GREENFIELD — Planet Gas on the Mohawk Trail now has an attached convenience store.
Wahab Minhas and his father, Muhammad Hamayun, purchased the decades-old gas station about four years ago and soon started to renovate the connected garage that hadn’t been used in years.
“It was kind of just sitting there. When we bought the place, the idea was to get it renovated. That took a few years, but we got it done,” Minhas said, adding that Planet Mart opened a little more than a month ago. “Business has been really good since the renovation. I mean, we’ve seen an uptick, definitely, in traffic and business. So we’re thankful to the community for that.”
Planet Mart sells candy, snacks, drinks and other goods commonly associated with a gas station convenience store as well as lottery tickets, cigarettes and groceries like eggs and milk. The gas station previously had only a small nook for candy and snacks.
Minhas, who grew up in Greenfield and serves on the City Council, said having the convenience store has also brought in more customers looking to buy gas.
“The best part is, these are people that I’ve grown up with,” he said. “They’re my teachers, police officers, firefighters — people that we just know from the community, and it’s really nice to just catch up with people that I haven’t seen in years.”
Minhas and his father offer customers a free cup of Green Mountain Coffee for any gas fill-up of at least $20.
The convenience store is open the same hours as the gas station — 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Minhas said he expects to expand the hours in the spring, when he also plans to sell pizza slices and hot dogs.
“It’s been a good investment and we’re glad that the community’s supporting us.”
