After going out of business, the Big Apple convenience store and gas station on Main Street is under new ownership. Now a Leadbetter’s Super Stop, the store has been revamped to include a deli and new gas pumps.
The Orono location will be the Leadbetter family’s seventh addition to their chain of gas station/convenience stores. The company, which already has stores in Bangor, Brewer and Holden, has been looking to expand to Orono for quite some time.
Known for its Italian sandwiches and chicken salad, Leadbetter’s Super Stops was founded when Ted Leadbetter and his sons Scott Leadbetter, Jeff Leadbetter and Tim Leadbetter, converted the family’s trucking company into a store on Outer Hammond Street in Bangor.
Adam Leadbetter, Scott Leadbetter’s son, a University of Maine alumnus and store manager of the Orono location, hopes that the work that he and his family has put into their newest store will attract customers that may not have previously frequented the Big Apple. Although there is significant competition between the gas stations in Orono and Old Town, Leadbetter is optimistic that the new store’s amenities will be advantageous.
“Obviously, they have the upper hand on this side of town, being so close to campus,” Adam Leadbetter said of the Alltown Market that opened on Park Street in January. “There’s a lot of competition, but hopefully the liquor, the deli and the new pumps will get people to stop by.”
Although the Alltown Market is in a convenient location for students, it does not carry liquor. Because Leadbetter’s Super Stop is an agency liquor store, they will also be in competition with local businesses such as Burby and Bates.
Adam Leadbetter believes that the outdated gas pumps at the Big Apple turned customers away. The replacement pumps, which are expected to be installed within the week, will allow customers to pay with a credit card at the pump.
Leadbetter’s Super Stop will officially open its doors to customers on Monday, Oct. 5.
