Dive Brief:
- After nearly two years of development, East Coast convenience retailer The Spinx Company has debuted its food-focused alternative format store, Spinx Market & Eatery, in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, the company announced this week.
- The store offers made-to-order flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, soups and bakery items, as well as grocery items such as meats, fruits, vegetables and grab-and-go pre-made meals. It also serves Spinx’s popular fried chicken and other c-store staples like snacks, coffee and cold or frozen dispensed beverages.
- While the goal would be to expand the Spinx Market & Eatery into other regions, the convenience retailer has no formal plans to do so at this time, a company spokesperson said in a statement to C-Store Dive.
Dive Insight:
When it applied to build the fuel-free market back in early 2023, Spinx said it hoped the location would increase on-site consumption of its food and beverages. This is in line with how many other retailers who’ve tapped into the urban, food-focused c-store trend in recent years have approached similar locations, with varying results.
Beyond being a hang-out, Spinx views its newest location as a “go-to neighborhood nook for all of life’s necessities,” the company said in the store opening announcement.
“Our mission is to make people’s lives easier, and that means evolving to meet customers' changing needs,” Steve Spinks, president and CEO of The Spinx Company, said in the announcement. “This new concept offers a welcoming space where locals and visitors alike can find what they need, whether it’s a quick snack, a legendary chicken biscuit or a refreshing beverage.”
The market will operate seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., while the kitchen will be open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Breakfast will be served between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m., after which lunch becomes available until 9 p.m. Grab-and-go options are available until closing.
Besides its foodservice items, the market offers coffee, beer, honey, toffee and other products from 15 local companies, according to the City of Greenville.. It will also feature a variety of seasonal items.
Founded in 1972 in Greenville, S.C., Spinx operates more than 80 convenience stores across the Carolinas.
