| 7 Eleven in Walbridge that is losing its gas pumps on Labor Day. (Photo: Aaron Carpenter/Sentinel-Tribune) |
WALBRIDGE – When Betty Spiers needs to fill up her Kia, she heads down the street to the neighborhood
7-Eleven. Even though gas is a couple pennies more per gallon than at stations outside village, the
convenience just can’t be beat.
The store, which has operated for 32 years in the village, is in danger of closing. Gail Robinette, the
franchisee, said she was told Monday by corporate officials that the gas tanks are old and must be taken
out. The tanks may be shut down by Labor Day. Without the gasoline, Robinette is afraid the store will
close.
"I just don’t think 7-Eleven will survive. I don’t think the store will survive without gas
pumps," she said at Wednesday’s council meeting.
The village is staunchly behind her. There are petitions being circulated and Council President Maureen
Jacobsen urged all residents to buy gas there to show support.
"It sucks. I buy my gas here all the time," Spiers said. "I’d rather come here and keep it
in the community."
Robinette, who has had the franchise since November 2002, said if the 7-Eleven can’t sell gas, she’ll
have to let one employee go. The store has eight employees.
The cost to replace the tanks is $400,000, she said.
"We have been taken aback by this so we just got all our ducks in a row this week," said Mike
Doyle, Robinette’s son-in-law.
They’re scrambling to contact village, township and county officials for help. Mayor Dan Wilczynski said
he even called Congressman Robert Latta, R-Bowling Green, to see if there is some federal grant for
business support or environmental issues that they can use.
"Hopefully there is something we can do. … We’ll pull every string," Wilczynski said.
"It’s a hub for the community."
That was obvious from spending just a half hour outside the store on a sultry summer night. About a dozen
vehicles filled up while their owners bought lottery tickets. Teens parked their bikes outside and
talked about buying munchies inside.
Tammy Yingling dreads having to drive to a truckstop or around Interstate 280 just to get gas. She often
picks up other items when she fills up her Durango.
"If you’re going to go somewhere else to get your gas, you’re going to get your cigarettes somewhere
else, your milk somewhere else," she said. "I think that’s really sad."
A.J. Petro lives in Toledo but occasionally buys gas at the 7-Eleven when he’s on duty as a CSX Railroad
engineer. "They need this here," he said, adding that his stops for coffee and lotto tickets
would be cut in half if the gas wasn’t available.
Former mayor Robert Robson said the station has sold gas many years, under the Sohio name before it
became a 7-Eleven.
"I hope it doesn’t happen. It would be a real shame," he said.
Doyle said the store sells about 40,000 gallons of gas a year and has $1.2 million annually in sales
revenue.
Robinette said her professional clients for gas include village of Walbridge operations (police,
maintenance vehicles), CSX, Northwood Door and Professional Transportation Inc.
According to the 7-Eleven Web site, the company is based in Dallas, and operates, franchises and licenses
more than 6,850 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Robinette still seems shell-shocked by the news.
"I feel terrible for her and our community," Jacobsen said. "This town won’t be the same
without it."
