A Farm Stores drive-thru convenience store is under development in Deptford NJ, taking over a small building located next to Burger King on Cooper St.
The property they will be occupying has housed a small building for about 20 years now, which has been the home to a few drive-thru businesses over that span.
As it is currently sized, the building probably doesn’t hold more than one person. Based on stopping at the site it appears they are doing some expansion to enlarge the building.
In the mid-2000s the property was known as Corvoca Coffee and around 2011 the building was home to “DeWaffleZone”… both businesses were drive-thru operations also.
The location is in a high traffic area close to the Delsea Drive intersection. Walmart (Cooper), Budd’s Pools, Walgreen’s and Deptford Municipal all in the very immediate area.
An AFC Urgent Care is moving in next to Walgreen’s on Delsea drive.
First off… because I know many readers are thinking this… Yes over on the White Horse Pike in Somerdale there was a similar concept store called Swiss Farms?
Swiss Farms is a larger variation of Farms Stores, and yes there is a business connection as “Sister” companies. Today that distinctive Somerdale building is home to G&G Pizza (Facebook Page).
Farm Stores : What They Offer
The large “Farm Stores” sign has been up for several months at the property on Cooper Street, across from Budd’s Pools.
We were holding off on posting about them in hopes of chatting with management about specifics on the project, but after a few emails we haven’t been able to connect.
Now with construction crews on-site, we felt we had to put an article up of what we know! 42Freeway has received several messages from readers asking about it.
In the style of “pitch me your idea in 1 minute or less” , Farm Stores offers the following:
Farm Stores is a unique neighborhood store. We’re a drive-thru bakery, grocery, and cafe in one fast and friendly location
Farm Stores Website
While they are a drive-thru business there is no talking into a speaker to order. You can either order online (mobile phone) for pickup, or you pull right up to the store main window and tell the employee exactly what you want!
Like other convenience stores, it’s clear a big part of the business is morning coffee and bakery items, and Farm Stores has that covered. Coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and bakery items like donuts and danishes.
So from that regard it sounds a bit like a Dunkin store.
But then they add other things into the offering.
In the Ready-To-Eat category they offer Hot Soups, Sandwiches, Empanadas, Ham&Cheese buns.
But you say… Dunkin has sandwiches too!
Map image (C) Google. Used under their fair-use policy
Well how about…. Farm Stores offers snacks including chips, candy, hot cookies, and ice cream and milk shakes!
Now things are really starting to get interesting! Remember they do call themselves a “Convenience Store”… so isn’t that more than ready to eat items?
Well they have Grocery, Household goods, and beverages!
Now you have to keep things in perspective. These are not large stores so they probably arent going to have motor oil for your car.
But they do carry milk, bread, eggs and fresh produce!
They even have laundry detergents, paper towels, pet food!
And how about cereals, sliced meat and cheese, lunchables?!
It seems they are targeting the top “oh damn I have to run out and pick up” items.
It’s an interesting concept that has been tried before… but what’s interesting about Farm Stores is they have managed to work all of the top selling items; coffee, sandwiches, ice cream, groceries… into one store offering, while maintaining a small and economical footprint.
Farm Stores : History and Growth
With that being said, the Farm Stores website tracks their history back to 1935 as a dairy, and in 1957 they started the Farm Stores drive-thru concept. By the late 60s was a well know convenience store in Florida!
Property records show that the Cooper Street property changed hands in September 2021, with Farm Pointe New Jersey LLC taking over ownership.
We believe they are part of a Florida based development group Pointe Companies who develop, own, or sometimes resells commercial properties… including a variety of Farm Stores locations.
Image (C) Google. Used under their fair-use policy
A 2021 Asbury Park Press online article features a then upcoming location in Brick (also owned by Farm Pointe New Jersey LLC), and they mention the Toms River store, plus locations soon to come in Beachwood and Morris and Sussex Counties.
The Farm Stores website features a 2016 article stating they had a goal then of bringing 100 stores to New Jersey!
Deptford Store – Final Form?
Looking at the featured Farm Stores properties at their site, it seems there are a variety of building styles. At least one is a repurposed Checker’s/Rally’s, one has a distinctive barn look… and some of the all new construction properties like Toms River NJ are developed around storage containers.
For Deptford it’s clear that the building on the property has functioned off and on for 20 years or so as a drive-thru business.
And we can see some construction is taking place at the property, and in the back they have cut out some of the asphalt. This is either for a concrete pad, or maybe they are doubling the size of the building?
So it feels like Farm Stores Deptford will be building off of the existing building to develop a store within their style framework.
We haven’t noticed any Planning Board meetings on this, so it really leans toward the Deptford store being a modification of the existing building.
The signage at the Deptford site shows a design that looks like the Louisville Kentucky location, which originally was a Checkers/Rally.
We’ll publish updates as it gets closer to opening.
Links and Location
Farm Stores Deptford – Under Development
915 Cooper Street
Deptford NJ 08096
Farm Stores Website
Farm Stores Toms River, NJ Facebook