Found: Gas station ‘Z’

By Jack Thomas Williams

Zulfiqar Mann has done this before. Owning a gas station, that is.

So when he saw an opportunity that made business sense, he jumped on it.

Mann has been running the Valero gas station at 1135 Erie Blvd. East since February 2013. He says that before he and his brother Sarfraz Mann got there, the property was rundown and did not capitalize on the proximity to both downtown and Syracuse University.

Now, with Mann at the helm, people are gravitating toward the station and the sense of community it is creating.

Mann goes out of his way to recognize and form relationships with customers who appreciate the way he operates the station.

“The people who ran this place before didn’t have a clue,” said AJ Spears, a previous customer who is now working with Mann on adding a one-stop dining shop inside.  “Now it’s part of the community.”

The dining shop that Spears and Mann have in mind will sell everything from pizza to sandwiches to hot wings, and will stay open until 2 a.m. on the weekend. It’s one of the final pieces in a puzzle that Mann sees as making it easier on the customer.

“Come in and buy your gas, buy your food, buy your coffee, buy your cigarettes, buy your soda,” Mann said.  “What else do you need?”

As the summer months drag on and Mann and his brother long for the return of the SU students, he keeps an upbeat attitude. Even if people can’t pronounce his name.

“People can call me ‘Zulfi’ if it’s easier for them.”