SUSTAINABILITY IN C-STORES: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
that an organization's goals are environmentally friendly without evidence, is also a concern among c-store retailers, according to the report. “Greenwashing is all over the place, and I really don’t like it,” said Hartman. “I see people doing it. I see people bragging about how great they are in some of these things and the reality is, it's a very complicated place to measure … I know it's a good answer, but to try to then go to the public and tell them that I just saved 80% of energy savings in my store, unless I can truly hang my hat on that, I'm not really the type who likes to go out and do that.” Convenience stores have long been the bedrock of their communities, and sustainability is becoming a cornerstone for their customers. As c-store operators reinforce their commitment to planet friendly operations, this will only solidify their existence in the future. CEO Bobak Bakhtiari took control of his father’s Food Mart in 2013, and in 2021, he transformed it into Hangry Planet, a 100% plant-based conve- nience store. The store stands out on the road in San Bruno, California, with a giant Poseidon sculpture on the roof, a few 7-foot-tall mushrooms and a Tyrannosaurus rex with Vladimir Putin in its mouth, among other unique identifiers. Bakhtiari said the figures are nothing more than a whimsy quirk. “Why are people so obsessed with maintaining a mundane signature for gas station?” he said. “Why not have some fun, bring some playfulness?” The transition into a healthier, more sustainable store came after Bakhtiari had a “radical emotional response to learning about dairy farms.” He grew empathetic when studying the effect of factory farming on land, water pollution, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions. And because the store’s products are plant based, it’s inherently more environmentally friendly, he said. “Water use, biodiversity loss and ECONOMICALLY ECCENTRIC
“Why are people so obsessed with maintaining a mundane signature for gas station? Why not have some fun, bring some playfulness?” —BOBAK BAKHTIARI, HANGRY PLANET land use are pretty much cut 50% to 75% when the product is plant based,” he said. Hangry Planet has a team of four employees who, when choosing which products to offer, evaluate the background of the company and the taste of the product. The store also provides compostable utensils and, once a week, transports compostable products to their appropriate commercial facilities. The store also gives back to the community. More than 10% of the profits from its store, fuel, car wash and plant-based food truck Vegan Mob, go to nonprofits that are part of a three-pronged social impact strategy—sustainability and protection, medical care and orphanages, Bakhtiari said. Hangry Planet donated about $34,000 to nonprofits in 2023, he said. In terms of fuel, Hangry Planet is home to a Shell-branded station, where it is re- installing tanks to offer at least three biodiesel pumps. Bakhtiari is also planning to add a few electric-vehicle chargers. “It's such an ironic site because we're still providing fuel and trying to be such a sustainable c-store,” he said. “I'm very aware of the comedy around that, but at the same time, the end goal here is to do away with gas. We are going to be adding biodiesel pretty soon and then work on the plan to transition off of gas.” Another area of sustainability is the car wash, which recycles 70% of its water. It’s not just any car wash, though, it’s a virtual reality (VR) experience where customers can turn their lights off, tune into a specific radio station with relaxing music and watch five-minute immersive videos during the wash, such as dolphins breaching. “Putting media projection in a car wash seems fundamentally stupid and crazy,” Bakhtiari said. But he wanted to take the “childhood wonder that you remember a car wash [to be] and amplify it about 900%.”
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PHOTO COURTESY: HANGRY PLANET
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