Many owners turn to food to boost revenue
It's Wednesday — grilling day at the Shell station in Hinsdale. Bratwurst, hamburgers and chicken breasts are flying off a grill, set up a stone's throw from the gas pumps.
Inside, the "Hinsdeli" counter takes up most of the back of an otherwise typical-looking gas station convenience store. But at this station, there's fresh pizza, seafood platters, fried chicken, build-your-own sandwiches, salads and wraps — even ciabatta and Intelligentsia coffee.
"If you can't find something to eat here, you probably aren't hungry," said Robin Gabriel, co-owner of the station at 210 E. Ogden Ave.
This isn't your typical wrapped-in-plastic-slightly-shriveled-only-in-an-emergency gas station fare. Everything is made on site, and the gas station has a wide following. On this Wednesday, 600 grilled items were sold in two hours.
Welcome to the evolving urban gas station, where made-to-order meals are being served up, replacing cheap hot dogs and warmed-up frozen pizza, as slim profit margins on gasoline have forced owners to search for new ways to make money.
About 11 percent of Chevron Corp.'s 395 company-owned stations have food operations inside, many of them run by chains such as Subway or McDonald's, spokeswoman Lori Carlisle said. Privately owned stations — those that carry the names of big oil companies but are owned by franchisees or entrepreneurs — also have embraced the concept. Many have gone beyond chain restaurants to add their own individualized delis and grills.
"The industry has faced a lot of changes over the past 10 to 15 years," said Keith Reid, editor of the industry publication National Petroleum News. "The more profit centers you can put on a piece of property the better".
In Illinois, the number of gas stations has dwindled 23 percent since 1996, Reid said, as gas stations have consolidated and shifted into higher-volume sales.
Making more money is not just a matter of selling better coffee in the station convenience store.
