Beyond the Coffee Stop: How Gas Stations Are Redefining the Art of Recharging

News about coffee shop openings is hardly groundbreaking. A cozy nook near home or work where you can grab your favorite drink to go or sit down and “recharge” has become a must-have for any city. But what about coffee at gas stations? Typically, it’s a quick stop: fill up your tank, grab a cup of coffee, and hit the road. It’s a brief respite from a tiring journey, but is it truly a break or just an imitation of one?

The A-100 Coffee Experience

The A-100 gas station network has always adhered to the principle of creating “a place where it’s good.” The company was one of the first to introduce a unique “coffee shop” menu at its stations, focusing on visually appealing exterior and interior designs. For most of the year, the surroundings can be gray and dreary, but at A-100, it’s always cozy and pleasant.

Every day, A-100 gas stations continue to “become the best version of themselves.” They are no longer just “gas stations with a shop and cafe function.” At three flagship A-100 stations in Minsk—near Kamennaya Gorka on the MKAD, in the Kharkovskaya Street area, and on Borovaya—the “a-pra100ra” coffee shops have opened, attracting not only motorists.

Creating a Universe of Comfort

“Our company has a plan for every day—to conquer the universe,” says Anna Krasovskaya, Director of the A-100 gas station network. “Everything we do, we do as if it were for ourselves, and this is the main marker of our success. In ‘a-pra100ra,’ we have created an atmosphere of kindness, coziness, and freedom. So that at any time convenient for them—we operate 24/7—people can come to us not only to refuel their cars but also to meet friends or business partners, relax, and even work.”

The company has succeeded in this endeavor. Here’s why:

Delicious Offerings

A-100 has thoughtfully approached the development of its coffee shop menus. The company has been selecting coffee for about four years, and the raw materials undergo five stages of quality control. The blend used to brew coffee at A-100 is roasted in Germany specifically for the company.

The menu includes americano, cappuccino, latte, raff, flat white, melange, cortado, and other drinks. The selection is constantly expanding to keep up with the latest coffee trends.

For guests with children or those who prefer tea, the cafe offers natural teas, including unique mixes with sea buckthorn, ginger, orange, and berries.

The sweet menu will not go unnoticed by guests who follow the principles of healthy eating. “A-pra100ra” offers many dietary sweets, such as sour cream cake, meringue roll, and carrot cake.

However, even the classic chocolate, caramel, and nut pastries here are quite “pp”—try it and you’ll love it.

Beautiful Design

The coffee shop design was intentionally developed without being tied to specific concepts.

Natural materials are used in the decor, such as wooden countertops and stabilized moss in decorative panels.

“The meaning of our design lies in the absence of deep meanings or the creation of a ‘separate little world.’ We focused on our guests. Here, they can comfortably spend time alone or in conversation with their companions,” shared Alexey Zhuravsky, a designer at the A-100 gas station network. “Our details are unobtrusive, and this is the essence of recharging. For accent chairs, we chose standout but not flashy colors. The live panel and our favorite swings will definitely appeal to children or those who want to take an impressive photo for social media: these moments we could not ignore.”

Convenience at Its Best

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the gas station, including, of course, the coffee shop. This will surely appeal to those who work remotely and want to change their home office, settling on comfortable sofas along large panoramic windows.

“If you try working in a cafe at a gas station, you’ll do it constantly,” they believe at A-100. “There’s always something happening here, and watching the passing cars and pedestrians is just what you need for a recharge or finding new insights.”