New Davenport convenience stores open
Two former Davenport gas stations are reopening today as convenience-only stores under the name The Goods Spot — at 2805 Telegraph Rd. and 1732 N. Marquette St. (at Locust).
Store hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. A grand opening celebration will be held in about 30 days, a date to be announced in a follow-up notice, according to a Monday release from Chicago-based InCommercial Property Group.
Four additional gas stations with convenience stores are planned to open on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, with the same daily hours. Those locations are 201 W. 53rd St., 1136 E. Locust St., 303 W. Locust St., and 3624 W. Locust St.
With Sinclair Oil operating the fuel pumps, the convenience stores will re-open under the name The Gas Spot. There are 10 total locations in the Davenport area owned by ICC Motor Fuel I LLC that will be undergoing rebranding and remodeling, with the remaining slated to open later this year, the company release said.
“Davenport is a livable city that has the amenities that people want, the economy that people can support, and a cost of living that people can afford,” said Tiffany Fraley, COO for InCommercial. “We were attracted to the opportunity of owning gas station and convenience store properties located within a short radius of each other.
“Davenport was named one of the top 100 places to live in the U.S. per a 2023 poll conducted by livability.com, so when this cluster of stores were available for purchase, we seized the opportunity,” she added.
To re-open properly, these sites needed repairs to coolers and HVAC systems, extensive cleaning, and brand-new POS (point of sale) equipment and software. Each store has hired all new staff with about six employees per location, and the stores have fresh merchandise and new product offerings.
For the gas station locations, InCommercial has worked with the Iowa DNR to ensure compliance and environmental safety for the gas tanks.
“We believe that even with the rise of the electric vehicle, gas stations are and will still be needed for many years to come,” said Fraley. “We see this as a good investment not only because of the continued need for fuel, but also for the ongoing demand of convenience and product offerings. One of our goals is to be that place where people stop in for what they need and stay a few minutes longer because a store employee engaged them in conversation, or they learned about a local coffee roaster being showcased in the store.
“Even though owning and operating these c-stores and gas stations may seem like a small opportunity to some, we see it as a way for us to become part of a community and make a big impact,” she said.
While these locations have been in the Davenport community since 1972, InCommercial Property Group acquired the locations for a fund executed in 2022.
The locations were closed in September of 2023 to make way for new management and location upgrades.
“We look forward to getting more involved with chamber of commerce and economic development departments to foster local improvement,” Fraley said. “We welcome feedback from local people. Tell us how we can improve and what products we should offer because we are a part of this community and want to be around for a long time.”
Originally published on Our Quad Cities on February 19, 2024