ARKO Corp.’s subsidiary GPM broke ground with a new-to-industry (NTI) Handy Mart-branded location in Newport, N.C., that is scheduled to open later this year. This location is the second announced NTI location in process that the company has announced in the last 30 days.
“We have been very happy with the performance of our Handy Mart stores, which we acquired in November of 2021, and our ability to improve performance at those stores,” said Arie Kotler, president and CEO of ARKO. “Building upon the strong community ties of the Handy Mart brand in North Carolina, we are very excited to begin construction on our first NTI location under the Handy Mart banner since our acquisition, which will showcase many of our new initiatives and offerings in a beautiful and inviting store design. The addition of this new store is just another destination where customers that enroll in our loyalty program, fas REWARDS, can take advantage of daily, significant savings.”
This location will be a 5,600-square-foot store, featuring food and beverage options of bean-to-cup hot and iced coffee, Frazil frozen drinks, doughnuts, cookies, breakfast sandwiches, Nathan’s hot dogs, Tornados, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, mozzarella sticks and chicken wings, with high-value $4.99 pizza — both take-and-bake and served hot — and $2.99 Tyson chicken sandwich being offered to enrolled fas REWARDS loyalty members. Additionally, the new location will have 14 doors for cold packaged beverages, 24 fountain heads and a walk-in beer cave.
The location is equipped with 30 parking spaces, six fuel dispensers with 12 fueling positions, two auto diesel dispensers with four diesel fueling positions, and two truck fueling lanes, providing additional access and options for customers for their convenience.
This store underscores ARKO’s focus on three strategic key pillars: growing sales in core destination categories, growing its high-value fas REWARDS loyalty program, and expanding the company’s food and beverage service.
ARKO Corp. is a Fortune 500 company that owns 100% of GPM Investments LLC and is one of the largest operators of convenience stores and wholesalers of fuel in the United States. Based in Richmond, Va., it operates in four reportable segments: retail, wholesale, GPM Petroleum and fleet fueling.