The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Citgo opens first location in city
The city’s first Citgo station opened Saturday, celebrating with the lowest gas prices in the state for the day.
TORRINGTON >> The city’s first Citgo gas station opened Saturday morning, kicking off the celebration with the lowest gas prices in the state for the day as well as a raffle, hot dogs, soft drinks, and a meet-and-greet with two Miss America pageant titleholders.
Lines of cars and trucks came through the Citgo gas station at 294 S. Main St. for gasoline advertised at $1.99.
Approximately 200 customers came through alone in the span of an hour and a half around midday.
“This is the first station in Torrington,” said Taryn Nikolich, a spokesperson for Citgo. “There are a lot of activities to celebrate. Plus we have the cheapest gas in Connecticut.”
Citgo has about 6,000 gas stations in the U.S., and more than 200 in Connecticut, according to Nikolich. Citgo is an American fuel company owned by PDV America, Inc., a subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, the national oil company of Venezuela.
In the 75-degree weather, beneath the double-faced neon sign featuring an orange-red triangle above the Citgo lettering, the gas station featured bouquets of multi-colored balloons decorating each pump and a large sign trumpeting “GRAND OPENING.”
Station owner Nazia Ahmed of New Milford was present with her husband, Mir, and daughter, Zeba, 7, who was dressed as a beauty queen in a violet tulle dress and a glittering tiara and shoes.
“I think it is going to be a great opening,” Ahmed said. “I hope for the best.”
Her husband added, “It is a good brand, and good for the town. And we hope to give good customer service.”
“I’m excited to meet Miss Connecticut!” said Zeba.
Free chicken and biscuits from Krispy Krunchy Chicken were given out. Raffle tickets were given out to customers at a merchandise tent by the small gas station.
The raffle prizes included a $100 Citgo gas gift card, a Schweppes folding beach chair, and a Rockstar Energy Drink brand soccer ball.
Joe Caiazzo and Nicole Ferrari of Frankie’s Hot Dogs of Waterbury had their hands full giving out hot dogs to drive-by gas customers at the grill, which was in front of their mobile serving station parked in the back of the gas station.
The back area’s picnic table area was festooned with orange triangle pennant banners. Ferrari said, “It’s a great event.”
Ferrari’s son Malik Minnifield, 16, assisted with handing out food, adding, “I’m happy to see so many people come today.”
Christopher Alves of Danbury was on hand to get a hot dog.
Alves said he was taking a break from painting the exterior of the neighboring oil-change station. “It’s a nice promotion,” he said. “And I’ve just filled up my tank.”
Omar Gomez of East Hartford was set up on the other side of the back parking lot under a nearby tent.
Gomez was promoting FW1, a waterless car wash and wax product. “It’s a beautiful day,” said Gomez. “The opening is going to be awesome!”
Gomez added that his company has partnered with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and donated a portion of each sale to the national charity organization.
“So far, we have raised $4.5 million dollars in proceeds,” he said.
Joanne Shields, Miss Litchfield County, and Natascia Simone, Miss Greater Watertown, arrived to pose for photographs with the starstruck Zeba and to greet gas customers and raffle-ticket buyers.
Citgo is a sponsor of the annual Miss America national competition.
“It’s an awesome opportunity for promotion,” said Shields of the station’s opening. “They did it right by scheduling all these different activities.”
“Plus, no one is going to pass up the $1.99 price,” added Simone.
Americans use more than one gallon of gasoline per person per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
In 2014 about 136.78 billion gallons of gasoline were consumed in the United States, according to the government organization.
Nonetheless, the number of gas stations declined over the past 10 years in part due to increased competition among gas providers, stricter environmental regulations, and shrinking gasoline profit margins, according to the National Petroleum News, who last reported about 168,000 gas station locations in the U.S. in 2004.
Despite the bad news for the fuel industry in general, the optimism of the Miss America contestants remained contagious.
Shields is a nursing graduate from Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire, who will be taking her state licensing examination in two weeks.
“Alzheimer’s is my national platform as a contestant,” Shields said. “Not only have I worked with the Children’s Miracle Network at various hospitals but will be working with a lot of population who have Alzheimer’s.”
Simone is a recent marketing graduate from Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. “I’ve had the classroom experience, and now through Miss America, I have a chance to apply it in the world,” Simone said.
Customer David Vecchiarino of Torrington got a raffle ticket and said he was impressed with the gas station’s festivities. “It’s exceptional,” he said. “I look at all the people who showed up and it’s impressive.”