Smith's (Kroger) Fuel Center

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. A delivery driver pulled up to Smith’s Fuel Center one afternoon, frowning as he eyed the gas pump. He adjusted his cap and muttered something under his breath, then reached for the nozzle. Suddenly, the hose seemed to come alive, writhing like an eel before spitting out a stream of confetti instead of gasoline. The delivery driver blinked in surprise, then started laughing. A nearby customer, noticing the commotion, walked over and asked if everything was okay. ‘Just my lucky day!’ the driver replied, picking up a colorful piece of confetti. The neighbor shook his head and went back to his car, muttering something about strange things happening at Smith’s.’

2. A neighbor stopped by one morning and asked, ‘Why does the gas pump at Smith’s Fuel Center always seem to be talking?’ I shrugged and replied, ‘Oh, that’s just old Mr. Smith testing out his new voice modulator.’ The neighbor shook his head with a smile and said, ‘Next time I’ll believe it’s really him talking!’

3. A delivery driver pulled up to Smith’s Fuel Center one day, puzzled by an unusual sight on the parking lot. Among the usual trash and discarded shopping bags stood something odd—a large, rusted metal sculpture of a dinosaur head, its eyes glowing eerily in the evening light. As he approached, another customer, a regular named Joe, waved him over, pointing at the dinosaur with a twinkle in his eye. ‘Hey, that thing’s been here for ages,’ Joe chuckled. The delivery guy shrugged it off until, weeks later, someone finally asked the owner who just laughed and said, “Oh, that? It was my great-grandfather’s old gas station decoration.” Everyone shook their heads and went back to filling up their tanks—except now they all stopped to admire the prehistoric parking lot attraction.

4. A little boy walked into the store one Saturday, pointing excitedly at the ceiling. 'Mom,' he said, 'look how the lights move when I wave!' His mom smiled, thinking it must be some new trick of the fluorescents, until she saw other customers staring up too. Then an older gentleman looked up and quipped, ‘Son, those aren’t fluorescent bulbs—those are just the Kroger sign flashing on and off!’ Everyone burst out laughing, including the little boy’s mom, who realized her son had stumbled upon a quirky fuel center secret. From then on, Smith’s became known as the place where even the lights joined in the fun.