A POPULAR convenience store chain praised by fans for its food offerings is opening more locations.
Some longtime customers will get at least nine new spots soon as it expands its reach to other states.
Fans of a beloved convenience store are getting more locations (stock image)[/caption]
Fast Stop plans to open nine more spots[/caption]
Founded by Mahmoud Ziadeh in 2015, Fast Stop has grown to have over 40 convenience store/gas station locations in Louisiana and New Mexico.
While Fast Stop offers many relatively standard products and services to guests for a convenience store chain, it stands out with a made-to-order menu.
Similar to competitors like Wawa, there are hot meals that can be purchased on-the-go.
Many dishes are also Cajun-inspired, including fried chicken, po boys, seafood selections, and other Southern sides.
This has earned Fast Stop some serious popularity over the years, with some customers claiming that the “gas station food is better than restaurant food” in posts online.
Ziadeh is now taking advantage of that reputation, building nine quick-service restaurants (QSRs) that draw from the Fast Stop made-to-order menu, per C-Store Dive.
The sites he acquired to create the QSRs were previously operated by fast food giants like Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen, and Hwy 55.
Some will be spread across North Carolina and Texas, marking the first time Fast Stop has touched each state.
NO NAME?
In total, seven of the QSRs will open in Texas, with one in Louisiana and another in North Carolina, according to what Jeff Knap, president of real estate investment firm Knapp Group, told the publication.
They’ll open in the next four to six months, but there isn’t an official name for the Fast Stop-inspired QSRs yet.
“Getting into the QSR business is kind of a little tough and scary, but I’m making that decision and moving forward,” Ziadeh explained.
The Fast Stop founder also has ownership stakes in Bianka and Tap 65, two sit-down restaurant brands out of Louisiana.
FOOD FIGHT
Other convenience store chains are also furthering their made-to-go menu ambitions as consumers continue to opt for it.
While it isn’t a-typical for convenience store chains to partner with QSRs, RaceTrac’s move to acquire Potbelly outright earlier in September for $566 million was a bold move.
Getting into the QSR business is kind of a little tough and scary, but I’m making that decision and moving forward.
Mahmoud Ziadeh
Potbelly confirmed that RaceTrac agreed to the all-cash deal on its website, and it’s expected to close before the end of 2025.
There are about 445 Potbelly locations nationwide, and RaceTrac has more than 800 convenience stores (some also under the RaceWay name).
Neither company has confirmed any plans for Potbelly QSRs to be placed within RaceTrac or RaceWay locations.
Still, Potbelly President and CEO Bob Wright teased that the “strategy isn’t necessarily to put a Potbelly in every RaceTrac,” while speaking with The Wall Street Journal.
Wright said the acquisition would help Potbelly reach its goal of 2,000 locations across the country.
It already has enough franchisee commitments to get to over 800 in the coming years.
“We have positioned Potbelly for accelerated franchise-led growth in recent years, and this transaction fortifies our path while delivering certain and immediate value to our shareholders,” Wright explained in the acquisition announcement.
Wawa also shocked customers recently with a decision to sell off at least seven stores amid its bold expansion plans.
7-Eleven is also aggressively investing in locations this year as it tries to replicate the success it has in Japan here in The States.
