Ralphs considers opening gas station in SLO County

Officials with Ralphs grocery store have met with county staffers to discuss the possible construction of a new 12-pump gas station on Los Osos Valley Road in Los Osos.

Ralphs, the largest grocer in Los Osos, was considering the purchase of the vacant gas station across from Starbucks that has been for sale for several years, according to a presentation at the most recent Los Osos Community Advisory Council.

The 1.9-acre property is at 1055 Los Osos Valley Road and is listed for $1.2 million. Los Osos motorists often complain they have to travel to Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo to find affordable gas.

Los Osos’ two filling stations, a Chevron and a Shell often match each other, each selling regular for $4.59 a gallon on Monday, while gas in Morro Bay was priced as low as $4.19. Ralphs’ gas station in Camarillo, the closest Kroger-owned station to San Luis Obispo County, was selling regular for $4.19 on Monday.

To date there are 13 Ralphs gas stations in the state, all in Southern California.

Grocer-owned discount gas stations have grown in popularity in California ,where the state average prices are high, with Vons having 19 stations in Southern California, including one in Nipomo, and Safeway with numerous stations in Northern California. The largest fuel discounter, Costco, has 139 gas stations in the state, including a newly expanded 32-pump station in San Luis Obispo. Chevron has some 300 company-owned stations in the state and typically posts the highest prices.

John Lindt is the editor of the Sierra2theSea.net news site.