ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) ---Fifty years ago on Christmas Day, a man named Gus Olympidis opened his first convenience store on the west side of Valparaiso. That was the start of Family Express, now a chain of 81 stores that offer a convenience store, gas pumps and now, car washes. Thursday, Family Express got approval from the Allen County Plan Commission to open the company’s first two stores here - one on St. Joe Road at Mayhew Road and the other at Mayhew Road at North Clinton Street. Fort Wayne represents an “extremely good market,” according to Thomas Niezer, Barrett McNagny's attorney speaking Thursday for Family Express at the meeting. Family Express offers carwashes because “people like to wash their cars where they buy gas,” he said. For the company CEO and president Olympidis, it’s a chance to bring the unique brand that Family Express offers, he said during a phone interview Thursday. “We’re not a gas station,” Olympidis said, and he finds those two words offensive. The Hoosier company with stores in northwest and north central Indiana operates its own bakery, producing square donuts "because we don't cut corners" and the Megamuffin. Family Express also offers 24 types of coffee from “bean to cup,” and Cravin’s To Order food from an in-store kitchen. “The principal focus in the marketplace is to build relationships. We hire happy people who want to serve others and we hire them for life,” Olympidis said. There’s a company focus on volunteerism and community support. Family Express is now a second-generation business with Olympidis’ three sons, guaranteeing its continuation. The design renderings show a modern take on a colonial style. The building is 5,300 square feet with dining indoor and out. At the plan commission, members heard that the company will keep a green space surrounding the building. Family Express, a chain of convenience stores with fueling and car washes, is set to open two stores next year. At the plan commission’s public hearing last week, there was some pushback. The proposed Family Express on North Clinton is already surrounded by gas stations and a new Drive & Shine, but the plan commission is not in the business of regulating the types of businesses, members said. “We’ve always considered adjacency as a very serious component of everything the plan commission does, but in this case, you had two locations that are right near very high-traffic areas that include existing commercial businesses,  so it passed. It was a reasonably good fit, particularly based on the new comprehensive plan. I think it put everyone in the situation where there wasn’t a lot of argument to be had,” plan commission member and county council member Paul Lagemann said after the meeting. The plan will likely get approval from the Allen County Commissioners, the last step in the approval process. Olympidis said Family Express is looking to break ground as soon as possible and foresees opening the new establishments in 2025.