Family Express is erecting its first modular convenience store in Ligonier, Indiana. This is the first in a line of new prefabricated building types that the Indiana retailer is constructing, according to a press release sent to NACS. The masonry buildings are approximately 7,200 square feet and include a full kitchen and car wash.

“The New FE Prototype is using various masonry materials and Nichiha exterior finishes in an effort to deliver an upscale and contemporary feel,” said Peter Andreou, vice president of development for Family Express.

With components manufactured off-site and then assembled on-site, the store can go up in a matter of days, said the retailer. Family Express is in the process of executing $100 million in development with new-to-industry stores and said the modular construction method will help it meet its development schedule. Several new stores have already been prefabricated and are planned for construction in Indiana in the spring. The stores will feature its proprietary Cravin’s-To-Order restaurants with online ordering and home delivery.

“Our objective is to facilitate the rapid development of our company and to remedy, to the extent possible, weather-related delays that are typical in the upper Midwest,” said Gus Olympidis, president and CEO of Family Express Corp.

Family Express, a 50-year-old family business, was featured in a 2024 Ideas 2 Go video. Watch it here.