NEW YORK & DENVER -- Hess, the largest independent gasoline-convenience retailer on the East Coast, has forged a partnership with Quiznos, one of the nation's leading quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains, to open more than 50 Quiznos restaurants inside Hess locations in Florida. The partnership, the largest to date in terms of Quiznos convenience locations, is a milestone in the company's convenience store growth strategy and ambition to be the premier QSR partner for the convenience store channel.
Quiznos and Hess tested the partnership in nine Florida locations in [image-nocss] early 2011 with excellent preliminary results. Based on the success of these test locations, the two companies expanded the agreement to more than 40 additional locations in Tampa by the end of 2011.
The new Quiznos restaurants will be in high-visibility Hess locations in Tampa, known for stellar operations and exceptional customer service. While the initial growth strategy will focus on Tampa, Hess' largest market, Orlando and Miami are strong markets for both Quiznos and Hess, and executives envision a long-term partnership with significant growth potential throughout Hess' more than 1,350 locations along the East Coast.
The Quiznos/Hess convenience locations will feature a menu specifically designed for the c-store customer and retailer, including Quiznos signature toasty favorites and hot breakfast items prepared and packaged to eat on the go.
"Through our convenience store growth strategy, we have successfully developed regional partnerships with leading convenience store operators, evolving our c-store platform to best meet their regional needs," said Shultz Hartgrove, senior vice president of convenience and nontraditional development for Quiznos. "This opportunity with Hess represents the culmination of that evolution as we now focus on growing the number of locations."
Rick Lawlor, vice president of retail sales and marketing for Hess, said, "The Florida test proved that Quiznos is a solid partner that can attract new traffic into our stores."
And Greg MacDonald, CEO for Quiznos, said, "Hess is one of the most established and well-respected players in this industry, and we are pleased to accelerate Quiznos' convenience store presence with such an excellent partner. Hess brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the food business to this partnership. They understand the value of training and exceptional operations. We are confident in the success of this initial market launch and look forward to future growth opportunities through this partnership."
Now in its 30th year, Denver-based Quiznos is a national chain offering a freshly prepared alternative to traditional fast-food restaurants. Using premium ingredients, Quiznos restaurants offer creative, chef-inspired recipes for sandwiches, soups and salads.
Hess, with headquarters in New York City, is a global integrated energy company engaged in the exploration, production, purchase, transportation and sale of crude oil and natural gas, as well as the production and sale of refined petroleum, natural gas and electricity products. Hess is one of the leading independent gasoline-convenience retailers on the East Coast with more than 1,350 stations and convenience stores in 18 states including 290 Hess branded locations in Florida.
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