He Started The Most Niche Convenient Store You’ve ever Heard Of.

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Will White didn’t grow up with plans to reinvent the convenience store. But after years in the corporate energy world, he saw a gap no one else was filling.

In the middle of high-traffic oilfield sites, where crews worked long shifts with no access to food, fuel, or even a decent cup of coffee,  there was nothing. No gas stations. No stores. No bathrooms.

So he built The Outpost, a supply depot and convenience store that sells the basics in places most people wouldn’t think to put a business.

One location in, he’s doing eight figures in topline revenue, with plans to expand into other remote, high-demand industrial sites. I sat down with Will to learn how he pulled it off, the challenges of staffing in the middle of nowhere, and why simply existing can be the biggest competitive advantage of all.

1. Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Will White, founder of The Outpost Companies. We sell food, drinks, and fuel in remote industrial areas with high human activity but no other retail options. Our first location is a gas station and store in the oilfield.

2. What’s your backstory?
I’m a reformed lawyer who moved into the corporate energy space. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I needed something that matched my skills and industry knowledge. The C-store model caught my eye because of its margins and operational simplicity.

When I visited an oilfield site near our first location, I saw constant demand and zero supply. It felt obvious, so I built it.

3. How did you open your first store?
We secured a lease, thought we knew what it would cost, and were way off. I had to raise more money and hire a general contractor. We bootstrapped as much as possible… porta potties instead of bathrooms, rock base instead of paving. It took a lot of work, but we got it open.

4. What’s worked to attract and retain customers?
No competition. Out there, simply existing is the “purple cow.” Crews need food, fuel, and drinks. We’re the only option for miles.

On the staffing side, we pay more and outsource day-to-day management to a partner we trust. Not micromanaging that relationship has been key.

5. How’s the business doing today?
Our first store should do $10.5M in revenue and $1.2M in EBITDA this year. Short-term, we’re adding more locations in oilfields. Long-term, we’ll expand into other remote, high-activity areas like mines and LNG construction sites.

6. Any “oh crap” moments?
The first year, I had deep anxiety over costs. Demand wasn’t the problem, but covering expenses was. I also underestimated how long it would take for people to even know we existed. It was about five months before traffic really picked up.

7. What do outsiders misunderstand about your industry?
C-stores can have surprisingly strong margins, sometimes similar to software gross margins. And while people think oilfield work is in decline, certain areas still have high, sustained demand.

8. Favorite books and resources?
Sam Walton: Made in America, the Acquired podcast, and Shoe Dog. I’ve read hundreds of business books over the years, but the ones I’m reading while operating tend to have the most immediate impact.

9. If you started a new business today?
I’d look into selling to data centers. The AI boom is like a gold rush, and I’m thinking about what “picks and shovels” I sell into the coming wave..

10. Best advice for entrepreneurs?
Don’t listen to advice too literally. I took advice from mentors and others too seriously early on. Also, learn to step away from day-to-day operations so you can actually run the business, not just work in it.

Final Takeaways

1. Location is leverage: Will built where demand was high and competition was nonexistent.
   

2. Start scrappy: porta potties and gravel still work if the need is urgent.
   

3. Know your numbers: strong gross margins can exist outside of tech.
   

4. Expansion follows proof: one oilfield store is now a model for multiple industries.