The FastLane in the "McStop" area of Kingdom City south of Interstate 70 is receiving much more than a face-lift.
The current gas station and convenience store is being demolished this week after closing last Monday. Jessica Zabenco, the marketing coordinator for Warrenton Oil Company, said the Kingdom City location was due for an update.
"It was an older store," she said. "It received a lot of traffic, and we needed to update it to meet the demand."
Including the attached restaurant, the new store and gas station is set to be a flagship location for FastLane, with a whopping 11,000 square feet.
"We are pretty excited; the Kingdom City location will be the largest store to date," Zabenco said. "This is going to be the crown jewel of FastLane."
Zabenco said the new location will include an attached Dairy Queen, a large offering of hot foods, doughnuts made fresh in-store and lots of merchandise for travelers and locals alike. It will also offer an off-leash dog park, providing a convenient location for pooches on the go to stretch their legs and burn off some energy. For the human travelers, an increase in the number of fuel pumps to 32 means you won't have to wait to fill up.
"We really see this as a one-stop shop for travelers," Zabenco said. "They can get a meal, let the dog burn off some energy and, if you forgot something while travelling, you can buy it there, too."
Warrenton Oil Company, which owns FastLane, has invested heavily in and around the Kingdom City area. The company owns the new Holiday Inn Express, as well as another FastLane on the north side of the city. They also recently bought the Gaspers Truck Stop in July, which had been previously owned by the Atkinson family for 51 years.
Zabenco said her company has been welcomed with open arms. "This is a fantastic community that has embraced us wholeheartedly," she said.
Dave Warfield, the city manager for Kingdom City, is excited about the renovated store.
"I think its going to be a pretty good deal for us out here," he said.
With the foundation for the new store just about to be poured, Zabenco said the project should finish within a few months.
"Fingers crossed, we should be open sometime in early May," she said.