The days of the bland petrol station snack stop may soon be behind us, with Puma Energy predicting that its new artisan café and convenience stores, 7th Street, will up the ante as they begin to take shape around the country.
Barista-made coffee, fresh baguettes and free wi-fi and phone recharging stations will be the hallmarks of the new 7th Street cafés that will appear exclusively at Puma service stations.
Officially launching the first Victorian 7th Street in June, Puma Energy Australia General Manager Ray Taylor said the move came after consumer research to find out why many customers failed to embrace service station convenience outlets.
“Consumers were really visiting service station café and convenience stores as a last resort, rather than a first port of call for a decent meal and good service,” he said.
“7th Street stores were designed for the customer, which means a store layout that’s easy to navigate with clearly labelled portals for food, coffee or service, and other features like free wi-fi, phone recharging and comfortable seating areas.
“Essentially, we’ve taken the traditional service station and given it a makeover into something that more closely resembles the products and service you would expect from your friendly local café.”
Items on the 7th Street menu include Brubecks salads, the popular Youfoodz range and freshly made gourmet chicken wraps and Brazilian coffee beans.
“Where we can, we source fresh food from Australian suppliers, helping to support communities,” Mr Taylor said.
As part of the new store concept, Puma introduced digital menus, making it easier for customers to select from a range of tasty treats.
Mr Taylor said 7th Street was a new direction for the company, as Puma Energy continued to expand nationally and bring more competition to Australia’s fuel industry.
“I think it will up the ante and the consumer will ultimately be the winner,” he said.
Mr Taylor said seven 7th Street stores had opened around the country on a trial basis in recent weeks, with the first two Victorian stores officially opening in June.
“We are planning on rolling out 20 7th Street stores around Australia by the end of the year,” he said.
