Gas station restaurants are nothing new. They first sprouted from roadside “filling stations,” offering simple snacks, cold drinks, and barbeque to weary travelers driving long distances. The Great Depression made way for entrepreneurs like Harland Sanders (of Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Gus Belt (of Steak ’n’ Shake) who famously began selling their greasy goods directly at or adjacent to gas and service stations.
And later, in the Jim Crow era, filling stations with eateries served as vital, one-stop shops and safe havens for Black patrons at a time when mainstream restaurants refused them service.
Today, lots of folks love a good sit down restaurant with linens when the time and occasion allows, but there’s something to be said for getting really good convenience store food that hits the spot while filling up the car for the next errand. Two birds, one stone…