Farm Stores Sees New Jersey Ripe for Its Drive-Thru Concept

Chain plans to open 100 sites over the next decade.

September 8, 2016, 03:15 pm

MIAMI — Drive-thru convenience store chain Farm Stores Corp. plans to open 100 locations throughout New Jersey during the next 10 years, reported NJ.com. Company executives are currently scouting sites in Union and Somerset counties, where they hope to open a store within the next six months, though they have not yet chosen specific locations.

The Miami-based chain operates approximately 70 locations in Florida, and the fact that many people travel between south Florida and the Northeast has created familiarity with the brand, according to Chief Operating Officer Maurice Bared. Additionally, New Jersey's inclement winter weather could make consumers more inclined to visit a store where they don't have to leave their cars.

"We really think that the challenging pace of New Jersey and the climate that we have here; it would do very well for people to be serviced from the comfort of their car," said developer Joe D'Albero.   

Farm Stores is specifically marketing itself to busy mothers who cope with daily childcare. "We're hyper-focused on Mom," Bared said. "Seventy-five percent of our customer base is female."

The planned stores will offer name-brand grocery items, take-home meals, household goods, fresh produce and dairy. Farm Stores also has an in-house brand that includes milk, ice cream and other items. Its most popular product is its hot, freshly baked bread.

However, Farm Stores will not carry alcohol due to New Jersey's liquor laws for retail stores, which D'Albero stated would make selling beer and wine impractical.

Aside from this, he told the news outlet that Farm Stores will adjust its offerings to fit consumers' demands D'Albero intends to build stores close to neighborhoods to help busy parents get to and from a store quickly.

"My wife is a stay-at-home mother, and I just see that she struggles with getting everyday tasks accomplished," D'Albero said. "Most families go through the same thing, with just trying to get the basics done when they have little kids to attend to."

Farm Stores is also developing a mobile app that will let customers place an order from a particular location and pick it up as soon as five minutes later.