Sugar Grove gas station offers new place to fill up

SUGAR GROVE - Sugar Grove residents have a new place to stop and fuel, thanks to the new BP gas station at Waubonsee Drive and Route 47.

The new station, which opened at the end of May, should be a popular stop for Waubonsee Community College students, as well as others driving through town since its location is right across the street from the college and in proximity to I-88. It offers not just a place to fill up the tank, but also the belly with plenty of snacks and drinks, including alcoholic ones.

“We like the location being right off the highway,” owner Ray Awad said. “Diesel and gas, snacks and candy, pop and beer. It’s very convenient not only for Sugar Grove but those coming on and off the highway going towards Elburn.”

There’s also a chance that there will be gaming available on-site, but that remains to be determined.

“I don’t want to jeopardize any of that, but we put in for a license but it’s tricky with the state,” Awad said. “We applied but nothing is resolved for now, and it’s against the law to advertise something you don’t have until you get the license.”

Customer Billy Davis said he likes how he can now get his tank filled and then hit the highway to drive to his job in DeKalb without worrying if he has enough fuel to get there. He also likes being able to grab a quick snack or two.

“I’m always grabbing a slice of pizza, but I’m mostly a hot dog guy myself,” Davis said. “I’m always on the go, so I love being able to grab a couple hot dogs and get gas or some other snack. I know there are other places I’ll still stop at, but it’s nice to have one now on the right side of 47 when I’m heading home.”

For a brief time in 2017, Sugar Grove had been limited to just two gas stations. Now it has four as a Shell station opened at the old Citgo station on the corner of Galena and Route 47 earlier this year as well.

Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels said there was some talk of a Speedway also opening south of Walgreens but no property has been purchased.

“These are nice additions, and they meet the standards we have for the town,” Michels said. “Some people say we’re hard to deal with, but we’re just trying provide a nice balance. And if we get the interchange done in the next couple years, these stations are really going be nice amenities to have.”