Nightshift clerk and high-functioning insomniac Jack is back to work, trying his best to keep out of trouble. But when his chain-smoking coworker discovers a mysterious radio signal revealing the guarded secrets of their town, Jack will learn that an annoying new dayshift manager is far from the worst of his problems. In this second installment of the Gas Station saga, Jack finds himself entangled in his most harrowing adventure yet. With the newest crew of coworkers along for the ride and the resident psychopath out for his blood, our hero(?) must navigate the drama of small-town murder conspiracies, vigilante justice, and demonic summoning rituals...whether he wants to or not.
"The first architect-designed gas station - a Pittsburgh Gulf station in 1913 - was also the first to offer free road maps; the familiar Shell name and logo date from 1907, when a British mother-of-pearl importer expanded its line to include the newly discovered oil of the Dutch East Indies; the first enclosed gas stations were built only after the first enclosed cars made motoring a year-round activity - and operating a service station was no longer a "seasonal" job; the system of "octane" rating was introduced by Sun Oil as a marketing gimmick (74 for premium in 1931)." "As the number of "true" gas stations continues its steady decline - from 239,000 in 1969 to fewer than 100,000 today - the words and images of this book bear witness to an economic and cultural phenomenon that was perhaps more uniquely American than any other of this century."--Jacket.
As Jimi Hendrix and Vietnam rumble on in the background, an Italian-American teenage boy grows up working in his dad's gas station in Massachusetts. In a world full of rear end fluid, floor jacks and leaky gaskets, the narrator is awkward with his father and not too hot at mounting snow tires or dismantling engines. Poetic, poignant, and beautifully observed -- the grease and grime of the gas station, the rhythms of work and talk, are detailed with such precision that the locality becomes universal -- Joseph Torra has written an extraordinary and superb coming-of-age novel in the great American blue-collar tradition, and one which has echoes of another working-class son of Massachusetts, Jack Kerouac.
The American Gas Station is a nostalgic history of the service station and the American car culture it helped create. An exceptional chronicle of the birth of roadside architecture, the development of gasoline pumps, corporate trademarks, and gas station memorabilia.
In this car culture of ours, what could be more American than the gas station, from the roadside pit stop in the middle of nowhere to the spit-and-polish, full service city shop? This brightly illustrated history of service stations runs the gamut from East to West, North to South, spotlighting the culture and lore of the gas-pumping garage that has kept the United States moving for a century. Whether it's the last-chance Texaco or the Sinclair dinosaur winking in the distance, the beckoning Shell, or the winged Mobil horse, it's here in all its small-town glory of compact architecture, inspired promotions, art deco pumps, and endless views of the American horizon. Author Tim Russell, one of the world's foremost collectors and historians of Petroliana, rolls out the ribbon of highway that takes us to all of those way stations of Americas motoring past.
This marvelous photo history transports readers back to the days before pay-at-the-pump, when the price of a fill-up bought more than just a spot of petrol. Pop culture aficionado Witzel examines all aspects of bygone gas stations, from the advent of the automobile and globe-topped pumps to the 1970s and long lines brought about by the oil embargo. 280 photos, half in color.
Why a book about Gas station business? Well, gas stations are in every street corner, they are dime a dozen, but why are there so many of them?. Since the economic meltdown of 2008, we not only witnessed the collapse of the housing market, but also the wave of small businesses that closed their doors forever. Look at your city, and I am sure you will find empty homes alongside many local businesses such as restaurants, gift shops, clothing stores, etc. standing there with empty windows and a "For Sale" sign in the front. Now, look again. How many gas stations or convenience stores closed during the same period? Probably none. Instead, you may have noticed there are new stations constantly being built. Why is that? The answer is simple: it is a recession proof business. Whether you have a job or not, have a house or not; you still need gasoline for your car, milk for the kids, or need to make a quick run for cigarettes, beer, soft drinks.. You corner gas station is filled with all our daily life necessities.Now that we established Gas Station is a good and recession proof business to get into, the question is how do we get into one on a limited budget and once we do get into it, how can we stand out in this crowded market and be unique.?Here in this book I bring you all the answers along with all the best information possible to help you start, run and grow a successful gas station/convenience store business. Whether you're just starting out or you're a veteran in the gas station business, I am going to show you some new and innovative ways to get you to the next level and stand out in the crowd. As a 20 plus year veteran of gas station business, I am always trying new and innovative methods to increase sales and profitability. Technology and marketing strategies are changing every day, and the "old school" methods are not working anymore.In this book I outlined and explained in depth the followings:* How to Choose the Right Business Location* Should you Buy or Lease a Gas Station Business* How to effectively do Due Diligence on any Business* How to get Bank Financing* How to Close a Deal * What and How to set up a Corporation and obtain all required Licensing * How to Market your store and increase Sales and ultimately Profitability* How to Hire, Train and Manage Employees* How to have an Inventory Management System* How to do Bookkeeping * How to handle Loss Prevention/TheftA full Business Plan in included in this book along with a link where you can download a fully workable business plan that you can modify to fit your need.After reading this book, if you still have need for more information, I would suggest you check out my Gas Station Business 101 podcast audio show on iTunes, it is free to subscribe and you can listen to anywhere. Through this podcast show, you'll stay up to date on everything that is going on in this industry. Branding, Business Plans, Business loans, innovative marketing Strategies, theft control, gas station business bookkeeping, regulations, pricing - you name it, it's here for you. You can also check out my blog at GasStationBusiness101.com and let me show you the way to becoming successful in this profitable niche business.In this second edition, we addressed a few errors and typos, we also updated some data, as well as some charts and graphs that are now very easy to read.
Pictorial history of the gasoline station in the United States and details about many of the companies which punctuated the roadsides with their buildings, including the Standard Oil, Cities, Mobil, Phillips, Gulf, Shell, Texaco, and Conoco.
