A local couple who lived in Ohio for a year realized when they returned to the Sacramento region the area lacked a specific service they could offer.
Fire Stop is a new drive-through convenience store near American River College on Auburn Blvd. Customers can order snacks and beverages from their car's front seat at one of the store’s windows, avoiding the need to go inside. Founded by Sam Pellot-Perez and Simone Nash, it's the area’s first store of its kind.
The two decided to purchase the small building after they spent a year together in Pellot-Perez’s hometown of Cleveland; the concept was born from the couple’s experiences there, where drive-thru stores are more common.
The store opened on Dec. 8 after the couple secured the necessary permits, renovated the inside of the structure and stocked the store. The drive-thru offers a variety of snacks and drinks, including sodas, teas and energy drinks, along with essentials like toilet paper, medicines and menstrual items. Soon, Pellot-Perez said the store aims to sell milk, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products in the hopes of attracting customers.
“I think a lot of people are nervous to come by,” he said. “They still do think it's a coffee shop…if you know you need an item and you’re about to go…to your local store, think about us. You could pull up here and get your items, get whatever you need and never have to get out [of] your car.”
Once a coffee shop, Fire Stop convenience store in Sacramento, Calif., displays a menu in its drive-thru on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.Mike Hagerty/CapRadio
This business model is more common in the eastern U.S. because of colder weather and snow, but Nash said Sacramento could also benefit from an approach like this when the temperature spikes.
Before the convenience store was renovated and opened, the small pop-up building was a drive-thru called Capital Coffee. This building's design differed from a lot of Ohio drive-thru convenience stores, that commonly have more of a garage-style entrance, connected to a gas station, according to Pellot-Perez.
Taking suggestions from visiting customers on additional items the store should carry has been helpful, said Nash.
“A lot of customers have given us feedback that they want maybe different flavors or [say], ‘Oh, I really wish we could get milk here.’ So those are things that we're planning to add,” Nash said.
“Being so fast-paced here, it just made perfect sense for us to bring that [type of service] here.”
The couple envisions expanding when they are open, hoping to operate their business 24 hours a day. As a new mother, Nash said she needs a shopping experience that meets her needs.
“Sometimes at 2 a.m. I need baby Tylenol. I need Advil or something,” she said. “And being able to come and drive through with my baby in the car and not have to get out is a huge bonus for us. So that's definitely something we want, to [be able to do] cater to those kinds of customers soon.”
Sam Pellot-Perez co-owns Fire Stop, a drive-thru convenience store in Sacramento, Calif.Mike Hagerty/CapRadio
Simone Nash co-owns Fire Stop, a drive-thru convenience store in Sacramento, Calif.Mike Hagerty/CapRadio
Things have been slow as people become familiar with the new store, Pellot-Perez said. However, the couple anticipates business will pick up when neighboring American River College resumes classes in the new year.
“I think it'll be a lot different when the college students come back and want their morning caffeine fix and things like that,” Nash said. “Hopefully, people will start to understand the concept as we're here longer.”
The drive-thru is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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