Valparaiso’s Family Express plans 20-store sprawl, new look
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Valparaiso-based gas station chain Family Express plans to expand its footprint and do so with a new look targeting younger people, our partners at the Times of Northwest Indiana report.
The company plans to open 20 new locations served by its central distribution hub on State Road 49. The chain has over 80 stores across northwest and central Indiana currently.
The new stores will enhance its classic, colonial look for a more contemporary design to target younger demographics. New stores will primarily have food service in one section and other typical gas station convenience service at another counter, the Times reports. Stores also usually have car washes, pet washes, mobile wallet payments and both indoor and outdoor seating.
“The new prototype is challenging a successful tradition. Very much like sending one of your children to college, though you miss them, you know it will guarantee a better future,” Family Express CEO Gus Olympidis told The Times. “The contemporary feel of the new look is more inviting to a younger consumer, and it is transitioning our brand to the future ahead of major expansion to (new-to-industry) stores.”
The company did not disclose its financial investment in the expansion or how many jobs would be created as a result.