LENWOOD, Calif. -- Near the Lenwood Road exit on Interstate 15 in Lenwood, Calif., near Barstow, and surrounded on all sides by truckstops and truck washes for rigs with 18 wheels and trailers full or cargo, Ed Komski wants his gas station to appeal to off-road trucks, as well as quads, motorcycles, sand rails and more. "We're not a truckstop," Komski told the McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. "We're really trying to appeal to the action sports crowd."
Xtreme Convenience, as Komski called the store, is set to open October 1 and will combine essentials of a gas station convenience [image-nocss] store—snacks, coffee, hot food—with the needs of those nontraditional vehicles. The store has partnered with energy drink maker Monster Energy, a sponsor and major presence in the off-road community, Komski said, and will sell all of Monster's drink products and gear.
In addition to Monster-logoed T-shirts and caps, Komski plans to sell off-road specific gear, helmets, gloves, goggles and more, he said. The big draw, he added, will be a dedicated fuel tank for high-performance C12 racing fuel.
"We are for the serious toy people," he told the news agency. "It's the items they can't find at Wal-Mart."
It is an ambitious plan for the old Arco ampm location, which has been shut down for four years, Komski said, and after about $2 million, should look nothing like it once did when it reopens on October 1. A designer from Monster has worked with Komski to mimic Monster's look. A banner featuring Monster-sponsored athletes will run around top of the inside walls. The store's cabinets and counters will be wrapped in Monster's "digital camouflage," the same design as their Assault energy drink can, said the report.
The outside of the building will be black, green and white, the same colors as another variety of Monster drink. Giant LED displays will show video footage of dirt bikes, trucks and other action sports. Komski hopes the LED displays, the first in the Lenwood area and currently under consideration by Barstow's Planning Commission, and a giant, red, retro looking rotating 76 ball will pull his clients off the freeway.
Barstow, he said, is the perfect location for such a store. Every weekend, off-roaders flock to Stoddard Valley recreation off highway vehicle area near Lenwood. Race courses criss-cross the area, and Komski, along with Monster, want to bring more sanctioned events to Barstow. He admitted to exploiting Barstow's abundance of open space. "One thing that Barstow doesn't have to invent is its ability to provide an off-road venue," he told McClatchy.
And all that venue needs is sand and dirt, the report said.
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