The pairing of food service and convenience retailing has become a very natural one as both of them offer the same fundamental need to the customer namely convenience. So when it was decided to break ground on a Shell gasoline station and mini-mart, as part of a travel plaza in Kilgore, Texas, the decision to integrate a Wendy’s was a no-brainer. It was a relatively safe QSR association that had already proved successful at many locations.
 
The convenience store veteran, of Waxahachie, Texas-based Victron Energy was never contented to follow the pack in convenience retailing. He owns more than 100 convenience stores and supplies fuel to more than 300 throughout Texas. He decided to enhance his brand even more with an additional association that ventured beyond food service.
 
In October 2008, Victron opened a Shell gas station and 12000 square foot convenience store connected to a 24 hour Wendy’s restaurant. A BankTexas bank was also opened as part of the Gateway Travel Plaza which led to an all-in-one gas station-convenience store-QSR-bank.
 
It was the first time partnering for the financial institution of BankTexas with a convenience store. For them it was an attractive opportunity to gain a presence in Kilgore without committing to a standalone branch.
 
An agreement with the bank prior to breaking ground for construction on his new site was secured, which gave flexibility in designing the site’s layout. An inside bank presence was accounted for in the store layout, where tellers could conduct face-to-face transactions with customers.