Greenfield-based Leo’s opening in Noblesville

A Greenfield-based convenience store is bringing its hybrid fresh grocery, restaurant and fuel station concept to Noblesville and McCordsville by the end of next year.

Siblings Stephanie White-Longworth and Keith White opened the first Leo’s Market and Eatery a little over a year ago at 2212 W. Main St. in Greenfield using proceeds from an earlier venture. The brother-and-sister duo had previously grown their father’s company, Gas America Services, to 88 locations before selling the chain to Speedway in 2012. Now, they’re branching out to launch Leo’s second and third locations and establish the chain in Indianapolis’ northern suburbs.

“Leo’s is an accumulation of all the things we wanted to do,” White-Longworth said. “We really target folks who want an all-in-one shopping experience without having to go to a big box store. We have our own eatery in the store that allows us to bring in fresh produce, fruits and vegetables.”

After they sold Gas America Services in 2012, White-Longworth and her brother formed Pride Investment Partners to act as a venture capital and real estate company. The firm owns several student housing developments, a Holiday Inn in Columbus, the Sleep Inn & Suites in downtown Indianapolis and the Leo’s brand.

The 6,500-square-foot Leo’s in Greenfield opened in July 2019 to offer customers fresh produce, flowers, baking supplies, bath products and other groceries alongside the pre-packaged staples of a normal convenience store.

“We do offer fuel, but we really fight against being called a gas station,” White-Longworth said. “It is a full restaurant operating back there—we have a chef, we have a full kitchen.”

The ‘eatery’ part of Leo’s takes up roughly 40% of the store’s layout and offers a fresh line of pasta and grain bowls, salads, bakery items, sandwiches and salads.

White-Longworth said outdoor seating, drive-thru, online ordering and delivery have been crucial to surviving reduced foot traffic during the pandemic.

Construction on Leo’s second, roughly 7,500-square-foot location will start this month at the northeast corner of 146^th Street and Promise Road, as part of Carter Jackson’s greater 34-acre Campus Center development.

White-Longworth said the store will be very similar to the Greenfield location when it opens next April, and she’s hoping to start hiring for roughly 27 new positions soon.

Jacque Haynes, a broker with Midland Atlantic, said Leo’s is a good first addition to Campus Center’s retail side because it will offer the high-growth area some critical neighborhood services.

“We felt like they were the right person, the right group to be anchoring our corner. We pursued them close to stalking measures after seeing their concept in greenfield, just knowing how much it’s going to resonate up in Noblesville,” Haynes said.

She said there are roughly 45,000 people who live within seven minutes of the forthcoming Noblesville Leo’s, as well as major employers like SMC.

“There’s a lot of built-up demand in the immediate area,” Haynes said.

Leo’s third location, the construction of which is scheduled to start in April, is planned for the corner of North 600 West and West 900 North in McCordsville. It will be about the same size as the Noblesville store. White-Longworth said Pride Investment Partners is trying to keep its expansions within 30 miles of Greenfield before looking at opportunities elsewhere.