'useful energy stop'

At petrol station Den Ruygen Hoek West opened largest Circle K in the Netherlands shows several firsts

Published on 2025-08-29 at 10:40

De grootste Circle K van Nederland die in de derde week van augustus op stopplaats ‘Den Ruygen Hoek West’ aan de snelweg A4 bij Hoofddorp werd geopend, biedt bezoekers meerdere innovaties. — Het zelfbedienings koffie-eiland in Circle K Den Ruygen Hoek biedt volgens de formule meerdere primeurs.

The Netherlands’ largest Circle K, which opened in mid-August at stopover ‘Den Ruygen Hoek West’ on the A4 motorway near Hoofddorp, offers visitors several firsts. Even more than in previously opened Circle K outlets, the mega petrol shop is betting on specialty coffees, ice drinks, matcha tea and combo deals.

Petrol station Den Ruygen Hoek West on the A4 motorway near Schiphol Airport is being completely revamped. Where this week the forecourt has been shovelled, the former Bonjour tankshop opened on 18 August as Circle K after extensive renovation. The branch at the TotalEnergies filling station is not only the largest Circle K in the Netherlands in terms of surface area, it also offers visitors several firsts, according to Alimentation Couche-Tard/Circle K. New is the self-service coffee island that has a central position on the route from the shop entrance to the refrigerators with soft drinks. More so than other Circle K shops in the Netherlands, the coffee island puts the emphasis on hot and cold coffee specialities.
At Circle K Den Ruygen Hoek West, visitors have a choice of eight new coffee varieties. In addition, matcha latte and two iced coffees are available in self-service for the first time, according to the company. Consumers will find mini freezers containing cups filled with ice cubes for this purpose on the coffee island. According to the company, Den Ruygen Hoek West is also the first Circle K in the Netherlands to offer matcha tea in self-service. Hot chocolate, tea and syrups are also part of the self-service range. Visitors who want something to eat with their drink will find a range of sweet and savoury treats at the coffee island.

Many changes

Den Ruygen Hoek West ranks as one of the largest and most crowded stops in the Netherlands. The filling station has gone through many changes in recent years. After displaying the colours of BP for many years, operation passed to TotalEnergies in September 2020. At the auction that year, owner Kok & Zonen had more than €27 million to spare to keep the lease rights for 15 years, a record at the time. Yet shortly after the auction, the family business opted to hand over the operation of the filling station to TotalEnergies. In the years that followed, the French energy giant carried out many innovations, including in the shop. In November 2022, for instance, a branch of the Asian wok formula Eazie opened there, the first in the Netherlands in a petrol station.

Energy stop

Following the divestment in January 2024 of the retail and card operations by TotalEnergies and its acquisition by Canadian Alimentation Couche-Tard/Circle K, the tank shop at Den Ruygen Hoek West was also scheduled for conversion. On Monday 18 August, it newly opened as Circle K, the largest in area in the Netherlands. According to Circle K, visitors will find ‘everything that makes an energy stop not only useful but also pleasant and tasty’. The conversion to Circle K saw the disappearance of the Eazie shop-in-shop that was there.

In March 2024, the Netherlands’ first Circle K opened at stop ‘Bijleveld’ on the A12 motorway near Harmelen. By now, around 50 filling stations have been equipped with the shop concept. Until mid-2027, another 250 or so tank shops in the country are to be converted.

The official opening of Circle K Den Ruygen Hoek West will take place in mid-September through a ‘week of celebration’.

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This article was automatically translated from the Dutch language original to English (British).

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