The real-estate and construction teams at Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip have been busy. Since the pandemic began in March last year, QuikTrip opened 45 new stores for a total of 860 locations across Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

That’s a lot of growth to celebrate in a short time, and to keep customers and employees safe during the pandemic, QuikTrip chose to forego grand opening events at the new locations.

“We don’t typically host store grand openings each time we build unless we’ve hit a milestone or move to a new market,” said Aisha Jefferson-Smith, corporate communications manager, QuikTrip. “However, our store teams are always ready with smiles behind their masks at each new store opening. We are good neighbors in the communities in which we build, and we communicate opening dates.”

For decades, celebrating a new store with a formal grand opening has been the traditional way to recognize the hard work of team members while inviting community residents to come inside and get acquainted. Convenience-store openings have typically included some combination of a ribbon-cutting, speeches, games, giveaways, prizes, bounce houses and free food, plus visits from local officials and even celebrities.

Those festivities came to a screeching halt with COVID-19, and c-store operators have been forced to rethink safe, yet effective ways to showcase a shiny new store and get the word out to the neighborhood.

Welcome In

Between April and December 2020, Thorntons, with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, opened seven new stores, bringing the total store count to 207. The company’s slogan—Thorntons Cares—is demonstrated by the chain’s ongoing commitment to safety by asking guests to wear face coverings and practice social distancing inside the stores, and those precautions have carried over to new store festivities.

“We’re celebrating a little differently right now,” said Kelly Leonardo, marketing manager, Thorntons. “The most noticeable changes in our grand opening celebrations are the elimination of activities that draw large gatherings and the removal of trinkets or small gifts that would encourage close personal contact between our team members and our guests.”

We've temporarily postponed ribbon-cutting ceremonies until it's safe for large groups to gather.

In the past, new stores have been celebrated with a donation to a local food partner and a commitment to supply the organization with surplus food items on a regular basis. That practice has continued.

“Additionally, Thorntons engages guests in raising funds for hunger relief through a ‘Round Up’ program,” Leonardo said. “At the register, they’re invited to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar for a donation to the store’s local hunger relief partner. All funds raised in a community stay in that community to help feed the hungry.”

But the symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony remains, and “our team members, along with local Thorntons leadership, give air high-fives from a safe social distance,” she said. “We continue to notify the local community of our new locations via direct mail, press release and social media. We also engage the local chamber to help identify partnership opportunities with local businesses.”

Last year, Love’s Travel Stops, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, added 38 new outlets, and the chain plans to add 50 more in 2021.

“2020 was difficult, but our teams worked together to open new locations, add parking spaces and serve customers despite the pandemic,” said Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “In 2021, we’ll grow our travel stop network where our customers have asked us to, add new products and services and open new truck care centers to get professional truck drivers back on the road quickly and safely.”

As an essential business, “We’ve implemented additional cleaning and sanitizing processes, and we were the first major travel stop to announce a mask mandate to help keep customers and team members safe while visiting Love’s,” said Caitlin Campbell, media relations specialist, Love’s. “Typically, when Love’s opens a new location, a donation is made to a local organization and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is held. While we’re continuing the donations, we’ve temporarily postponed ribbon-cutting ceremonies until it’s safe for large groups to gather.”

Last July in Vienna, Virginia, Wawa opened its first-ever location with no fuel pumps, just EV chargers, and the chain hosted an official ribbon-cutting outdoors with attendees standing six feet apart.

To get the word out, Wawa produced a welcome video that included an appearance by Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert, who built the store’s first ceremonial hoagie. (Watch the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c_FtKrlPyA.) And to commemorate the opening, the company announced it was launching the Lending a Helping Hoagie initiative in the community and donating $1,000 from the new store’s first week of sales to Capital Area Food Bank to help battle hunger.

In January, Wawa opened its first drive-thru-only location in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and much of the focus was on Wally Goose, the chain’s costumed mascot, who worked the window, serving up special offers to car-bound customers. As part of the celebration, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation presented checks to Check Out Hunger and Feeding America Food Bank affiliates to support hunger relief in local communities.

“At Wawa, our core purpose is to go beyond filling orders to fulfilling lives,” said Chris Gheysens, president and CEO, Wawa. “We are committed to providing comfort and a sense of normalcy in the safest way possible.”

Although Casey’s, the Ankeny, Iowa-based retailer, discontinued traditional new store grand openings in March 2020, the chain has scheduled a few brief, outdoor gatherings for photos and ribbon-cuttings. “At Casey’s, the safety of our team members and guests is a top priority,” said Katie Petru, director of communications and community, Casey’s. “New store openings have typically involved a few company representatives, the local chamber of commerce and our store teams, with everyone wearing masks. Safety comes first as we evaluate any events in our stores. And local guidance on gatherings also must be factored in.”

It’s not just grand openings that have been scaled-back or nixed during the pandemic. Last summer, 7-Eleven canceled 7-Eleven Day (July 11), an annual tradition that has been toasted with free Slurpee drinks for customers for 20 years.

“At 7 Eleven, our top priority is the safety of customers, franchisees and employees,” said Marissa Jarratt, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, 7-Eleven. “Gathering nine million of our closest friends in stores on one day just didn’t feel right.”

As always, a little creativity can go a long way. When Lidl unveiled a new grocery in Alexandria, Virginia, in September, the company’s grand opening featured a pop-up farmers market.