also seem to focus on freeway locations and compete primarily with the convenience store chains like Sheetz, Speedway and Circle K (the 7-Eleven brand has only started entering the Triad within the last couple of years with some new build locations and apparently a handful of Speedway conversions in progress.) QuikTrip is usually one of the cheaper options and seems to do pretty high volume, but they are down more toward Charlotte.

[veteran+]

Jacksons handles its own wholesale of their c-store products through a division called Capitol Distribution so they are positioned better to expand their stores than some other operators are.

I am surprised they want all of the space the Popeyes had as those units were actually pretty decent sized.

Jacksons may have made a calculated decision that the various wear and tear all of the Popeyes customers brought their site didn't pan out from the rent. Extra trash, extra restroom use, extra wear and tear on the asphalt, taking up parking for c-store customers, etc. Jacksons has an interesting way of doing business; they are a very smart operator and know how to make money on relatively low sales volumes and relatively low staffing levels. Operating jam packed super busy locations is not their strategy. But their car washes in AZ are sure well staffed.

I've never been to a Jacksons, but I can't wrap my head around this type of thinking. For a convenience store, how can higher customer counts possibly be a bad thing? If Popeye's is busy, then Jacksons can raise the rent (if it's not already a percentage of sales). But removing them because they are attracting too many people to the location makes no sense to me. Will they really be better off with less trash, less restroom use and more parking spots, and less people coming in?

One would think that In&Out would not open for the same reasons. Uber trash (so much food waste), uber restroom use, uber wear and tear on the asphalt (though this is maintained well), taking up and obstructing parking for an entire shopping center, etc. AND the traffic nightmares that are generated for the area.

[veteran+]

Convenience stores, gas stations and food do not mix well in my general area.

I don't buy stuff in convenience stores $$$$$$$

And the thought of eating food in these places? no way............

As far as gas...............I go by Tier and then price, and it's difficult to find clean locations and nice employees.

[storewanderer]

Jacksons handles its own wholesale of their c-store products through a division called Capitol Distribution so they are positioned better to expand their stores than some other operators are.

I am surprised they want all of the space the Popeyes had as those units were actually pretty decent sized.

Jacksons may have made a calculated decision that the various wear and tear all of the Popeyes customers brought their site didn't pan out from the rent. Extra trash, extra restroom use, extra wear and tear on the asphalt, taking up parking for c-store customers, etc. Jacksons has an interesting way of doing business; they are a very smart operator and know how to make money on relatively low sales volumes and relatively low staffing levels. Operating jam packed super busy locations is not their strategy. But their car washes in AZ are sure well staffed.

I've never been to a Jacksons, but I can't wrap my head around this type of thinking. For a convenience store, how can higher customer counts possibly be a bad thing? If Popeye's is busy, then Jacksons can raise the rent (if it's not already a percentage of sales). But removing them because they are attracting too many people to the location makes no sense to me. Will they really be better off with less trash, less restroom use and more parking spots, and less people coming in?

One would think that In&Out would not open for the same reasons. Uber trash (so much food waste), uber restroom use, uber wear and tear on the asphalt (though this is maintained well), taking up and obstructing parking for an entire shopping center, etc. AND the traffic nightmares that are generated for the area.

In N Out sells a few products only. They can focus on doing what they need to, to maintain a facility selling greasy food products.

Jacksons sells a lot of different products and services (car wash, air, water, vacuum, etc.). Adding in a tenant selling greasy food products causes a lot of cleaning, ventilation and various other issues.

An example: go to a Popeyes and look at the sidewalk directly outside the door. You will see a gray grease stained sidewalk. Look at the door out back and it'll be even worse. Huge heavy grease stains. Now in the Jacksons unit these grease stains become their problem due to the common walkway between the two and common floor. That grease gets all over the walls, ceiling, lighting as well. Plus odor.

[bryceleinan]

They’re building a TA out in Wendover that’ll have Del Taco and Bojangles franchises, alongside a Black Bear Diner. That’s one of the first Bojangles stores anywhere in Northern Nevada.

https://www.westwendovercity.com/Home/C ... ws/2203/15

This should work.

There was a Taco Time in the Shell on the Utah side (was an R Place Truck Stop at the time) which was despite being a nice facility, horribly misrun, and ultimately closed. No Taco Bell currently in Wendover. I want to say there was an Express unit there at one time, in one of the casinos (wouldn't have been one of the Peppermill properties since they don't franchise things) but I think I am wrong. I'm not convinced Del Taco was the right brand, but maybe that was the best they could get. I suspect this Las Vegas based operator doesn't know what Taco John's is, would have been a better choice, with potentially better name recognition out that way.

No fried chicken there at all so the Bojangles should get some business if anyone knows what it is.

That was a decent TacoTime (like the one in Ely before it closed). I was sorta surprised to see Del too, but like you mentioned, it could be all they could get. As you mentioned elsewhere, we are getting Guthrie's chicken in a few places here - Silver Springs is getting one in their new TA Express being built at USA Pkwy and 50.