C-store retailer Rusty Lantern is no stranger to innovation — recently, the brand unveiled a completely new design that was in the works for more than a year and a half. The refurbished look has been rolled out at one location in Maine with two to come very soon.
“I wanted to (do) something that was a little more branded Rusty Lantern instead of maybe somebody else’s building that we just modified the floor plan around,” said Rusty Lantern CEO John Koch. “So, we wanted a building that was a little bigger, a little more distinctive, a little more branded, if you will.”
The new design certainly delivers on Koch’s hopes of becoming more distinctive. The way that the company describes the remodel is “lodge-like,” boasting a rustic and tasteful exterior, and a cozy interior, complete with a fireplace to accentuate the feeling of a lodge.
For Koch, the idea was to differentiate the brand from others while highlighting certain aspects of Rusty Lantern that customers have come to know and love.
“On the inside, we tried to accentuate the parts of the building that are what we built the brand on,” added Koch.
Bold New Additions
Changes involved in the new design include a bigger kitchen, touch-free restrooms, a bigger beer cave, wider aisles, lower sight lines and brighter, safer lighting.
The store will also offer a variety of made-to-order fresh food for customers looking for high-quality grub.
“We’ll do hot and cold breakfast, lunch and dinner pizza,” mentioned Koch. “We try to do a bit of a higher menu, so we’ll do Cubans, Rubens, specialty sandwiches and pizzas.”
The store also serves fresh Maine lobster rolls in the summer, which have become a very popular menu item.
From an operational standpoint, Koch noted, the new site enables order pickup and delivery services, in addition to a self-checkout system that is forthcoming as the company awaits delivery of the self-checkout equipment.
The new design was created by Rusty Lantern’s design company, and the proprietary floor plan will continue to be rolled out at future stores.
One advantage that comes from full-scale remodels like this is that operators have complete control over their vision, whereas with legacy stores, certain amenities may not be possible due to size or layout.
“The new (remodels) afford you that if, for example, you’re trying to build a big kitchen, you can, and a legacy store doesn’t always work out that well,” added Koch. “So again, that’s why we did the new (remodels). That’s why we look for acquisitions that can be remodeled.”
With another site under construction now, Rusty Lantern plans to continue expansion in the future, while working to make its brand more distinctive and unique.
Customers in the New England area can expect to see more of Rusty Lantern as the chain builds upon its already impressive footprint.
