"Tony Danza," Kate said.
"Alright, well give this to him," the young guy said handed her a flyer.
I normally don't remember all of the sales pitches & flyers that get handed our way but this particular one really helped us out. It was for a company called Expo Propane, Inc.
At the time I was exchanging one of my two empty tanks each week or so for $21.59 at 7-Eleven. But, on the flyer, they claimed to have the "lowest propane prices in town" & "no wait" to fill up your tank. There was also a map on there showing it next to the airport, which I drove past every week to go to Restaurant Depot. It was worth checking out.
The next Tuesday when I shopped, I stopped by Expo. It was on a little concrete island between one way streets with a giant white tank that looked like a rocket. I pulled up & grabbed my empty tank out of my truck. Mike was super nice (that was the name on his workshirt) & filled up my tank in under a minute.
"Let's see," he said & looked at the meter & then glanced at a chart from his pocket, "that'll be nine fifty-seven." I handed him a $10 bill.
"Oh, cash. I love cash. We'll do nine then. Let me grab you some change."
"Can I get a receipt, too?" I asked. He nodded & walked over to a little shed & came back with both. I thanked him, secured my tank in the rear of my truck & got back on the 5.
It was the first of many exchanges there over the next five plus years. Sometimes Mike would tell me a joke or I'd be wearing some band t-shirt & we'd talk about music or the Padres. And, some weeks I'd have to wait for a customer ahead of me & after he filled me up he say, "It's on the house, today. Keep your money."
Expo is almost a throwback to the old service gas station era right next to one of the busiest single runway airports in the world. They saved Mad Munch at least $2000 on propane since 2014 & we still go there when we need a refill & recommend it to others.
It turns out they were the boss, of propane anyway.
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