Every now and then one is tempted into thinking all Convenience Stores are basically alike. (Usually it's days when I get stuck behind people buying lottery tickets and cigarettes.) But then there's Stewart's, which even when it's not the best always seems to have something to say for it, usually nice staff, always the ice cream. Even so, it's hard to get enthusiastic about your basic coffee, gas, and snack stop.
Then there's reminders like the one we had today. We were on our way from hither to yon when an unbelievable gusher of a summer storm broke open. We watched a sad bicyclist dismount and struggle under the water, feeling grateful we were in a car, and then a few seconds later it *really* opened up, sending instant floods into the lanes and reducing visibility to almost nil. But, it so happens, we were right next to this Stewart's, so along with about 20 other cars, we pulled in to wait out the rain and hail. Hail!
Well, it let up, just a bit, and we decided, heck, it's Stew's, let's go get some ice cream. So we rushed in to the store and put up at a table. Where we witnessed the bicyclist who had been caught out in the storm come in, looking as bedraggled as a kitten thrown into a river. Could he bring his bike in? The wind picked up. Of course, said the staff. They let him move put it near the entrance, out of the way of customers but safe. They gave him some help drying himself and things off. They deftly balanced a tiny, minor act of mercy with dishing out our ice cream, giving us good tips on the new flavors.
Maybe we just hit it with nice people who happen to work at Stewart's, but there's definitely a pattern here. Stew's, I hope you treat your employees well, because they're the big differentiator, and we won't forget this visit. It's really hard to imagine, say, 7-11 inviting a sodden cyclist in and then helping him towel off. Stewart's was nearly literally a port in the storm for us (as we almost became enisled by the floods!) read more