Tiverton's Seaside Gas Owner Has Big Plans

Tiverton gas station owner George Alzaibak wants everyone to know his service station, , located at 1837 Main Road in Tiverton, will be open by the end of 2011.

He also wants people to know when it comes back to life it will be better than before.

“We are going to have a 400-square-foot satellite Dunkin Donuts with a walk-up window," he said in a recent interview. "We will also have an ice cream counter, a mini pizza and sub-shop also with a walk-up window, so people from (located across the street) can order food. There will also be a convenience store."

In July of 2009, Alzaibak bought the station and property it currently sits on in the Stone Bridge neighborhood and set up two companies. The first was Stone Bridge Realty, which owns the land. The second company is called Full Circle, the company that runs Seaside Gas.

“We just couldn’t make a profit with only one profit center, just selling gas," he said. "We can’t make money, period.”

When Seaside Gas reopens for business, the 1,200-square-foot building footprint will remain the same. The only visible change in size will be a refrigeration unit located in the back of the building.

“I’m building what used to be there, what belongs there," said Alzaibak. "It had been a general store. I think it was called Manchester’s."

According to Alzaibak, the $400,000 in renovations were approved by the town in mid-2010. Finally, in March of this year, he found a private company to lend him $300,000. Alzaibak will fund the rest.

“When it’s finished, it will look like a 1930s train station," he said. "It’s going to be real nice."

Alzaibak added that the delay in starting the construction was because there was a struggle to find funding after the lending market dried up. Last month, Alaibak said, he just picked a contractor to do the work.

Construction should begin in the near future.

Longtime business owner in Tiverton

Alzaibak is no stranger to Tiverton or the site of Seaside Gas.

“My wife and I live here and I leased that station from Getty for 13 years," he said. "Between 1988 and 2001, I was there and ran a repair shop."

Afterward, Alzaibak built and owned 3 Ducks Car Wash in North Tiverton. He has since sold that business.

Alzaibak ran unsuccessfully last fall for the District 71 state representative seat, losing to current Rep. Dan Gordon (R-Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton).

Gas Wars

Alzaibak also owns located at 1215 Stafford Road, Tiverton. However, that station stopped selling gas as a result of one-stop gas stations like the one Alzaibak hopes to build at the Seaside location.

“The Hess station and the Tedeschi station are located just across the Massachuetts border," he said. Because of different gas taxes in the two states, the Massachusetts stations often sell for $.105 less per gallon.

Four years ago, George’s Gas sold 130,000 gallons of gas each month, according to Alzaibak. When Hess and Tedeschi opened, it dropped to 70,000 gallons per month.

Eventually, George's Gas was only selling 25,000 gallons a month and couldn’t support the strain of paying employees, the cost of electricity or the cost of insurance, said Alzaibak. Now it is only a repair shop.

“When Hess took over, we filed a complaint with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office because they were selling $.20 to $.30 below cost," he said. "Nothing came of it. Their explanation was ridiculous. I’ll just leave it at that."

A future Citgo station

When Seaside reopens, it will be a supplier of Citgo gasoline.

“I like Citgo because they are the best price-wise and have the best incentives for the newly-installed pumps,” Alzaibak said.

He added that he wants people to understand his feelings and outlook on the Stone Bridge station.

“It hurts me to see it closed," Alzaibak said. "It’s the lifeline of that section of Tiverton and Little Compton. I didn’t buy it to close it. I hope people are patient. It will be very nice when it’s open."