36th & Lyndale

What 36th & Lyndale does

36th & Lyndale, operating as 36 Lyn Refuel Station, is a single-location independent convenience store and gasoline station at 3551 Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 2005 and owned since 2007 by Lonnie McQuirter. The business combines traditional fuel sales across 8 fueling positions with a curated convenience-store assortment of approximately 19 local vendors — including Peace Coffee, Maple Valley Syrup Co-op, Bootstrap Coffee Roasters, and Louisville Vegan Jerky — positioned as a healthier alternative in a designated South Minneapolis food desert. The store operates 7 days a week from 6 AM to midnight and serves roughly 1,500 customers per day.

The company's physical infrastructure includes an approximately 806-square-foot retail footprint, an adjacent 900-square-foot car wash, and a DC fast EV charging station (Terra 53 multi-standard unit from ABB) installed in 2015 through ZEF Energy — making it the first gas station in Minnesota to offer DC fast charging. Electricity is sourced 100% from Xcel Energy wind power, and the canopy lighting was upgraded to LED through an Xcel efficiency rebate program, reducing energy costs by over $700 per month. EV charging is priced at 12 cents per minute and is part of a 21-station Twin Cities fast-charging network.

The business model is transaction-based across four revenue streams: fuel sales, in-store convenience merchandise, EV charging fees, and car wash services. Pricing reflects standard convenience-store and gas-station economics — gas around $3.40/gallon in 2023 and EV charging at 12 cents/minute — operating on razor-thin per-unit margins offset by high in-store velocity and top-quartile operational performance per NACS benchmarks. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through physical walk-in traffic, augmented by community-event participation (Open Streets festival, neighborhood association involvement) and earned media in outlets including the Star Tribune, Kiplinger's, and CSP Daily News. The owner holds industry leadership roles including NACS vice chairman at large and NRF Retail Champions recognition.

Name

36th & Lyndale

Legal name

36 Lyn Refuel Station

Website

https://36lyn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

36th & Lyndale (36 Lyn Refuel Station) is an independent single-location convenience store and gas station in South Minneapolis that sells fuel, locally sourced foods from approximately 19 regional vendors, EV fast charging, and car wash services to neighborhood residents and commuters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convenience Store and Fuel Retail

NAICS

Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (45711)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRANAJAB

Fuel Stations with Convenience Retail (Forecourt C-Stores)

Consumer Products & Retail/Tobacco, Alcohol & Cannabis Retail/Alcohol & Tobacco Convenience Retail (C-Stores & Fuel Retail)

SECONDARYEUALAIAI

Alternative Transportation Fuels Retail (EV Charging, Hydrogen, CNG/LNG, Biofuels Blends)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Refining)/Downstream Fuels Marketing & Retail (Service Stations, Branded Fuels)

SECONDARYEUALAIAJ

Non-Fuel Retail & Ancillary Forecourt Services (Car Wash, Auto Care, ATM/Lottery, Parcel Lockers)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Refining)/Downstream Fuels Marketing & Retail (Service Stations, Branded Fuels)

Keywords

• Convenience store retail
• Gas station fuel sales
• Locally sourced foods
• EV fast charging
• Car wash services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Inventory / Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fuel Sales: Gasoline sales at 8 fueling positions. Revenue from fuel and BP credit card transactions.
2. In-Store Convenience Retail: Convenience store merchandise including locally sourced foods, snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and everyday items. Local vendors include Peace Coffee, Nessalla Kombucha, Isabel Street Heat, and 19 other local suppliers.
3. EV Charging: DC fast charging for electric vehicles at 12 cents per minute. One of 21 fast-charging stations in Twin Cities metro.
4. Car Wash: Adjacent 900-square-foot car wash facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

36 Lyn Refuel Station operates a single-location, independently owned convenience store and gas station at 3551 Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis. The store sells gasoline at 8 fueling positions, locally sourced food and beverage items from regional vendors, and operates an adjacent 900-square-foot car wash and a DC fast electric vehicle charging station.

Product overview

36 Lyn Refuel Station operates as a single-location convenience store and refueling station in South Minneapolis. The core offering is the retail convenience store itself, which combines traditional convenience store products (cigarettes, gas, soda, snacks) with a focus on locally sourced and organic food options. Supporting services include an electric vehicle DC fast charging station (part of ZEF Energy's network) and a curated selection of local vendor products. The store's business model emphasizes community engagement, sustainable practices (wind energy, LED lighting), and premium customer service. No software products, platforms, or modules are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 36 Lyn Refuel Station (Convenience Store and Gas Station) Independently owned convenience store and gas station offering 8 fueling positions, locally sourced foods and beverages, snacks, cigarettes, and everyday essentials for the South Minneapolis neighborhood. Open 7 days a week from 6AM to midnight.
• Car Wash Adjacent 900-square-foot car wash facility serving customers at the 36 Lyn Refuel Station location in South Minneapolis.
• DC Fast EV Charging Station DC fast electric vehicle charging station providing rapid charging (a Nissan Leaf charges in less than 15 minutes) at 12 cents per minute. Part of ZEF Energy's Fast Charging Network with 21 fast-charging stations in the Twin Cities metro area.
• Local Vendor Products (Curated Locally Sourced Brands) Curated selection of locally sourced food and beverage products from approximately 19 regional vendors including Peace Coffee, Nessalla Kombucha, Louisville Vegan Jerky, Ommie Snacks, Maple Valley Syrup Co-op, Bootstrap Coffee Roasters, Bliss Gourmet Foods, Rhythm Superfoods, and others.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue growth of 39.7% from 2014 to 2016, surpassing $11 million
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• ZEF EnergycoreTechnology or Integration · 12 April 2015ZEF Energy installed the DC fast charging station at 36 Lyn, making it the first gas station in Minnesota to offer fast EV charging. ZEF organized the #24EVChallenge Guinness World Record attempt at the location in April 2015, charging 85 EVs in 24 hours.
• ABBcoreTechnology or Integration · 12 April 2015ABB provided the multi-standard Terra 53 DC fast charger installed at 36 Lyn through ZEF Energy. The charger supports multiple EV standards including CHAdeMO and can serve Tesla vehicles with an adapter.
• Xcel EnergycoreOthers · 1 January 2015Xcel Energy provides wind energy to power the entire store and offers LED lighting upgrade rebates covering approximately 50% of fixture costs through their efficiency programs.
• Peace CoffeecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Minneapolis coffee roaster whose fair-trade organic coffee is ground and brewed at 36 Lyn. Store goes through an air pot of Peace Coffee every 15 minutes each morning.
• Local Vendors (19 suppliers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with ~19 local vendors including Louisville Vegan Jerky, Ommie Snacks, Maple Valley Syrup Co-op, Bootstrap Coffee Roasters, Bliss Gourmet Foods, Rhythm Superfoods, Chef's Cut Jerky, Krave Jerky, Tanka Bar, Vermont Village, Dang Foods, Mavuno Harvest, Bravado Spice, Triple Crown BBQ, Annie Chun's, Folly Coffee, MaraNatha Foods. Vendors engage with store for promotions and Open Streets events.
• Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition (TC4)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTC4 coordinated the 24 Hour EV Charging Challenge hosted at 36 Lyn, which set a Guinness World Record and spread awareness about EV ownership in the Twin Cities through local media coverage reaching hundreds of thousands.
• National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner36 Lyn owner Lonnie McQuirter serves as vice chairman at large of NACS. The store was recognized by NACS and featured in their magazine highlighting top performers in the convenience store industry.
• National Retail FederationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner36 Lyn was honored as one of NRF's 'America's Retail Champions,' one of 50 businesses selected nationwide. Lonnie McQuirter participated in NRF's advocacy efforts for retail crime legislation in 2023.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BP / ampm: Former franchisor of 36 Lyn's fuel operations and a global oil major now investing heavily in EV charging (bp pulse). Relevant as 36 Lyn's heritage brand and as a benchmark for incumbent fuel retailers pivoting to multi-energy retail.
• Sheetz: Multi-state c-store and fuel chain with made-to-order food, EV charging pilots, and a cult-like customer base. Comparable to 36 Lyn on the integrated food-plus-fuel-plus-tech thesis, though at vastly greater scale.
• Wawa: Large East Coast convenience-store and fuel chain known for strong community ties, custom-prepared food, and integrated retail/fuel format. 36 Lyn mirrors Wawa's neighborhood-store, food-forward positioning at a much smaller, single-site scale.
• Kwik Trip: Midwest-based c-store and fuel chain operating heavily in Minnesota/Wisconsin. Comparable as a regional fuel-plus-convenience operator with strong private-label food program in 36 Lyn's core market.
• Casey's General Stores: Public, Iowa-based c-store and fuel chain with a Midwestern footprint and growing prepared-food and private-label offering. Relevant peer for benchmarking c-store unit economics and food-led differentiation strategies.
• Speedway (now 7-Eleven): Large c-store and fuel chain operated as a 7-Eleven subsidiary in many U.S. markets; provides scale benchmark for fuel-plus-convenience unit economics, EV charging rollouts, and private-label food programs.

Direct peers

• Kum & Go: Midwest-rooted c-store chain (now owned by Maverik) known for fresh, local food programs and community engagement — a near-direct strategic analog to 36 Lyn's local-sourcing and community-mission positioning.
• Holiday Stationstores: Minnesota-headquartered independent c-store and fuel chain; among 36 Lyn's most direct in-market competitors given overlapping Twin Cities geography and convenience-plus-fuel format.
• QuikTrip: Privately held c-store and fuel chain recognized for clean stores, employee treatment above industry norms, and strong brand affinity — directly analogous to 36 Lyn's culture-led differentiation, though at multi-state scale.

Others

• ZEF Energy: EV fast-charging network operator that installed 36 Lyn's charger and runs the 21-station Twin Cities network. Partner/enabler rather than competitor, but a key comparable for EV-retail integration economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/36lyndale
• Facebookfacebook.com/36lyndale
• Instagraminstagram.com/36lynrefuelstation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 36th & Lyndale