Paul Nair, who owns gourmet market Savi Provisions, is tossing his hat into the gas station convenience store ring. Well, sort of.
More accurately, Nair is trading that ring in for a shinier one.
His new concept, UPOP — which stands for Urban Provisions Offering Petroleum — will offer “chef-driven” prepared foods, beer, wine, and liquor inside the soon-to-open Arco gas station at 3861 Roswell Road in Buckhead.
“This will be a higher-end experience,” Nair said in a press release. “We are intentionally not using traditional convenience store items or big name brands. The goal is to offer a highly curated selection.”
UPOP will also feature a bistro and offer small plates in addition to its high-end convenience items.
The space, formerly Golden Buddha, will soon be occupied by Arco — a gas station relatively new to Georgia — and is expected to open later this month. Once the first UPOP location is up and running, Nair plans to expand the new concept throughout the South, with UPOP locations slated for Cary, Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Honestly, it’s a mystery why nobody has thought of a high-end convenience store inside of a gas station until now. On our next road trip, we’ll gladly trade in our sour gummy worms and stale pretzels for whatever UPOP has to offer.
One Response
You sir have clearly never been to Parkers Market in Savannah, the greatest gourmet gas station in all the land. (or maybe you have and have wisely brought the concept to Atlanta…)