By Peter Covino
Lifestyles Editor

A convenience store probably isn’t the first place you think of when you are looking for a do-it-yourself frozen yogurt bar — complete with all the toppings.

But Kissimmee will soon be home to a new prototype RaceTrac store, where frozen yogurt will be just one of the new features.

RaceTrac Petroleum will open three new stores in Central Florida, said Sherri Scott, director of public relations for the Atlanta-based corporation. And the first of the new prototype stores, and the first one in Florida, opens on John Young Parkway, just south of the overpass, in the fall. Construction has been under way for about two  months.

The 6,000-square-foot store is about 1,000 square feet bigger than the typical RaceTrac, Scott said. Two other new prototype RaceTrac stores will open in the fall off of Central Florida Parkway and in Apopka. The new stores are formally called RaceTrac’s RT6K, emphasizing those 6,000 square-feet.

The new RaceTrac stores want to combine the variety of grocery store, the speed of a convenience store and the quality of a fast-casual restaurant, she said.

“People were telling us they wanted a place to have breakfast and lunch,” Scott said of the newly designed stores.

And the new stores were created with that in mind.

The larger RaceTracs feature expanded food and beverage options including fried chicken and biscuits, 24 frozen drink flavors, a walk-in beer cooler, 12 fresh-brewed teas and free Wi-Fi.

And yes, yogurt.

The Swirl World yogurt bar features 10 flavors of yogurt and some 40 toppings.

RaceTrac even has an executive chef in charge of the food operation, she said.

Other highlights of the larger stores include exterior stone accents, in-store music, digital screens and indoor and outdoor seating.

A few of the new prototype RaceTracs already  have opened in Georgia and the first one opened in Texas last month, Scott said.

RaceTrac also is a community-minded retailer, she said, and another RaceTrac means even more community involvement. Recent Florida efforts include the fifth annual Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 5K “Ranch Run”. All event proceeds benefitted the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, which is a collection of residential and outreach programs targeted at preventing juvenile delinquency. The Ranch Run raised $24,000 for the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches around the state.

Each of the new RaceTrac stores will have 20 employees, Scott said.

RaceTrac operates more than 630 stores nationwide.