OnCue OKC Expansion

[metro]

From the JR.

OnCue Express buys OKC properties
By Brianna Bailey
Oklahoma City reporter. Contact: 405-278-2847, brianna.bailey@journalrecord.com, @briannabailey80.
Posted: 07:46 PM Monday, August 20, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY – Stillwater-based convenience store operator OnCue Express has purchased three adjacent properties on W. Memorial Road just off the John Kilpatrick Turnpike for about $3 million.
OnCue purchased an existing Conoco station at 1020 W. Memorial Rd. from ABM Investments for $1 million on July 26.
On the same day, OnCue also purchased the Szechuan Bistro restaurant at 1010 W. Memorial Rd. from Ricardo and Rita Lopez for $715,000.
The company also purchased another 4 acres of vacant land from Paul and Anna Donat for $1.2 million on July 26. The land is near N. Western Avenue and W. Memorial Road and has frontage on the turnpike service road.
Calls to OnCue’s offices in Stillwater were not immediately returned.
The company operates six convenience stores and gas stations in Oklahoma City, as well as stores across the state and one in Wichita, Kan.
OnCue began partnering with Chesapeake Energy in 2010 to open CNG fueling stations at its stores across the state. The company operated 13 CNG fueling stations in Oklahoma by the end of 2011, making it the largest operator of CNG stations in the state.

[Dustin]

W. Memorial Road just off the John Kilpatrick Turnpike for about $3 million.

Is this the area in front of Pablano Grill? If so, I totally called it.

[progressiveboy]

Is this the area in front of Pablano Grill? If so, I totally called it.

The area is on the Southeast corner of Memorial and Western. There is an existing gas station and a Asian Restaurant next door directly to the east. I believe it use to be a Burger King?

[ABryant]

No,Western and Memorial is where the Taco Bueno and Pancake house are across the street. These properties (Conoco, Szechuan Bistro) are on the southeast side of that intersection.

[ABryant]

The area is on the Southeast corner of Memorial and Western. There is an existing gas station and a Asian Restaurant next door directly to the east. I believe it use to be a Burger King?

Beat me too it.

[bradh]

is it true that OnCue was started by a guy who walked in to a QT, copied the entire concept, and then started his own chain?

[BillyOcean]

is it true that OnCue was started by a guy who walked in to a QT, copied the entire concept, and then started his own chain?

no. i believe it was started from some retired execs of qt, hence the similarities.

[dankrutka]

QT>All other gas stations

[MDot]

QT>All other gas stations

I guess. I've personally never really went from gas station to gas station saying -- OMG, Jeanie, u have 2 go 2 this gas station, it's ta best ive evr bin 2. QT's are pretty cool, no doubt, but OnCue's and QT's are so similar that I can easily compromise with OnCue's since OKC won't get a QT for a long time, if ever.

[Turanacus]

Tulsans say to me, "I could never live in OKC because you guys don't have QT." I laugh that people are so passionate about their gas stations.

[bchris02]

To me a gas station is a gas station. Yeah QTs are nice but OnCues are just as nice. Then again, I wish OKC had better grocery stores like Publix or similar yet many here are just fine with Super Wal-Mart.

[mcca7596]

In all reality, I guess there IS somewhat of a cognitive dissonance if you care passionately about having quality grocery stores and other retail but are apathetic about your gas station choices.

[RadicalModerate]

When the departure of the Circle Ks broke my heart, I decided that I would never again allow convenience stores to rule my emotions.
(or plant the seeds of cognitive dissonance)

[ljbab728]

In all reality, I guess there IS somewhat of a cognitive dissonance if you care passionately about having quality grocery stores and other retail but are apathetic about your gas station choices.

Other than price, gas is gas.

[jn1780]

Tulsans say to me, "I could never live in OKC because you guys don't have QT." I laugh that people are so passionate about their gas stations.

Their just being silly. There are a dozen other factors that are more important with job being on the top of the list. lol

I think Oncues are nicer than 7-Eleven, but I'm not going out of my way to go to one. At the end of the day gas is gas and junk food is junk food. Its like going to a "nice" Mcdonalds branded as a "Mccafe". Lol

[bchris02]

Their just being silly. There are a dozen other factors that are more important with job being on the top of the list. lol

I think Oncues are nicer than 7-Eleven, but I'm not going out of my way to go to one. At the end of the day gas is gas and junk food is junk food. Its like going to a "nice" Mcdonalds branded as a "Mccafe". Lol

I have somewhat of a Circle-K loyalty, but thats only because of living in Phoenix as a small child and pretty much every gas station out there is a Circle-K. It doesn't really matter though, gas is gas and junk food is junk food.

[ljbab728]

I agree. As long as I don't have to worry about getting mugged in the parking lot I don't worry that much about how pretty my gas station is and I rarely ever buy anything else there. I do use the 7-11 no fee ATM frequently though.

[Snowman]

I had never thought about it but I have generally favored 7-11's, possibly from back when I was a kid I could walk to one and get icee's

[soonerfan_in_okc]

In all reality, I guess there IS somewhat of a cognitive dissonance if you care passionately about having quality grocery stores and other retail but are apathetic about your gas station choices.

seriously?? bro. come on.

[mcca7596]

I'm really not talking about the product, but just overall cleanliness. Other cities have cleaner gas stations because they have higher standards, which reflects itself even in the most mundane aspects of life (gas stations).

[Snowman]

I'm really not talking about the product, but just overall cleanliness. Other cities have cleaner gas stations because they have higher standards, which reflects itself even in the most mundane aspects of life (gas stations).

I must have gone to some of the wrong out of town gas stations then

[bombermwc]

I get a little tired of people thinking QT is some amazing thing that doesn't exist anywhere else. Are you QT folks aware that the concept of that type of gas station was around BEFORE QT stole it from other companies like Racetrac? Just because you didn't see it in Oklahoma before OnCue and QT, doesn't mean they came up with it. Even 7-11 was doing it, just not to the same scale (until recently). Not to mention that even back in the late 90's you'd see the old Texaco's and even some Phillips 66's out there like the "new" QT and OnCues. People just weren't as "in" to the gas station thing back then. Why? Because gas was cheaper and you came in, got gas, and left. More poeple head in for a cheap drink these days and a Tornado or whatever than they used to.

Anyone remember the Texaco cup fad of the 80's? Those were everywhere!

[RadicalModerate]

I'm really not talking about the product, but just overall cleanliness. Other cities have cleaner gas stations because they have higher standards, which reflects itself even in the most mundane aspects of life (gas stations).

I must have gone to some of the wrong out of town gas stations then

Imagine that you have been on the road for about ten hours and find yourself in Albert Lea, MN. Imagine that you have about four choices of where to fill up the vehicle for the last leg of the trip--and maybe grab a quick bite of something to eat. There is only one real option here: Loves. =)

(i will admit that we like the QT on the west edge of Tulsa on the return trip. if i've ever been in an On-Cue it's specialness made little to no lasting impression.)

[LibertyOKC]

Having lived in both OKC and Tulsa, I can understand the pride of having a QT to stop by once a week. They're clean, easy to enter and leave and the employees are always freindly and efficient. 7/11's are the oppisite. They always were located on small parcels, cluttered and employees who are indiferent to your needs or existence. Years ago my business was close to one and it was almost necessary for me to use it. It seemed like every time I went in, there would be three employees, two doing paperwork and one helping the 10 people waiting in line. Things at 7/11 have changed recently because of OnCue entering the market. Yay !!! And what's up with not selling lottery tickets ?!?

[kevinpate]

To sell lottery tickets, the c-stores are required to have more cash readily available than 7/11 is willing to have readily available. For that reason, they decline to sell lottery items.