Family that sold $429M lottery ticket in Trenton retiring
Andrea Shin opened a 7-Eleven franchise more than a decade ago but on Tuesday she closes a chapter and door of her first entrepreneurial endeavor. The family business on Chambers St. ends as Shin, along with her husband, Luis Soler and her parents, Dal and Young Shin, end their love affair with coffee, conversation, convenience and thousands of customers.
“My friends and family have strict instructions to not contact me, do not call me, or text message me before 11 o’clock on Wednesday morning although force of habit will probably have me wide awake way before then,” Andrea Shin lamented.
For 13 years the Shins have opened their 7-Eleven store like clockwork with Dal and Young Ja, his wife of almost 40 years, arriving first. They have worked at least six days a week since coming to the United States in 1979, a year after their marriage in South Korea.
Andrea Shin inherited a worker bee gene from her parents who have a successful business history in Trenton. The Shins owned C&C Seafood on East State St., Four G’s Supermarket on Stuyvesant Ave. and a Quik Stop on Frazier St., all successful endeavors based on understanding that hard work usually means victory.
“This will be the first time I can remember my parents being off for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Andrea said.
Dal Shin, an avid golfer and angler, smiled when his daughter acknowledged his work ethic.
“Up at 4 o’clock and here by 5 for the past 13 years and most other mornings at our other places,” Shin said proudly. “My wife and I have worked hard. We can rest a little bit now. It’s going to feel strange to stay in bed until 7 or 8 in the morning.”
Dal and Young risked their lives as store owners, even his daughter and son-in-law, Luis, faced gun toters and knife-carrying robbers throughout their business history.
“Mostly cigarettes and small (amounts) of cash,” Young recalled.
One serious incident occurred in 2006 when a gunman entered the Shin’s store on Frazier St. Young and Dal feared for their lives as the real tall man pulled a gun.
“He even pulled the trigger but the gun jammed. Then he pistolwhipped my mom and dad,” Andrea recalled. “I remember getting the call for me to get over there. There was blood everywhere, even on the ceiling. They needed stitches and staples to close head wounds. But thank God the gun didn’t fire.”
Thousands of customers could voice such testimony as the Shins have made friends in every community.
“We’ve watched babies grow up to attend middle school and young people graduate from high school and college,” Andrea noted.
Popularity expanded in May 2016 when the Smith family purchased a Powerball ticket from the Shin’s 7-Eleven store. Pearlie May Smith and her seven adult children won the $429.6 million Powerball jackpot, then the sixth-largest amount in the game’s history.
“Crazy,” Andrea Shin said. “I don’t like attention, especially nationwide like that. We had several days of newspaper reporters, television crews and lottery officials. That was an amazing time, a memory that will last a lifetime.”
Luis Soler said three years of working with his wife provided perspective.
“I loved being with her everyday, seeing how she interacted with customers. Everyone likes Andrea, so, imagine how that makes me feel,” Soler said. “And my in-laws. They could show anybody how to work. Dedication. Always showing up.”
Luis and Andrea spoke about an unidentified next chapter, maybe even starting a family.
“Me? It’s going to be rest for a few weeks then four days of golf and three days fishing,” Dal promised.
Young Shin, also a golfer, said her time will be spent offering care for her mother, loving on two young grandchildren and enjoying life.
“I will probably get up at 3 o’clock on Wednesday morning and realize that I don’t have a job,” she said.
“But friends? Lots of friends. I’m going to miss working and seeing all our customers.”