AERN home > Success stories > Monroe County, Summer 2008
Frisco City Convenience Store Thrives
In the small town of Frisco City, near Monroeville in Monroe County, the only thing worth more than a gallon of gas these days is the southern hospitality customers get when they stop at The Fillin' Station.
With business planning assistance from AERN's partner the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, the convenience store reopened in 2006 under the ownership of Scott and Robin Thames. It had been closed since 2004 because of severe damage from Hurricane Ivan.
What made Robin and her husband take the risk to re-open The Fillin' Station? "Ivan came through and pretty much destroyed it. We waited for someone to rebuild it for the people around here, and that someone ended up being Scott and me," says Robin Thames.
Although the Thameses tried to do a lot of the work themselves, there were still things they had to hire others to do. The roof and all the windows had to be replaced, so it took several months for all the renovations to be completed. Since reopening, business has soared and the inventory of merchandise the store carries has increased. Even high gas prices haven't deterred their customers from stopping by.
It is safe to say that people aren't just coming back for the gasoline, soft drinks, and snack food, though. The Fillin' Station is one of the few convenience stores that still operates as a full service station. Helping people pump their gas, wash their windshield, or even checking their oil is part of the job, says Scott Thames.
While performing those tasks on vehicles, he is able to catch up on news about families or provide a listening ear. This personal contact makes his job more than just work. This connection with people is his lifeblood.
"We wanted to not only keep the store family friendly but continue to provide services, like pumping gas, that The Fillin' Station offered before we took over." The Fillin' Station opens its doors at five a.m., six days a week.
AERN was a vital tool, said the Thames family, in both reopening and expanding the store's business. Robin used the books provided by AERN to study the demographics of the surrounding areas, to make a business plan, and to make decisions about inventory. These references told her many thing about her potential customers.
From his reading in several sources, Scott said he learned about the kinds of personal services that customers want from a local convenience store, some things that would be different from the chains and big-box stores.
Sandy Smith, executive director of the Monroe Area Chamber of Commerce, is very pleased with the success The Fillin' Station has had thus far and expects things to only get better for them. "It's such a quaint little gas station and the people who go there really love it. Everyone has really shown their support since it opened back up again," said Smith.
The Thameses rarely get any time to rest when they are working, and it has been that way ever since the store re-opened. "One afternoon we had finally finished all the renovations for the store and decided to open up just to see if anybody would come. We hadn't been open very long before we had our first customer, and that customer still comes to the store every day," said Robin Thames.
It didn't take long for the Thameses to recognize little quirks in many of their customers. For example, one regular who comes every afternoon to get her gas pumped refuses to let the pump stop at $13 because of her superstitious nature.
Then there are others who come in and request the same thing every time. The words "two cans" might not mean much to you, but to Scott Thames that is all the information he needs to know that his regular customer wants two Grizzly Skoals in a red can.
Whether you're a regular or just passing through, the Thameses will not only gas and service your car and provide you a snack for the road; they will also give you that special word of encouragement that could make your day.
- Contributed by Kara Smith, CCBP Intern
From AERNews, Vol. 8, No. 2, Summer 2008