ALTON - Rob and Mac Lenhardt both have some big goals for the future with the hope for a collective 30 convenience stores, pizza places, or small restaurants over the next decade. The Lenhardts are already off to a strong start. Rob Lenhardt said on Tuesday the goal is to do two to three new locations a year, starting with neighboring cities.
Rob Lehnhardt stressed whatever the city needed, whether it was a convenience store, restaurant or pizza place they would unveil. He also emphasized they wanted to keep their operations at the start within 20 minutes of the Belle/Third Street in Alton location, but would eventually go broader than that.
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Mac’s first convenience store was adjacent to the bar/restaurant on Belle Street in Alton and it has been phenomenally well-received, he said. Rob admitted they learned a lot with the expansion after adding a convenience store and will put that to good use as they continue to grow.
“We are working on a pizza place/gaming establishment in Godfrey at 3030 Godfrey Road,” he said. “It will feature New York Style, Chicago Style, Detroit Style, and St. Louis Style pizza - a little of everything, with gaming. We are also putting a convenience store at 82 E. Ferguson in Wood River. We think Downtown Wood River will be a good fit with all that is going on there business-wise."
Rob was working on the store on Ferguson on Tuesday in Wood River as he was interviewed. He participates hands-on in many of the projects.
“We plan to add a mixture of bars, restaurants, convenience stores, whatever we feel the city needs,” he said.
Rob said with each new addition, it gets easier to add the other component. The Lenhardts have purchased multiple buildings next to its business in Downtown Alton and have been working diligently on the back parking lot. More to come on that in a later story, but there will be Downtown Alton concerts held in the back lot by fall, he said. He said they also attract some "big name" musical acts to the concert venue.
He said the Godfrey pizza place will open by fall and he believes it will be a hit.
Next up for the Lenhardts may be an addition in Jerseyville. He said they are looking for the right place and concept and believe that city would be another great addition to their business lineup.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but in the end, it will be worth it,” Rob said. “We are also looking at one day being in Missouri. We are waiting for some of the gaming laws to be updated. We feel the future is very bright for us.”
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