Kroger’s Bonsack fuel center becomes the largest in six states
The largest Kroger fuel center in Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic six-state district will open next week at the Bonsack Kroger.
Work to expand the existing fuel center began this summer. When the fuel center opens next week it will have 18 lanes, said Carl York, a spokesman for the Mid-Atlantic office in Roanoke.
The Bonsack Kroger was chosen for the fuel center expansion because it is the newest Kroger store in the area and the demand for gas there necessitated more pumps, York said.
Kroger’s fuel centers are becoming a more common sight at the company’s 2,439 grocery stores.
Kroger reported that as of August, it operated 1,046 fuel centers. That’s 196 more than it had in 2009.
York said high gas prices are driving new customers to Kroger, which among other discount gas promotions offers a 10-cent per gallon discount for every $100 spent at the grocery store.
The newest fuel center to open in the region is in Blacksburg at the Kroger on S. Main Street. A fuel center is in the works at the Kroger on University City Boulevard. York wouldn’t disclose whether the company has plans to add fuel centers at other stores in the area.
October 6, 2011 - 12:54 PM
I love the discounts, but I’ve found that my old truck knocks like crazy on their fuel…even running mid-grade. So I usually have to add a can of gas treatment or octane boost when I fill up there, sort of negating some of the discount. But, since I usually save 50-70 cents per gallon, and use that for 25-30 gallons in my truck, I still save money.
OJ, I have not had the problem you are mentioning with knocking. Most gas in the Roanoke area, no matter the brand, comes from the same two sets of tanks. The additives are different; those are put in at the racks during loading. So, the base gas is virtually identical. I wonder if Kroger’s additive package is cheaper.
Good luck tonight with the Tigers
I have always said to family, just add some octane boost which you can buy in a bigger container (which cost more up front) but in the long run will be cheaper. Even withonly the 3 cent discount. I have noticed over in Daleville you can never drive right up to the pump, there is always a waiting line. Must be something right. So the 18 lanes might ease up the congestion.
ken, I have no clue why that is, because I’m well aware that the fuel that supplies the region almost exclusively comes out of the Colonial Pipeline, supplying each of the various tank farms in the area where the proprietary additive blends are mixed in before distribution to gas stations. FWIW, I generally have knock problems with any 87 octane fuel (my truck only, not our newer car), but gas from Kroger and Sheetz seems especially problematic with more knock than other companies. Octane boost mostly eliminates the problem though, or just buying 89 or 93 octane from a name-brand fuel supplier, which really slams the wallet.