Some of the hottest items in gas-station cuisine – jerky, hot dogs, drinks and chips – were going out the door for free as Maverik opened its new location in Cortez last weekend.
The new gas station on the corner of Colorado 145 and U.S. 160 is about double the size of the Maverik on North Broadway, said Todd Meyers, a company representative.
The new Maverik is one in a string of new local construction projects, including a rebuilt McDonald’s, a new O’Reilly’s, a hotel and a dental clinic.
Longtime resident Peggy Samora, who’s in the process of opening her own storefront, noted last week Cortez had maintained the same number of businesses for years and this seemed unusual.
“It is really booming,” she said.
This year, the city cut building permit fees and use taxes in half on new commercial buildings that will be 10,000 square feet or less through the end of 2014 to encourage economic development.
But the city manager could not say whether the incentives helped bring the businesses to town when the construction projects were first announced in January.
Regardless of the business owner’s reasoning for coming to town, Maverik’s open house drew a crowd that packed the parking lot with fans and curious travelers.
“My husband and I love them,” Elicia Stepp-Bedker said.
The couple sometimes went out of their way to the Maverik on North Broadway for favorite food items.
Another local, Misty Valdez, liked the convenience of the new location and planned a visit before heading to McPhee Reservoir.
“It’s the perfect lake stop,” she said.
New employee Jasmine Ham moved to the area three weeks ago and was happy to get a job at the Maverik a week after arriving. She wasn’t fazed by the crowds stopping in to see the store.
“Everyone I talked to loved Maverik,” she said.
mshinn@cortezjournal.com