The Green Spot: Eco-Friendly Gas Stations the Next Big Thing?
Maybe you think it's crude or dumb or backwards, but I've always appreciated the sleaziness of most US convenience stores -- at least, anthropologically speaking. I love the idea that I can stand at one counter and buy lotto tickets, cigarettes, Copenhagen, dangerous energy pills, pornography, or just put $5 on pump 3. Pure Americana. Still, time are changing and drastically new models are being considered for the c-store that I can appreciate even more. One of those radically different business models is embodied in a new type of eco-friendly "gas station" called The Green Spot Market and Fuels in Dallas.
You can get virtually none of the aforementioned items at the counter The Green Spot, but you can get fresh flowers and sushi. This type of c-store doesn't serve up the usual fare of CornNuts and shriveled hot dogs, instead it offers you a selection of health foods and fair trade coffees served in corn plastic cups. Backsliders can get a Coke.
Owners Bruce Bagelman and Alvaro Garza want to encourage customers "to come in and hang out," maybe use the store's free WiFi and pick up some farm fresh eggs, instead of just pumping gas and hitting the road. They do offer gas as well: traditional fossil fuels along with B5 biodiesl, and B100 biodiesel.
So far, it appears that business is good and the model is working. The owners expect to bring in about $2M in revenue this year. Being located near White Rock Lake -- one of the city's most popular jogging and fitness-minded recreational areas -- doesn't hurt either. If anyone's interested, they're looking to sell franchises.
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