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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — A new hotel, several restaurants and a Turkey Hill, complete with a car wash, are all coming to the township soon, officials confirmed Thursday.
The new Turkey Hill will be located at the corner of Blackman Street and Route 309, according to Thomas Zedolik, township zoning and code enforcement officer.
That news comes as the Times Leader also has learned more about plans for a new hotel, a Chick-fil-A restaurant, and the rebirth of Panera Bread in the township nearly a year after that chain eatery’s longtime location was shattered by last June’s tornado.
Turkey Hill plans
Zedolik said the existing buildings, which once housed a repair garage, a bar and other businesses — along with three residential homes — were purchased by Turkey Hill’s new parent company, U.K.-based E.G. Group.
“Everything will be demolished and a new Turkey Hill will be built, with a car wash,” Zedolik said.
Cindy Rantanen, vice president of brands and public relations for E.G. America, said the company has the property under contract. She said five properties were purchased from four different owners and the site measures three acres.
“We’re going to do a full new rebuild there,” Rantanen said. “We are doing our due diligence and the site work must be completed. Our plan is to begin construction in spring 2020.”
Rantanen said the new Turkey Hill will include a full convenience store, a fast food restaurant with a brand partner still to be named, a car wash and fuel stations.
“We will build a beautiful new store there for our customers,” Rantanen said.
Panera Bread update
Zedolik said he spoke with an attorney representing Panera Bread who informed him that the plans have changed for the location of its store in the Wilkes-Barre Township Commons, off of Mundy Street. Panera and several other retails stores were severely damaged in the June 2018 tornado and the buildings were condemned and recently demolished.
Panera planned to occupy a free-standing building to be built on the site by Urban Edge Properties of New Jersey, on the right side of the site. Zedolik said Panera now wants to locate on the left side of the property, near where the former store was, and add drive-thru service.
“Panera will have to submit new plans to and go through the approval process again,” Zedolik said. “This could take up to two months before anything can start up there.”
Urban Edge will also build another building that will offer retail space for several businesses.
Hotel, Chick-fil-A plans
Zedolik said a new Residence Inn also will be built near the Mohegan Sun Arena on Highland Park Boulevard. He said it will be a four-story, 110-room hotel that will face Interstate 81.
“The land development plan is not finalized,” Zedolik said.
Zedolik said the property is owned by Singh Realty. He said two other adjacent parcels are being sold by Singh Realty.
Zedolik also said he spoke with the contractor that will be re-formatting the former Lucky’s Sports Bar into a full-service Chick-fil-A, who told him work will begin on April 22.
Zedolik said the contractor estimated that the project should take 16 weeks to complete.
Turkey Hill loyalty program
Regarding Turkey Hill’s recently suspended loyalty program, Rantanen said the company is going through a major platform transition. She said the the loyalty program has been down longer than they had planned.
“We will be back up on the new platform on April 23,” she said. “All information from the old card system will still be there and will be honored, as well as all gift cards out there.”
Rantanen said Turkey Hill has reduced the price for fountain drinks and coffee in the interim. She said all fuel points will still be on the customers’ cards and the new program will offer the three cents per gallon discount.
In 2018, E.G. Group decided to expand operations in the U.S. for the first time, acquiring all convenience store holdings from The Kroger Co. E.G. Group established its North American headquarters in Cincinnati — home of Kroger — and will continue to run the newly-acquired 762 stores under their existing banners.
According to Convenience Store News, the transaction included 66 franchise operations in 18 states. The banners are Turkey Hill, Loaf ‘N Jug, Kwik Shop, Tom Thumb, and Quik Stop. In all, the c-store business employs 11,000 associates.
Founded in 2001 by brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa, the company — also known as Euro Garages — has relationships with national and global retail and convenience brands, including Starbucks, KFC, Texaco, Spar, Carrefour, Burger King and Esso, the Convenience Store News story said.