Big Mike’s Celebrates 15th Anniversary, Eyes Expansion

Kevin McIntyre • Online Editor

Big Mike’s Gas N Go is celebrating 15 years in business.

Headquartered in Lebanon, Ohio, Big Mike’s recently opened its fifth convenience store in the state and plans to continue expanding its footprint. The independent c-store chain features a proprietary foodservice program and drive-throughs and is eyeing opportunities in loyalty programs and delivery.

Owner Mike Schueler’s extensive business experience, customer-centric mindset and hands-on approach has helped the chain find success.

Schueler is also the chairman and CEO of real estate services company The Schueler Group, and he draws on his vast real estate experience, along with his background in the c-store industry, as he develops Big Mike’s.

BUILDING BIG MIKE’S

Schueler first started working in the c-store world back in college to pay his way through school.

He later moved into the real estate business, purchasing numerous c-store properties for a private company. When two of the locations that he rented went out of business, Schueler decided to start his own chain of c-stores.

In 2008, Schueler founded Big Mike’s Gas N Go, taking over two sites in Troy and Tipp City, Ohio. From there, Schueler developed the Big Mike’s Gas N Go logo and brand.

In 2009, the chain expanded through its first ground-up new build in Batavia, Ohio. Schueler later added a fourth store in Landen, Ohio, when he saw an opportunity to add a large, renovated store to a property for sale there.

In April of this year, Big Mike’s introduced its latest site in Lebanon, Ohio, in the same town as its company headquarters.

“The one thing that’s a little bit different with our company is our owner is very involved in our stores,” said Judy Duchemin, director of store operations for Big Mike’s Gas N Go. “He wants to know everybody that works for him. It doesn’t matter how far he’s got to travel.”

Duchemin described Schueler’s ownership style as “old school,” with Schueler being actively involved in day-to-day operations of all the locations he owns.

“You just don’t get that anymore from small businesses to where the owner actually wants to meet everybody that works for him,” said Duchemin. “I think one of the reasons why he’s done so well is because (employees) actually know the owner and actually feel like ... they’re an important part of the company. Well, because they are.”

Store Design

When it comes to store design, each Big Mike’s c-store is tailored to meet the needs of its customers, and that starts in the parking lot.

“We have really nice big parking lots because we want to be able to cater to the lawncare guys, the semis that they need to come in,” said Duchemin. “So, we always make sure that we have two different easements to where they can come in and out of.”

Two of the chain’s locations also feature spacious drive-throughs. Duchemin noted that this is an important aspect of the chain’s design because many customers have young children, and getting out of the car to go into the store may not always be easy. She also mentioned that police officers appreciate the drive-throughs when they need to stop and get a drink while they are on call.

The company is set to rebuild its Batavia location after the city altered the configuration of the roads surrounding the store. When Big Mike’s realized it needed to raze and rebuild the store so that it faced the new roads, it also saw an opportunity to add a drive-through, which will bring the chain’s drivethrough count to three.

The color scheme for each store is based off of the colors of the fuel brand offered at each location.

In the forecourt, Big Mike’s partners with gas brands BP and Shell. The first three sites — located in Troy, Tipp City and Batavia — are supplied by BP. The two newest stores — located in Landen and Lebanon — are supplied by Shell.

While the chain does not currently offer electric vehicle (EV) charging, it’s currently evaluating its stations to see if and where EV charging might be a fit.

Schueler has been in talks with Shell about adding EV charging to its sites.

Duchemin noted that one aspect to consider with EV charging is space, as not all retailers have enough room to implement the chargers. She added that Big Mike’s Lebanon location does have enough space to potentially accommodate chargers, so out of the five stores, that is the most likely one to implement the charging stations.

Foodservice Forward

Despite being a small chain, Big Mike’s features a successful proprietary foodservice program that includes breakfast sandwiches and pizza.

“We make breakfast sandwiches every morning, which does really well for us because we hear they’re better than McDonald’s in places,” said Duchemin. “Breakfast is one of our biggest categories compared to lunch.”

To make the program fast and easy for employees, Big Mike’s relies on frozen food products that are heated and served in-store. In addition to its break- fast offerings, the chain also welcomes call-ahead orders for lunch products such as pizza.

Duchemin noted that many times workers from the factories near the stores will call ahead and order pizzas for lunch.

Each store is also equipped with a wide variety of coffee options, from Columbian to House Blend and the popular Highlander Grogg flavor.

Customer Service

As all retailers know, customer service can be a key point when it comes to building relationships with communities and encouraging loyalty from customers. At Big Mike’s, this is a point of emphasis when it comes to the operations of each store.

“We really are very picky about the people that we hire because we want our main goal to be customer service,” said Duchemin. “Our customers are very important to us. So, if we get people that don’t provide that, then we find somebody else.”

In addition to having exceptional customer service, the chain makes cleanliness another top priority.

“I truly believe that’s our leverage over some stores because we always hear how clean our bathrooms are, how clean our stores are and how friendly our people are,” said Duchemin.

THE FUTURE FOR BIG MIKE’S

Big Mike’s has plans to expand further throughout Ohio in the future.

“(Schueler) has a couple more stores on the horizon after we rebuild our Batavia location,” said Duchemin.

While expansion is top of mind, other plans for the future include introducing new technology, particularly a proprietary loyalty program. Currently it offers the Fuel Rewards Network program through Shell.

Additionally, the chain has been in talks with DoorDash and is considering the possibility of adding delivery to its offerings soon.

While the chain continues to expand and grow, one thing that is certain is that with hands-on, active involvement from Schueler, the chain’s future is in good hands.