Dive Brief:
- Montana-based convenience retailer Town Pump is developing standalone coffee kiosks to be placed outside of its c-stores, according to a Friday announcement.
- The 400-square-foot modular kiosks will be branded as Stonehouse Coffee Shots, after Town Pump’s proprietary coffee program, Stonehouse Coffee Co., which appears in all of its roughly 100 convenience stores, a company spokesperson told C-Store Dive. Each kiosk will feature two espresso machines and windows for pickup and drive-thru orders.
- Although Town Pump already has a Stonehouse coffee shop inside two of its c-stores, the retailer will now focus its attention on building the standalone kiosks in its parking lots, with the first set to open in the next four to six weeks, the spokesperson said.
Dive Insight:
The modular kiosks will help Town Pump avoid the costs and timelines associated with ground-up construction, allowing for faster deployment across its footprint. This building method has gained steam in convenience retailing in recent years, with operators such as Wawa, Murphy USA and Family Express incorporating it into their design plans.
Town Pump is working with Russo Modular, a Phoenix-based commercial building manufacturer, on the kiosks, according to the announcement. The structures will feature a gable roof design, which offers efficient water and snow drainage, extra interior space, and good ventilation. They’ll also include Altro flooring, which is designed to provide durability and protection in high-moisture, heavy-traffic conditions.
Town Pump’s spokesperson said that the first kiosk will open at a Town Pump in Kalispell, Montana, with two more in the permitting process. He added that while Town Pump plans to expand this format across its network, there’s no set number of locations it’s hoping to build.
The spokesperson emphasized that Town Pump’s c-stores will continue serving Stonehouse coffee even once a kiosk opens in the parking lot. However, the Stonehouse Coffee Shots locations will offer specialty products not served inside the stores, the spokesperson added. According to the brand’s social media, such specialty items include peach vanilla lattes and cold amaretto English toffee frappes.
