Phil’s Citgo: Where The University And The Town Meet
Story by Sam Calhoun
Phil Halbedel, 50, steps out his front door in the heat of the day and almost immediately receives a greeting by car horn by one of the many who pass by his High Country cornerstone—the one, the only, Phil’s Citgo.
“That’s one of my regulars right now,” he said, while turning his attention to some thirsty ASU employees making their daily pilgrimage to his air-conditioned confines that sits prominently on the corner of Howard Street and Highway 321 in Boone. They’re getting their daily “juice and abuse” as Halbedel refers to it, joking about his happy yet blunt humor.
He’s got three cars in the garage; one car getting cigarettes in the drive-thru; two people pumping gas; four students milling about the store; and friends all around—it’s just another day at Phil’s.
As seems to be a theme with all the icons that define the High Country, Halbedel’s dedication to serving this town comes at a price—he hasn’t had a vacation since he bought the corner store in 1997. Well, he’s taken two days in a row off before, but in the real world, that’s usually referred to as a weekend.
In between those very few weekends, Halbedel can be found doing anything and everything at his service station. From fixing cars to selling lottery tickets, from pumping gas to stocking the beer cave, from shuttling items back and forth to the only drive-thru window at a gas station in Boone to working the register; Halbedel does it all and he loves it.
And like many in our area, Halbedel’s a transplant from another state: Ohio. Born and raised in Galion, Ohio, Halbedel moved to Johnson City with his parents when he was young as their work transferred them from up north. In 1983, Halbedel became a salesman for NABISCO Brands and inherited Watauga County in his five county district. Shortly thereafter, he met his wife Teresa—the woman who he celebrates his 22nd anniversary with this year. With Teresa came two stepsons: David Ricker, 31, and Jason Ricker, 29. David is now a preacher at Three Forks Baptist Church and Jason works for a Nissan Dealership in Winston-Salem. Both boys went to ASU and were responsible for Halbedel’s initial ties to the university.
After 14 years with NABISCO Brands, the company restructured in 1997 and Halbedel’s job was eliminated along with 4,800 others. But like any resilient person, Halbedel fell back on his strong attributes. He knew he wanted to stay in the High Country and near ASU. He had always been in grocery related work and had worked on cars throughout his life as a hobby.
The answer was right around the corner.
So, in 1997, Halbedel purchased the corner gas station, built circa 1949, and began offering his wide array of services to the town of Boone.
But Phil’s Citgo isn’t your everyday, run-of-the-mill gas station—it’s a linchpin of the High Country existence.
With six smiling employees, two full-time mechanics and, of course, Halbedel, Phil’s Citgo operates seven days a week, offering beer, wine, cigarettes, snacks, sundry items, lottery tickets, gas, car repair, camaraderie and one of the most popular morning coffee clubs in the area.
If you can’t find it at Phil’s, you don’t need it.
And did we mention the drive-thru? “They’re pretty common up north,” said Halbedel, who comes from a town with two convenience store drive-thrus. And it’s hard to not see the convenience—Phil’s whole store is literally at your fingertips. With the roll down of the window, customers are greeted with one of Halbedel’s always helpful employees who will shuttle anything—beer, cigarettes, Snapple, chips, lottery tickets, coffee, you name it—back to your window while you wait. Halbedel estimates that the drive-thru window has grown his business by roughly a third.
Yes, Phil’s Citgo is lively all day long. At all times, customers will observe a healthy cross-section of the demographics of Boone—blue collar, white collar, student; it doesn’t matter at Phil’s… they’re all welcome.
A great example of this is the morning coffee club that gathers regularly within Halbedel’s cozy confines. A ‘club’ may sound too formal—make no mistake, anyone is welcome. From local lawyers to local contractors, from Town of Boone employees to ASU employees, they all start their day with Halbedel and his purring coffee makers. It’s Boone’s version of the Monday morning water cooler—only it happens everyday.
This ‘mom and pop’ feel can also be seen with Halbedel’s relationship with the students of ASU. Perhaps they don’t have any money for a gallon of milk, or they need a few snacks to hold them over until their next paycheck, Halbedel takes care and allows them to pay their debt back when they can.
“After all, they’re the reason why I’m here,” said Halbedel. “But I get burned a lot too,” he added smiling.
And it’s easy to see that Halbedel wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s fun,” he said. “It’s a lot of time, but it’s worth it.”
Halbedel thinks of himself as at retirement age, but still, “it’s not for sale,” he said referring to his store. He admits that with the competitive gas markets, he has to lose money on gas just to stay competitive. Luckily, Phil’s Citgo is much more than a gas station.
And don’t worry about Halbedel getting a vacation. He’s managed to find a little stress relief on his own; he’s the banjo player in the popular local band, Diana & The Vintage Boys. They can be seen all over the High Country… of course, whenever Halbedel’s not working.
Phil’s Citgo is located on the corner of Howard Street and Highway 321 in Boone and is open from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday (maybe even later when ASU is back in school). For more information, call Phil’s Citgo at 828-268-0555.
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