Fresh off a recent renovation, and with another location on the horizon, Hot Spot, headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C., is setting its sights on expansion.
Simultaneously, it’s working to enhance its mobile app and further develop its private-label product line, while testing electric vehicle charging, all geared toward enhancing customer satisfaction and fueling further growth.
Hot Spot is also captivating customers with its proprietary Hotties Kitchen program and increasing convenience with order-ahead and delivery options.
The family-owned chain, which operates 41 sites throughout North Carolina and South Carolina is committed to putting its best foot forward when it comes to its customers and employees.
“Founder Robert (R.L) Jordan always treated every customer and employee with respect, and he was adamant that restrooms should be clean,” said Wilton Jordan II, one of the owners of Hot Spot and R.L. Jordan’s son. “A couple of our company mottos are: ‘Best Gasoline, Best Prices, Best Service,’ ‘Delivering the Difference’ and ‘Clean, Fast and Friendly,’” said Jordan.
As it looks to continue this legacy, Hot Spot is homing in on expanding its footprint and enhancing services.
On March 21, Hot Spot debuted its newly remodeled Summerville, S.C., location, which now includes a 24-hour Hottie’s Kitchen, the chain’s proprietary foodservice program, and a drive-through.
And, it has a new-to-industry store in the works.
“We are currently working towards opening a new store this year in Sylvia, S.C.,” said Michael Wood, advertising specialist for Hot Spot.
The Beginning of Hot Spot
Before he created Hot Spot, R.L Jordan began his career in the military.
“While he was in Japan during World War II, he would send money home to his mom, who would then save the money for him,” said Michael Wood, advertising specialist for Hot Spot. “Once he returned home, his mom gave him the money, and he used it to start the company.”
The first location for R. L. Jordan Oil Co. opened in Franklin, N.C., in 1949. Jordan then opened a second and third location on Town Hill in Franklin, N.C., and Tryon, N.C.
Jordan eventually realized that paying someone to deliver gas from the colonial pipeline terminal in Spartanburg, S.C., cut into his profits, so he bought a tanker truck and began driving, supplying gas to his locations, noted Jordan.
“This developed into a business model where he would stop into a store and strike up a conversation with the owner about selling gas at that location,” he said. “He would agree to install the tanks and pumps at his cost, deliver the gas and get paid when the store owner sold the gas.”
After some time, that business began to fade out due to the energy crisis in 1973, which led Jordan to become a c-store operator.
“Growth of the company since then had been slow but steady, with lots of great opportunities in our core areas, like the upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina,” said Jordan. “Our c-stores were originally called Gas 4 Less, then Jordan’s Self-Serve, and now Hot Spot since 1982.”
Since then, Hot Spot has expanded through new builds and acquisitions.
Wood mentioned that R.L. Jordan had a plane that he would fly and look to see what areas had no c-stores but heavy traffic. He would then put in an offer to buy whatever building was there and turn it into a c-store.
After passing away in 2006, R.L. Jordan’s five children, Lynn Jordan, Jeanne Jordan Cook, Wilton Jordan II, Elizabeth Jordan Gladson and David Jordan, took ownership of the company.
“We have all spent most of the past 40-plus years working together to make Hot Spot a true family business,” said Jordan.
A third generation of family members, too, work for the company, including Robert Jordan II, Wilton Jordan III and Lindsey Norwood.
The Hot Spot Experience
Over time, Hot Spot has crafted a distinctive identity, ensuring consumers recognize when they step into a Hot Spot store.
Customers can get the Hot Spot experience when they visit an acquired site as well.
“Even though we strip the inside of our acquired stores to match the theme in our other locations, they vary on the outside,” said Wood. “For instance, one of our locations is a barn, which looks nothing like our other locations. But overall, all of our sites have the same color scheme on the inside.”
In the forecourt, Hot Spot offers Shell-branded gas as well as its own brand of gas.
The c-store chain has also hopped on the electric vehicle charging train and now offers it at three of its locations.
Convenient Food Offerings
When customers visit a Hot Spot location, they are able to choose from a plethora of food offerings. At 13 of its locations, customers can order food from its proprietary foodservice program Hotties Kitchen, which launched in 2018 and offers easy-serve food items.
Aside from Hotties Kitchen, Hot Spot operates seven Subway’s and 12 Hunt Brothers Pizza’s at its locations.
If customers don’t want a beverage from the refrigerator section to pair with their food, they can choose one of Hot Spot’s cold and frozen dispensed beverages, including Frazil slushees and f’real milkshakes. If they want a hot beverage, Hot Spot offers bean-to-cup coffee and up to 15 kinds of hot chocolate and cappuccino.
Customers also can order food ahead online for pickup or delivery, depending on the location.
“We offer delivery through DoorDash for our Hotties Kitchen locations and our Sangaree, S.C location,” said Wood.
For customers who like a little extra spice, Hot Spot sells its own private-label hot sauce.
“Our private-label hot sauce allows us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors by offering a unique and exclusive product that cannot be found elsewhere,” explained Wood. “This helps to build customer loyalty and attract new customers who are interested in trying something new.”
Putting Customers and Employees First
R. L. Jordans’ primary purpose for his Hot Spot c-stores was to make sure customers received the best service and products. That goal started with engaging the employees as the face of the company. Creating a good work invironment leads to happier employees and happy customers. That purpose is still being honored today as the company celebrates its 75th year.
“We have merchandisers that go to all of our locations every week to ensure everything is running as it should because we value our customers,” said Wood. “We don’t have a business if we don’t have customers.”
R.L. Jordan was a firm believer in keeping restrooms clean to ensure customers had a great experience throughout their entire c-store journey.
“We have signs in our bathroom that say, ‘If this bathroom is dirty, tell one of our employees,’ and someone will clean it,” said Wood. “We also advertise our clean bathrooms on highways, and we have signs on the walls throughout the store to set the standard that we will have a bathroom worth using and not the nightmare gas station people usually think about.”
Nonetheless, to keep customers coming back and enjoying their Hot Spot visit, the company makes sure its employees are being recognized for their hard work.
Customers in search of deals can also join the chain’s Hot Spot Rewards loyalty program through its Hot Spot Rewards app.
“The rewards program app allows customers to get rewards back for in-store and gas purchases,” said Wood. “Rewards members can get 10 cents off for coffee, and once a month on a Wednesday, members can get a free item when they purchase something at one of our locations.”
Expansion Continues
Hot Spot employees and owners are constantly working on ways to improve the services and food offerings they have while exploring the opportunity of expanding even more in North and South Carolina.
But above all, Hot Spot has its sights set on growing its footprint.
“Our long-term goal is to build more stores,” said Jordan. “We would certainly be open to acquiring stores in our operational footprint.”