Sparta
The long-awaited opening of Sparta’s new Dairy Queen finally arrived on Monday.
Raj Patel, owner of the Peacock franchise in Sparta, opened the combined Peacock Gas Station, Corner Cantina and Dairy Queen on the corner of E. Bockman Way and South Highland Drive.
“We have a major commitment to this community,” Patel said. “My family has been here for nearly 30 years. This is home for us, and we want to offer the best to our neighbors.”
The new convenience center opens on the site of the former stand-alone Peacock Gas Station, which was torn down in August of this year. Patel said the decision regarding which companies to partner with when bringing the new facility to Sparta was driven by community needs and requests.
“A long time ago, there was a Dairy Queen in Sparta, and people continued to ask if there would ever be one here again,” he explained. “We listened to what the community wanted and decided to add a DQ to our location.”
Patel went on to say that the Corner Cantina is more than just a place to get a quick Mexican meal, adding that they will serve breakfast with a more traditional southern flare that includes a variety of freshly made biscuits.
While the center will continue to have the locally trusted Peacock brand, the gas station itself will be offering BP fuel and benefits.
“BP has a strong brand loyalty program, and they have partnered with Amazon Prime,” Patel explained. “Customers can use their awards at the pump or inside the store or save them up for future purchases.”
In addition to the branding changes and added dining options, the biggest change customers will see will be outside. The old gas station had four pumps providing eight filling stations, but through the purchase of additional property, renovations to the parking lot and relocating the store front to a spot deeper on the lot, the new facility is able to offer double the filling stations.
“We have 16filling stations now,” Patel said, “and with the addition of the extra land, we were able to create a better pattern for traffic. You can pull any vehicle onto our property and to our pumps now – trucks, trailers, they will all fit easily.”
The Peacock Convenience Center will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with gas, snacks, and fresh grab-and-go options for customers. Dairy Queen will be open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. with the drive thru remaining open an hour later, while the Corner Cantina will open early for breakfast and then remain open for lunch and dinner hours.
“We are really excited to have another great partnership with Raj Patel and his amazing staff. They are always so ready and willing to entertain their customers,” Sparta White County Chamber of Commerce president Brent Young said. “This new venture has some unique features from a drive-thru to fresh options. It’s a great opportunity for our community, our own little version of an all-in-one truck stop.”
As a thank you to the community, Patel will be running a full week of daily specials to celebrate the Peacock Convenience Center opening.
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