Dunkin Donuts owner Jim Cain and Valero owner Peter Canale stand in the remodeled store
Monica Schechter writes in Ridgefield Press the longtime gasoline station at the intersection of Routes 35 and 7 in Ridgefield, CT, has reopened with a new look — and a new brand of gas .
Formerly a Citgo station and Ridgefield Auto Park, the gas station has been remodeled and turned into a Valero station, open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
“Since we changed over gas sales have tripled,” said owner Peter Canale. “We are trying to keep our prices the best around.”
Valero is a fierce competitor, which helps keep prices down, said Mr. Canale. He hopes to “sell a lot of gas” to maintain those low prices, because “prices go down when quantity sold goes up.”
“I was in the other gas station for ten years,” said Mr. Canale. He decided to change gas companies, switching to Valero, and to fix up the accompanying building.
In as little as eight months, Mr. Canale turned the gas station around. He was able to keep the same gas tanks and infrastructure.
The brand new building, “a little larger” than the previous one, houses a Dunkin Donuts franchise owned by Jim Cain.
“Dunkin Donuts brings in a lot of traffic,” said Mr. Canale. “It’s a big draw.”
“The Dunkin Donuts, convenience store combo works well,” said Mr. Cain. He also owns 30 other Dunkin Donuts franchises.
The Dunkin Donuts at Valero is a “traditional” one, which offers the full Dunkin Donuts menu. It’s the fourth Dunkin Donuts outlet in town.
The store also offers pizza, hot dogs, frozen food, ice cream, and light groceries, including milk, bread, and eggs.
“We are trying all kinds of new things,” said Mr. Canale. “We noticed there wasn’t really a place down there to get groceries, so we are selling milk and eggs and other things.”
Newspapers, magazines, household and automotive products, and lottery tickets are available at the store. Mr. Canale is also arranging for Ridgefield Tiger apparel and goods to be sold.
Store manager Gagi Ahmed hopes that once the Ridgefield Terrace condos fill up, the tenants will be able to rely on the convenience store for their everyday needs.
Mr. Canale has now merged his auto sales and services with Georgetown Auto Sales, (formerly Georgetown Jeep), which is located further south on Route 7 in Branchville.
