New owners to remodel station

CONWAY — Phil and Diana Hawks Kirkland spent a lot of weekends the past three years looking in the windows of Walter’s Service Center in downtown Conway after hours.

On Feb. 1, they finalized the deal to buy the station.

“It’s been one of those dream things,” Diana said.

The late Martin Walter started the fullservice gas station 57 years ago in a different downtown location.

Virginia Walter, his widow, and his daughter, Dee Ann Davis, ran the station on Locust Avenue.

When longtime employee Ed Erbach, 64, decided to retire, “it seemed like the fitting time” to sell, Davis said.

The gas station didn’t miss a beat and opened Monday with employee Gary Duncan manning the pumps in place of Erbach.

“We hired somebody with a beard, just not as long,” Phil said, laughing.

Phil said they plan to keep the station open as they slowly remodel it to create a convenience store called Central Station.

He is a captain in the fire marshal’s office across the street at the Conway Fire Department, referred to as Central Station.

The Kirklands emphasized that although their newly acquired station won’t continue to do oil changes and mechanical repairs, it will keep the full-service aspect of the business.

“We’ll still pump gas, check the air, check the oil,” Diana said. “We’re still keeping that.”

The station will change from Citgo to “unbranded,” Diana said.

The remodeled gas station will include a kitchen to serve plate lunches, Phil said.

“We learned to cook at the other one,” he said, referring to a former business.

The Kirklands sold Country Corner on East German Lane in August after owning it for 10 years, Phil said.

Diana has lived in Conway since 1983, and her late father, John Hawks, was born and raised there.

“I’ve known most of the customers,” Diana said. “We’re excited about being downtown.”

The station will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline. com.