LEE VINING, Calif. — As a convenience store that closes in-store operation half the year because of limited selling opportunities, Tioga Gas Mart finds it necessary to make up for the winter downtime from April through October each year—and then some.
For example this year, the Lee Vining, Calif., convenience store re-opened April 23, just in time for the fishing and hunting season to commence. Co-owner Denise Molnar runs the 6,000-square-foot store (including vast exterior space) along with her parents, Dennis and Jane. “My Dad bought the land and built the store in 1995,” said Denise Molnar, who employs about 35 full-time employees.
Established in 1996, the Mobil-branded, single location sits in the shadow of Yosemite National Park and the Eastern Sierras, and is renowned for serving as a viable one-stop destination oasis for travelers and locals alike. Situated at the corner of Highways 395 and 120, Tioga (so named for the breathtaking Tioga Pass in the Sierra Nevada mountain range) serves as an ideal location for a quick or prolonged stop as travelers descend upon the national park.
Those vacationers are in short supply when winter season comes, however, and roads are literally impassable into the national park system.
A spacious store with ample outside space for customers to eat and stretch their legs, the Tioga Gas Mart’s website proudly announces: “Eat some amazing grub at the famous Whoa Nellie Deli, grab some snacks, find some great souvenirs, fill up your gas tank or just enjoy the spectacular views of Mono Lake and the Dana Plateau.”
The Mobil-branded unit features four fueling islands and eight dispensers, and on a good day, Molnar said, will pump out 4,000 gallons of fuel.
CSP Daily News caught up with Denise Molnar as she was getting set to reopen Tioga Gas Mart this spring.
Q: Talk about your unique six-month business cycle and some of the details behind preparing to reopen?
A: We close at the end of October and no later than mid-November. The traffic to Yosemite is low during the winter, as Tioga Pass closes. We actually had a pretty good season [in 2020] and saw a lot of first-time campers [due to the pandemic]. We found that a lot of people just wanted to get away, so we benefited from that. The camping crowd bought a lot of equipment, and we are anticipating that our camping supply sales will significantly increase; we sell a lot of backpacking hydration foods.
Q: What has to be executed for you to reopen Tioga every April?
A: First, we sell out of most all products at end of season, so we have to fully restock. We turn off all the freezers and walk-in [coolers] and keep the heat low. Gas pumps are open year-round. Remembering last year, we absorbed a major hit when the wildfires struck in September. Overall, we adapted to COVID due to the fact we provide a lot of space and could spread out the tables on the property. People were able to stay outside and order food from an exterior service counter and avoid coming inside.
Q: What are your expectations for spring-summer 2021 from a business and customer engagement standpoint?
A: We’re expecting a real busy summer. All our vendors have been setting sales records, so the goal this season is to stay open and not get shut down by fires or the pandemic. Our vendors have warned us to pre-order things like souvenirs, which we sell a lot of, because they’re projected to sell out their inventories.
Q: Did you experience distribution issues during COVID-19?
A: A couple things were hard to get. We had to change the menus a couple times and integrate different products, such as meat-related variety. I referred to 2020 as a juggling act.
Q: How does Tioga Gas Mart differentiate itself in the local market, including signature items?
A: We sell a lot of souvenirs. We have it all: magnets, coffee mugs, T-shirts, apparel. Bumper stickers fly off the shelf. Anything that has a grizzly bear on it or depiction of Yosemite also sees brisk sales.
On the menu, we offer both inside and outside dining, and are mostly known for our fish tacos, pork chops, spare ribs and elk chops. We also sell a lot of bottled wine in the $15 to $30 range, while we can hardly keep our craft beers on the shelves. In our restaurant, we serve it by the glass.
Q: How would you describe the breadth and depth of local retail competition near the store, c-store to grocery to big box?
A: We have a remote location so there’s not a lot of local competitors, and the ones that are close have smaller footprints and less parking than us. So we thrive due to our space, but we like to think it’s because of the supreme customer service and an ability to provide a fun, lively and positive atmosphere.
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