Ireland-based Applegreen has announced the opening of its first Colorado service area, located along the E-470 highway in Denver. The chain plans to open three additional locations along the highway, each of which will include three branded food and beverage outlets, a convenience store, fuel and EV charging facilities.
“The opening of Parker on the E-470 is more than the opening of another location. It represents the continued growth of our U.S. business, our entry into a new state, and another important step in what we are building together,” Andy Malik, president of Applegreen’s U.S. operations, wrote in a social media post. “An opening like this takes tremendous work behind the scenes. I want to recognize and thank everyone across our U.S. team, our colleagues in Dublin and all of our partners who helped bring Parker to life. From planning and construction to operations and everything in between, this was truly a team effort.”
Since entering the U.S. in 2014, Applegreen has invested more than $1.1 billion in its American network. The chain stands as the largest highway service area operator in the U.S. with over 110 locations, according to its website.
“Throughout this journey, I saw everyone involved driven by pace, passion and performance,” Malik’s post continued. “Our core values continue to set the bar for what’s to come. Just as important is our commitment to our people, our customers and the communities we serve. Ultimately, that is what opening these locations is about. Parker is the first of four Applegreen locations planned along the E-470, and I’m incredibly excited about what lies ahead for us in Colorado and across the U.S.”
Success in the U.S.
Applegreen is building off of momentum from a record-breaking summer.
In July, the retailer revealed that a record 800,000 customers visited its service areas along the New York State Thruway over the July 4th travel week.
Additionally, more than 360,000 guest transactions were recorded during the week, or one in every two travelers that used a Thruway service area made a purchase.
“Welcoming a record number of customers during the recent Independence Day holiday week demonstrates the value of the private investment that was made in modernizing all 27 Thruway service areas over the last five years,” said Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare at the time. “As Governor Hochul has said, government should work for the people, and this public-private partnership is a prime example of that commitment in action. These modern facilities play an important role in supporting safe travel by providing customers with convenient, reliable places to stop during their travels, all without the use of toll or taxpayer dollars. We remain focused on delivering a modern customer experience and maintaining the high level of service that travelers expect on the New York State Thruway.”
This marked the first July 4th holiday period since the completion of a private $450 million redevelopment project to upgrade and modernize all 27 Thruway service areas. As part of the public-private partnership between Applegreen and the Thruway, 23 new service areas were built and four existing facilities were substantially renovated and upgraded.
“Our goal with the New York Thruway investment program was to radically improve the service area product for our guests, and to provide them with a world-class roadside hospitality experience,” said Matthew Scally, Applegreen’s VP of Operations. “We have delivered modern, comfortable and sustainable areas across the Thruway and we were delighted to welcome so many travelers to our 27 Thruway sites for the July 4th week.”
The first three rebuilt service areas reopened to the public in 2022, and the $450 million upgrade was completed last November, just in time for Thanksgiving. Each of the new service areas has an Applegreen convenience store, and a range of branded food and coffee outlets, all of which are operated by Applegreen employees through partnership agreements.
The upgrades also brought new amenities, such as outdoor pet walking areas, EV charging stations, nursing stations, improved commercial trucking services and farmers’ market locations.
