Whether you’re a fan of the newly established Alltown Fresh in Ayer or you’re most decidedly not, one thing is fairly certain—this is not your father’s gas station.
I paid my first visit to Alltown Fresh, located on Ayer Road in Ayer, just over the Harvard town line, on the one-month anniversary of its opening. The gas station features 12 self-serve pumps and four full-service pumps. On the day of my visit, a gallon of gas was $2.49 for self-serve and $2.59 per gallon for full-serve. There are also high-speed diesel fueling stations in a separate area behind the store for 18-wheeler trucks. The gas station and convenience store are open 24 hours and the kitchen is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Ayer location is just one of four Alltown Fresh locations that feature a full kitchen, or what the folks at Alltown Fresh call “full expression.” There is also one full expression store in Plymouth and two others in Connecticut.
The Ayer store, which opened in December, is immaculate and the staff friendly and helpful. Customers are greeted upon arrival and offered assistance with the kiosk ordering system.
Alltown offers a full menu with grab-and-go options, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and bowls. (Photos by Tim Clark)
Employee Sawyer Stevens said customers seem to find the 24-hour aspect of the convenience store to be appealing. “We have people coming here all day and night,” he said. “Business is booming.” Coffee lovers may appreciate the bean-to-cup dispensers featuring fair trade organic coffee. Alltown Fresh has its own blend as well, which is made from beans roasted in Windsor, Connecticut.
There is an abundance of fresh food choices, including baked goods and made-to-order or pre-made salads, rice bowls, and sandwiches. Other grab-and-go prepared foods include hummus with celery, carrots, or broccoli; tuna salad; fruit crisps, and hard-boiled eggs. There are also all-day breakfast items like the vegetarian, gluten-free Buddha Bowl (quinoa, pickled carrots, daikon, enoki mushrooms, avocado, greens, poached cage-free egg) and smoothies such as the Dragon Slayer (dragon fruit, pineapple, mango, and beet juice).
Alltown Fresh sells a selection of dispensed organic, non-GMO juices from Tractor Beverage including the best-selling Stonefruit Haymaker (apricot, peach, apple cider vinegar) and self-serve flavored Kombucha teas from Aqua ViTea. Stephanie McGregor, general manager of the Ayer store, said the 16-ounce bottles of Kombucha, the trendy fermented tea with high probiotic properties, are a huge seller.
“I’m literally going through 48 bottles a week, it’s crazy,” she said. Soda drinkers may like Alltown Fresh’s own sodas that include flavors such as cola, sarsaparilla, and blood orange. McGregor said blueberry soda is by far the customer favorite.
Logan Crowell seals the deal on a salad to go at the salad and sandwich counter.
In addition to traditional snacks like Doritos and potato chips, you can also find healthier options like coconut oil kettle chips and organic plantain chips. Along with favorite candy choices like Skittles, there are also gourmet Belgian chocolate bars. The store offers pantry staple items and local products such as Nashoba Brook Bakery bread. Like most gas stations, Alltown Fresh sells beef jerky, but steps it up a notch by including grass-fed bison, turkey, venison, chicken, and vegan jerky.
Harvard resident John Bearley was helping his 6-year-old son Jacob pick out ice cream treats during my visit. Jacob ultimately selected a nut-free, sesame-free, egg-free option. Bearley said he has stopped by Alltown Fresh for vegan snacks several times since it opened.
“I enjoy the vegan selections you won’t find anywhere else in the area,” he said. “They sell snacks Idylwilde and Whole Foods don’t.”
Alltown Fresh, with its whitewashed barn boards, open crates, and metal pails, seemingly wants you to see it as a farmer’s market-like store, which many locals living among true orchards and farms may not accept. But if you need some gas and happen to be hungry, Alltown Fresh is a nice alternative, offering many healthy and organic options that aren’t offered at other gas station minimarts.
However, some products sold at the store seem out of place among the wholesome food and drink.
“People say, ‘You have all this healthy stuff but you still have cigarettes,’ said manager McGregor. “And I say when you break it down, we’re still a truck stop.”
