Sunshine Gasoline Distributors Inc. began operations in 1987 in South Florida. Owner and president Maximo Alvarez, a native of Cuba, founded the company. He came to Miami at age 13 via Operation Pedro Pan. As an adult, Alvarez created a fuel distributorship network representing BP, Chevron, CITGO, Shell and Texaco brands.
In addition to his successful fuel distributorship, Alvarez began buying convenience store/gas stations in the South Miami area. Of the 350 stores/stations it touches, Sunshine owns and operates 180 stores, leases 45 stores to other operators and has an additional 125 jobber clients.
Most of the c-stores are unbranded. They range in size from kiosk to approximately 2,500 square feet. Some have full coffee bars and some have outdoor eating areas. The chain also has car washes at some locations.
According to listings in the Southern Florida Business Journal in fall 2013, Sunshine has been buying land parcels in the Fort Lauderdale area that are the ideal size for a convenience store, so future growth plans seem certain.
| Headquarters: | Doral, Florida |
|---|---|
| No. of Stores: | 225 |
| Average Store Size: | 1,000-2,500 sq. ft. |
| Rank: | 42 |
| States of Operation: |