Family-owned and -operated Anabi Oil Corp. is a case study of hard work paying off in the American dream. After being wounded in the line of duty as a La Verne and Glendora, California, police officer, company president Sam Anabi and his wife, Rene, moved to California and opened a convenience store in 1989. Over the next two decades, Sam and Rene grew their business from a single store to a multisite operation and fuel wholesaler, with stations and c-stores in Northern and Southern California and an additional 120 locations that receive fuel delivery.
Anabi Oil raised $8.5 million in capital in 2010 from Central Valley Funding and Huntington Capital to help the chain with a major acquisition and venture into the wholesale market, making it one of the largest Shell wholesalers in California.
The stores are operated under C.A.R. Enterprises Inc., and the company is known for its clean, modern c-stores in strategically selected locations.
Stores average about $80,000 per month in inside sales, focusing mostly on brand-name merchandise. In addition to Shell-branded fuel, the chain also offers USA Gas at 30 locations and Mobil at one store. Customer service is stressed, as is the notion of repeat business.
Stores vary in size, with most falling in the range of 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. There are 25 Subways and 15 Del Tacos attached to stores.
Most store sites were acquired, then renovated or remodeled to meet Anabi’s standards. In 2014, Anabi acquired 31 stores from Tesoro in Alaska. Some newer stores were built from the ground up, and those stores can be up to 4,000 square feet in size. Anabi Oil purchased 33 stores in northern and southern California in 2012 and remodeled seven of them.
| Headquarters: | Upland, California |
|---|---|
| No. of Stores: | 196 |
| Average Store Size: | 1,000-2,500 sq. ft. |
| Rank: | 44 |
| Rank Last Year: | 53 |
| States of Operation: | Alaska, California |
| Website: | http://www.anabioil.com/ |
| Family Business: | Yes |
