Citgo Station At 1039 Yale St.

[innerloop]

Has anyone else seen the For Sale sign on the fence of the Citgo station at Yale and 11th?  The sign is on the fence on the south side of the property advertising something like >20,000 ft2.  I thought it might be referring to the house next door, but that lot doesn't look big enough.

[jamesw]

Well they stopped selling gas a few months ago so it sounds inevitible.

 

Is there a house next-door?  I thought it was the little trailer park.

Cheers
James

[flatline]

There is a trailer park next door to the west on 11th, a house next door to the south on Yale.

 

Agree that it was inevitable.  Also now inevitable that the Valero on Studewood will have even longer lines for the pumps. . .

[s3mh]

They lost their gas sales a while ago. It is almost impossible for independents to compete with the oil company owned stores anymore. Most of the ones who are able to keep open basically use the gas station as a way to get people to spend money in the convenience store. The gas business is a break even, at best, and the convenience store makes money (not much).

I have seen for sale signs up a couple of times since they lost the gas sales. Don't recall seeing it listed anywhere or with anyone.

[callisthenes]

It is almost impossible for independents to compete with the oil company owned stores anymore.

 

That gas station was a franchise of Citgo, just as others are franchises of Chevron, ExxonMobil, Valero etc.  They all get their gas from the refineries, with additives here or there depending on brand, and are all running on the same economic model (minimal profit on gas, so maximize profit in convenience store).

[JJxvi]

I think that place is/was auto service/inspections, etc and not convenience store.

[Stephen]

Per HCAD the lot is 23,100 ft^2

 

http://hcad.org/records/details.asp?crypt=%94%9A%B0%94%BFg%84%8F%7F%7Cie%8El%87tXtYW%9E%99%A2%D3%89%95%C2e%7CU%8A%7E%86%C0%AB%A8%AD%86%5E&bld=1&tab=2

[callisthenes]

I think that place is/was auto service/inspections, etc and not convenience store.

 

Maybe that's why they weren't doing well, no convenience store profits.  Big Car Dealer Mechanics and Big Oil Change and Inspections stole their business.

[Ross]

They lost their gas sales a while ago. It is almost impossible for independents to compete with the oil company owned stores anymore. Most of the ones who are able to keep open basically use the gas station as a way to get people to spend money in the convenience store. The gas business is a break even, at best, and the convenience store makes money (not much). I have seen for sale signs up a couple of times since they lost the gas sales. Don't recall seeing it listed anywhere or with anyone.

 

Which oil company owned stores are you thinking of? ExxonMobil has sold all of their stores in Houston, Valero isn't an oil company, but a refiner only, Shell stations were sold several years ago, and there aren't that many other oil companies with stations.

[TGM]

Which oil company owned stores are you thinking of? ExxonMobil has sold all of their stores in Houston, Valero isn't an oil company, but a refiner only, Shell stations were sold several years ago, and there aren't that many other oil companies with stations.

The daily mimeographed talking points only refer to BigOil, Robber Barons, and Current TV.

[poyea]

Chevron is the first one that comes to mind. Tons of them. There are still Shell stations in Houston. One on Washington Ave no less. And I thought the one on Shep/Durham near Memorial was Exxon (could be She'll though). I think the station on Westheimer at 610 West Loop by the Galleria is also Shell.

Back to the Citgo. I was there a few weeks ago for an inspection sticker and asked them about the For Sale sign and gas situation. He told me the owner was a 70+ year old woman and she was just ready to shut it down and sell out. No idea on the economics of the station, although I only got gas there in an emergency since they was always so much more expensive. Oh, and they started charging $1.00 PER TIRE for air.....WTH!!

Edited February 2, 2013 by poyea

[RedScare]

poyea, just because they are Shell, Exxon, or Chevron branded doesn't make them company owned. They are franchise stores. Many aren't even franchises, but just have agreements to sell that company's gas.

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303299604577323661725847318.html

 

 

[poyea]

Noted Red.

[s3mh]

I am hearing that the gas station has finally sold and the repair shop will be moving to a new location. No word on the specifics (buyer, where the repair shop will end up).