ALEXANDRIA, Va. – This month, NACS is putting a spotlight on High Country Market & Gastro Pub in Round Rock, Texas, featured in the 2016 Ideas 2 Go program.
High Country Market’s owner, Zahir Walji, is one of a few level two sommeliers in the Texas region, and he sells 30 of the top 100 rated wines in the United States. But there is much more to this high-end retailer, where even its own unique black truffle and rosemary ketchup is made from scratch.
When a group of investors in the Austin, Texas, area had an idea for convenience with a twist, they approached Walji, and in 2013 the High Country Market & Gastro Pub opened to offer Round Rock, Texas, something new.
“We wanted to give customers a one-stop shopping convenience market with a gourmet diner that would offer freshly made American fare, some eclectic Tex-Mex, as well as various deli items,” Walji said. Capping off the high-end gastropub experience are more than 400 wines and beers, all at reasonable prices. He can help customers find the right bottle of wine to go with their meal or to take home. In fact, some customers have spent more than $1,000 on wine in one visit.
“If you really want to be out in one minute, you can still do it, but we’re hoping you won’t,” Walji said.
See More on Ideas 2 Go
Ideas 2 Go features emerging concepts that redefine convenience, as well as quick takeaways that retailers could easily implement at their own stores. Since 1994, Ideas 2 Go has provided a video tour of some of the most interesting, creative and potentially profitable ideas in the convenience and fuel retailing industry. More than 150 other videos are featured at convenience.org/ideas2go, and each month NACS Magazine’s Ideas 2 Go column features other innovative retail ideas and concepts.
“What makes Ideas 2 Go so special is that retailers welcome us to their stores to share some of their best ideas and offer the strategies and planning behind their success. It gives retailers a unique perspective of the industry without having to hit the road,” said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard.
Every two weeks, a new video from the 2016 program will be featured in NACS Daily. In addition to the nine Ideas 2 Go segments, four short “Ideas 2 Grow” segments examine unique innovations in retail.
Filming is underway for the 2017 Ideas 2 Go program, which will debut on October 19 at the NACS Show. If you would like to recommend a store for the team to consider on its journeys, contact Lenard at jlenard@convenience.org.