APCO Bacchus Marsh

Bacchus Marsh, Victoria

A carefully staged refurbishment repositioning an existing service station around an expanded café and food-to-go experience.

The brief

APCO sought to modernise the existing Bacchus Marsh store without losing the operational value of its established building and forecourt. The project needed to improve the food offer, customer circulation and retail presentation while coordinating new equipment and services within the constraints of the existing structure.

The design also needed to remain flexible as the food-to-go concept developed during documentation.

The architectural response

Bespoke Architects reorganised the interior around three connected customer zones: the convenience shop, the fuel console and a dedicated Café 24/7 offer. The revised arrangement creates clear movement from the entrance to the point-of-sale areas while retaining visibility across the shop.

The café incorporates coffee service, hot and chilled displays, food-to-go equipment and a compact commercial kitchen. A low-height wall and overhead bulkhead define the café without isolating it from the retail floor.

The broader shop layout includes grocery aisles, chilled beverages, frozen meals, confectionery, flowers, magazines and impulse displays. The offer is supported by a cool room, freezer, storage, office and accessible customer amenities.

Working with the existing building

The refurbishment carefully coordinates retained windows, structural columns, switchboards and existing services. New joinery, floor finishes, bulkheads and equipment are fitted around these constraints to minimise unnecessary building work.

Durable finishes—including commercial vinyl, luxury vinyl tile, carpet tile, ceramic tile and stainless steel—respond to the different performance requirements of the shop, café, kitchen and back-of-house spaces.

Operational planning

The console and café counters are planned as complementary service points. Refrigerated drawers, preparation benches, cooking equipment, coffee machines and chilled displays are integrated into the joinery to reduce staff movement and create a compact workflow.

Clearances around the kitchen, accessible facilities and automatic entry are coordinated with the operational layout, helping the existing building meet contemporary expectations for accessibility and customer service.

The outcome

The design transforms the established store through strategic internal changes rather than wholesale redevelopment. The result is a more contemporary retail environment with a stronger food identity, improved operational planning and the flexibility to respond to changing customer preferences.

Project details

Architect: Bespoke Architects
Client: APCO Service Stations Pty Ltd
Location: Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
Project type: Service-station interior refurbishment
Key elements: Convenience retail, Café 24/7, food-to-go offer and commercial kitchen
Status: Completed