Could a "Mom and Pop" gas station manage to stay open?

I only see citgos, amacos, casey’s etc… I don’t believe I have seen a mom and pop gas store, at least not for awhile.

Do gas stations need to have a corporate affiliation in order to operate?

Is this really a Great Debate?

That said, I used to work at a locally owned gas station that has been in business since 1987.

The only one in my town just went under :frowning: Had the lowest prices.

Also a sense of humor. The guy owned both the gas station and the motel next store. He named the gas station Pacific and the motel the Pacific View Motel (we’re on the east coast and far from the ocean). Always cracked me up when I was driving to work.

This actually looks like a General Question. I’m sure there are facts involving franchises, independents, and economics that might bear on this.

Off you go.

[ /Moderator Mode ]

I regularly buy my gas at an independent gas station. The Indian couple that runs it might even be a Mom and a Pop.

There’s an independant gas station here in town. I’m not sure how long it’s been open, but I know the current owner - a guy who has to be in his late 60s - inherited it from his father. I asked my Dad once when the station opened, and his reply was “[the owner] had the station built and stood out front waiting for gas to be invented.”

It’s a hoot going there today. It’s full-serve, and the pumps are old enough that they don’t deal with 3-digit prices. The price he charges isn’t posted anywhere - you have no idea what you’re paying until he finishes pumping and tells you what you owe. He keeps a cooler full of beer inside, and guys gather there after work. A bottle costs $1.00, and the custom is that when you come in and buy a beer, you buy one for each of the other guys who are near empty on theirs.

I’ve heard that all the reciepts and cash is kept in an old shoe box, and the owner keeps no records. The IRS tried to audit him once, and he handed them the shoe box and said “go at it.” Ultimately, they left him alone. He pays the gas supplier in cash, out of the cash box, when he comes to fill up.

It’s a great place.

Well if they also offer a good convenience store, they certainly could. There is one in my area that has a quite large convenience store, including a subways and pizza hut to go (premade pizza hut by the slice), and good coffee selection. They also have the lowest gas prices around. Being small they found a niche in a good market area and went with it. This is the way for a small company to survive.

I think most of the gas stations – even the big, national places – are mom & pop. They’re franchised, and often the gasoline distributor goes to pains to help in the startup.