The most recent location was an ANZ Market in Bristol, Connecticut. | ANZ Petroleum
ANZ Petroleum Inc., New Milford, Connecticut, might be regarded as a smaller-to-midsized convenience-store and petroleum outfit. But for its modest size, the company formed 25 years ago by Mir Ahmed is armed with a total turnkey business model.
The chain of 22 retail locations packs a lot of core and essential resources into its toolbox. For starters, ANZ is armed with an internal construction team that builds its own stores—to the tune of one retail unit per year since 2018.
ANZ also diversifies retail assets, owning and operating a blend of travel centers, traditional gas stations and cutting-edge c-stores. It offers a handful of drive-through service windows in partnership with Sonic; two full-service car washes; serves as a franchisee of 7-Eleven; operates two full-serve tunnel car washes; and provides electric vehicle (EV) charging via partnerships with Tesla and ChargePoint.
That’s not all: ANZ is a regional petroleum distributor that supplies multiple wholesale and dealer accounts across Connecticut under CITGO, Sunoco, Valero and unbranded banners.
Ahmed said the road to operating 22 locations—the most recent being an ANZ Market debuting in Bristol, Connecticut, in mid-July—took a slower, consistent path. “We started gradually [in 2000] with one to two stores then added a couple more,” said Ahmed, who says the ANZ Market format, relatively new, will be a prime focus for future retail expansions.
Over the past seven years, this growth trajectory has been anything but gradual, churning out one new store per year, all built from the ground-up rather than raze-and-rebuilds or acquisitions. Among those, the company has several large travel centers branded a combination of 7-Eleven, Sunoco, Sonic and Tesla for EV charging, all under one roof. There’s ambitious growth expected geographically too. Ahmed said ANZ is eager to expand outside Connecticut to include New York and New Jersey local markets.
Presently, the company blends a few highway stores with ones situated in local neighborhoods. “We try and double down when it comes to serving local customers,” said Riaz Uddin, general manager of ANZ Petroleum.
“We line it all up to where our construction team will build a single store within 12 months’ time,” said Uddin. “Each town we enter has its own local rules, ordinances and policies that we must comply with. We know how to do things the right way because we’ve been doing it a long time. We perform our own vast research with the support of our R&D team.”
Keeping with the theme of diversity, ANZ Petroleum serves a wide range of demographics in its Connecticut communities that include Bristol, New Milford, New Preston, Torrington and Thomaston.
Underpinned by the motto touting the company as “Your Local Fuel Distributor,” ANZ Petroleum prides itself on fostering strong local ties led by exceptional service.
Well-oiled machine
Read ahead for a recent conversation with general manager Uddin about how ANZ has built and grown into a well-oiled machine.
Q: With the chain migrating to the ANZ Market concept more in the future, what are your expectations with this retail mark?
A: This is our second ANZ Market. It’s a new idea—we consider the store out-of-the-box. We consider this format open concept: whenever you walk into store, it creates a ‘wow’ factor. You won’t feel cramped or stuck in one area of the store. It’s extremely cutting-edge. Open concept also means more floor area in what is about a 2,200 square-foot store. The ceilings are high at 14 feet, and we have modern lighting. In Bristol, which is Valero-branded, we went with vaulted ceilings to add open-ness.
Q: What can local Bristol residents and travelers expect when they enter the new location?
A: We have all types of food, including a deli that serves cold cuts and hot food made on site, such as chicken, French fries, pizza and more—as well as Costa Coffee. NCD (National Convenience Distributors) is our wholesaler partner as well as Core-Mark. Also, this location is remote, as it’s situated on the outskirts of the town. We have separated ourselves from the retail crowd already—and we are planning to do so even more by sourcing local fruits and veggies from local farmers.
Q: Electrification is a vital piece to your retail plan. Can you go into detail about EV charging?
A: We got involved with Tesla in 2023 and ChargePoint in 2024. We currently have four stations that offer EV charging: we installed the above ground infrastructure and our partners handle the rest. The payoff of EV could amount to greater in-store sales, but we’ve just started this initiative and it’s too early in the game to say. We also have a great relationship with the local Connecticut municipalities. Many have encouraged the implementation of EV charging as part of any new-build gas station.
Q: What’s ahead for ANZ Petroleum?
A: We are looking forward to opening another ANZ Market in 2026, and every year our goal is building one store. We are also a fuel distributor with many accounts and growing. We’re excited about our future plans.
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