Washington Dulles International Airport and Sunoco LP celebrated the Grand Opening Jan. 12, of the airport’s new fuel, food and convenience store complex, signifying a new and improved era of service for airport customers and businesses.
Officials from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Sunoco showed off the new, world-class fueling facility, which opened to the public Dec. 22. The Grand Opening included a ribbon cutting ceremony, a display of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2016 No. 88 Nationwide Chevy SS Simulator and live mariachi music to welcome Laredo Taco Company, the successful fresh, authentic Mexican food restaurant now at six APlus locations in Northern Virginia.
The new on-airport gas station and convenience store includes 28 fueling positions, with auto diesel at every pump, while the 8,600-square-foot APlus convenience store features both Laredo Taco Company and a Subway sandwich shop – two great options for fresh, healthy meals. Customers inside can check flights on live monitors, charge devices with USB power and use free Wi-Fi to get work done. The newly developed three-acre complex is located just off the Dulles Airport Access Highway, adjacent to the former airport gas station and the Economy parking lot.
“We welcome all Dulles customers to this spacious, new facility that was built to serve their travel needs for years to come,” said Jerome L. Davis, airports authority executive vice president and chief revenue officer. “More than just a gas station, the APlus store, Subway Sandwich Shop and Laredo Taco Company provide high-quality food and retail options for travelers catching a flight or hitting the road.”
“This new facility is our next generation of Sunoco APlus stores,” said Scot Knox, Sunoco’s regional operations director. “The size, space, convenience of our store, including the restaurant-feel and made-right-here food, is going to add to the great amenities already available at Dulles International Airport.”
At the Grand Opening event, Sunoco officials presented a $5,000 donation to the Capital Area Food Bank, as part of Sunoco’s continuing relationship to support the fight against hunger in the Washington, D.C. area.
The site of the new station, 44950 Rudder Road, is also along the rental car return route for many vehicles entering the airport. Customers will benefit from competitive fuel pricing and other driver-friendly features including a drive-through automated car wash, 75 parking spaces and plenty of seating indoors and outdoors.
The expansive APlus store has seating for 51 people inside, plus 38 outdoors, to enjoy the restaurant-quality food available at Laredo Taco Company and Subway. Laredo Taco Company, born in the Rio Grande Valley, has pioneered taqueria-quality Mexican food in convenience stores, and today has more than 475 locations in Texas and six other states, including six in Virginia.
The tacos start with hand-made, fresh-grilled tortillas topped with an array of traditional ingredients such as Mexican corn, homemade guacamole and pico de gallo made daily from fresh jalapeños, onions, and tomatoes. Customers can personalize their breakfast tacos on touch-screen kiosks with everything from eggs to bacon, chorizo, potatoes, beans and cheese; or customize taco bowls with flame-grilled beef, chicken fajitas, cilantro rice and charro beans. Enchiladas and quesadillas are also available.
With Subway, customers can depend on fresh, delicious, made-to-order sandwiches that have made Subway the world's most successful submarine sandwich chain, providing another choice for fresh, nutritious meals.
The airport gas station has been a top seller in the region, comparable with other busy stations such as the Chesapeake House on I-95 in Maryland. With the previous site reaching capacity, the Airports Authority selected an adjacent site that is about 50 percent larger and conducted a competitive process to select a firm to develop and operate it. A 20-year contract was awarded to MACS Retail LLC, a Sunoco subsidiary.
