A new Royal Farms convenient store-gas station duo is ready for business in Salisbury, making it the sixth in the area.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was held Thursday morning with great show and fanfare.
Store No. 167 is located at the intersection of Walston Switch Road and Route 50 East just before the Wor-Wic Community College campus.
The store boasts of amenities ranging from the typical 24-hour fuel and store service, to its “World Famous” chicken and F’real brand milkshakes. The facilities also include 16 modernized gas pumps, making payment at pump-side much easier than before.
Topping the list of store features is a coffee bar with 12 available fresh brews, a self-ordering sandwich counter and a small grocery goods section.
The location provides 30 jobs for locals, with possibly more on the way.
Frequent customer Alycia Barnes shared her take on the new store.
“I love this store, it’s spacey and has everything you’d ever want out of a gas station,” Barnes said.
Royal Farms has been serving mid-Atlantic consumers since 1959, priding itself on the success of its fried chicken and eventual selling of on-the-go eats such as subs and sandwiches.
The quickly growing company now has 168 operating locations throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia; each resting upon core values of family, sustainability and brightening the everyday life of its valued customers.
However, the store provides more than gas and chicken. Sustainable practices of facility management are strictly followed at every “Ro-Fo” destination. During construction, 20 percent of its materials were produced within a 500-mile radius, considerably decreasing its environmental footprint.
Low-flow water fixtures and LED lighting reduce water and energy usage respectively by roughly 15 percent, as opposed to an average convenience store. In addition, all frying oil used to prepare its landmark chicken is recycled for alternative fuel sources.
Beyond environmental sustainability, the Royal Farms Corporation makes a priority of serving its local communities. At the ceremony, representatives from the Salisbury Zoological Park, local Life Crisis Center, Ward Museum, Salisbury Fire and Rescue, Boy Scouts of America and the 1955 Salisbury Memorial Restoration fund were each acknowledged and given donations for their efforts in making Salisbury a better place to live and work each day.
The West Salisbury Challengers, a co-ed baseball program for youth with disabilities, was also a recipient of the new store’s charitable initiative, making it possible for the team to compete in an annual tournament this coming May.
Public Relations Manager of Royal Farms Britney Eldredge shared some of the company’s goals.
“We always make an effort to give back to our communities in any way possible, whether through donations or allowing them to fundraise at our doors,” Eldredge said.
She emphasized the depth of influence that the team has made thus far.
“My favorite part of any opening is handing out checks to the people, organizations or businesses which truly make a difference in our society,” Eldredge said.
Other noteworthy guests included Salisbury’s Mayor Jake Day, various staff of Wor-Wic Community College and building managers who made the store a reality.
There are plans for construction of a similar store in nearby Berlin. They are currently underway with opening scheduled for mid-January 2017.
By SAWYER CORNELIUS
Staff writer
Featured photo: New Royal Farms opens on Rt. 50 east of Salisbury, adjacent to Wor-Wic main campus (Sawyer Cornelius image).