Robert Lemaire cuts the ribbon on the new Cumberland Farms Convenience store on Curran Highway.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Cumberland Farms held its latest grand opening in the Berkshires on Monday afternoon and kicked off a fundraiser for the North Adams Youth Football League.
Robert Lemaire, president of the league, cut the bright green ribbon to officially open the doors on the 4,500 square foot store, which opened for business about a month ago on Curran Highway.
"Cumby's is fundraising for us with 10 cents being given to Youth Football for every drink they sell," Lemaire said.
The fundraiser runs through Nov. 24 at the Curran Highway location only and applies to dispensed drinks — Chill Zone and coffees.
The company typically holds its grand openings in conjunction with a local fundraiser.
The convenience store and its five gas pump stations is the third Cumberland Farms to open in the city; older stores are on Ashland Street and the Mohawk Trail. It employs about dozen people split between part and full time.
The latest addition was built on the site of the former Greenbergs & Sons home improvement store that abruptly closed last year after nearly 40 years at the site. The prominent location at Hodges Cross Road made the property attractive because of its visibility.
Cumberland Farms has been revamping its more than 550 stores since 2008 to offer more space, more choice and more convenience foods; the Curran Highway store is the about the 240th to be redone or built. Both the Williamstown and Dalton stores have been reconstructed.
Blaine Applebee, area sales manager, said the company is looking at options for the two older stores in North Adams. The Ashland Street store is landlocked on a smaller lot making it difficult to expand in size without acquiring nearby properties. The larger Mohawk Trail store has room to grow but Cumberlands is looking at an adjacent property to offer greater sitelines.
"It's all about visibility," he said, noting the Curran Highway location allows motorists plenty of time to see what's ahead. "We don't want them to drive by and say 'oh, was that a Cumberland Farms?' "
The New England company has been making significant investment in its properties and is attempting to get away from the "gas station food" reputation that has long dogged convenience stores. At the new Cumberlands, there is a wide variety of coffees and beverages, grocery items, snacks, baked goods, prepackaged sandwiches and salads, and hot foods such as pizza and hot dogs.
Customers who dropped by during the grand opening event were treated to free beverages and hot food samples, and a cart full of swag — sunglasses, keychains and T-shirts — while a cow and a giant frozen drink entertained the crowd.
Cumberland Farms, headquartered in Framingham, employs more than 6,000 people. It sells enough Chill Zone drinks to fill six Olympic swimming pools every year.
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Robert Lemaire cuts the ribbon on the new Cumberland Farms Convenience store on Curran Highway.
