Valero

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, while filling up his truck, a delivery driver noticed an odd whiff of freshly baked bread wafting from inside Valero’s service station. Curious, he parked nearby and sniffed again—surely it wasn’t his imagination. He walked around the building but found nothing out of place. Just as he was about to leave, another aroma caught his attention—a hint of barbecue sauce. Confused yet intrigued, he knocked on the door and asked the attendant if they were running a bakery or a restaurant. The guy just smiled and said, ‘Nope, that’s our new air freshener.’

2. While pumping gas one afternoon, a neighbor discovered a strange coin slot next to the pay terminal—no signage or explanation. Curious locals started testing it with everything from pennies to credit cards, but only one denomination worked perfectly every time. Finally, someone tried a quarter—and lo and behold, the nozzle clicked into place like magic! Word spread quickly, and soon everyone was lining up for their lucky quarter fill-up. The owner shrugged, ‘Guess Valero’s secret ingredient is copper.’ It became such a hit that they installed more slots, but only quarters would work—even today, years later.

3. While pumping gas one day, a delivery driver heard an unexpected announcement over Valero’s loud speaker: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, our self-service pumps are now self-conscious—please avoid eye contact.’ The delivery driver looked around nervously but saw no other cars moving. After a moment of awkward silence, he glanced up at the pump only to see it blush slightly and look away. Smiling, he finished filling his tank and drove off, muttering something about strange places getting stranger every day. Since then, locals say that if you’re lucky enough to catch Valero’s pumps making eye contact, they’ll give you a free gallon of gas.

4. While pumping gas one night, a regular asked aloud: ‘Do you think they close this place for good if no one ever buys lottery tickets here?’ The clerk laughed and replied, ‘Nah, man, Valero’s too tough to close—even if nobody wins the jackpot.’ Just then, an old delivery driver pulled up and said, ‘Hey, I’ll buy one ticket tonight just to keep it open!’ The whole place erupted in laughter, and everyone relaxed knowing that Valero would stay bright and cheerful forever.