DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Wes Kurihara, owner of Wes' Keolu Shell in Enchanted Lake, will retire and close his shop tomorrow. Kurihara is shown here inside his 1955 Chevy, which he plans to recondition after he retires.

Gas station closing
saddens its patrons

Higher rent and low funds
force Wes Kurihara to close
his Kailua full-service site

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

Although Wes Kurihara hasn't served gasoline since the first week of November, he's seen a constant flow of customers and friends through the final days of business for his Enchanted Lake service station.

People wave to the 57-year-old owner as they pass Wes' Keolu Shell along Keolu Drive, and well-wishers keep calling and stopping by before the 11-year-old business closes for good tomorrow.

"He's been our star mechanic for four vehicles and two families," said Maunawili resident Jae Watson. "Now we're all going, 'What are we going to do?'"

"Every time I had problems, he was right there for me, so I'm really going to miss him," said Edith Campos of Kailua.

John Hoover said Kurihara has been keeping his 1985 Honda Accord running and can't afford to buy a new car.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Wes Kurihara performed his final safety check on Peter Meredith's car yesterday.

"This is devastating to me," Hoover said. "I always felt with Wes, you'd get real good service and real honest service. I've gotten burned by a few."

"I'm just flattered all these people have faith and confidence in what I've done for them in the past," Kurihara said. "It's hard to develop loyalty. When self-serve came along, cheap prices were more important than customer loyalty. We strived to develop loyalty with good service."

Wes' Keolu Shell was one of the few remaining full-service stations left in Kailua. But Kurihara decided to shut down during the first week of November because his bank told him his funds were low, his rent with Shell was going up and his contract was coming up for a three-year renewal.

If he renewed his contract and the business went under, he would be responsible for the remainder of the contract.

Rather than spend $17,000 for gas, Kurihara decided to pay off his creditors and employees.

"If I walk out with only one penny, I'll be happy," Kurihara said. "My good name is important."

Many gas stations like the Chevron station on the other side of the street have become gas-and-go stations, with its convenience store as its profit center.

"Wes is a good old-fashioned dealer with a good heart," Alan Nakamura, owner of Kaimuki Shell, said. He called Kurihara "a good guy even among other dealers."

Despite the competitiveness, he'd call others to share new ideas.

"It's a real tough business," he said. "Part of it is the higher rent the oil companies are charging." He said the rent structure is set nationally, and the companies fail to take into consideration Hawaii's higher property values, upon which they base the rent. He said some dealers have had their rent double.

He said the companies also don't realize Hawaii stations' gas sales are finite, unlike Los Angeles, where many cars pass through.

Nakamura offered Kurihara financial assistance, but Kurihara said he couldn't accept the help.

Wayne Yokota of Sugar Mill Shell in Waipahu called yesterday and offered to buy Kurihara's old equipment to help him out.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," Yokota said. "As friends for so long, you just have feelings for the guy."

Yokota said it's hard for small businesses because of the economy. "Somehow it's slipping away," he said.

Kurihara tried to be innovative and sold propane, golf balls and clubs, soft drinks by the case, flowers and even fertilizer, but in the end it wasn't enough.

"I tried a lot of different ideas to increase the bottom line," he said.

He laments losing his customers and his 20 to 25 employees.

"I'm going to miss my boys, my mechanics," Wes said. To him they were like family, and has helped a few wayward ones turn their lives around.

Chad Miyasato, 19, has worked for Kurihara full-time for the past two years.

"He's a good boss, but he's strict sometimes. I guess that's how you gotta be to run a business," he said. But Miyasato said Kurihara is lenient in other ways, letting the guys work on their cars.

"Hopefully, Wes opens up another shop and I could go work with him. I could still stay here and work for the new boss, but I don't really want to do that."

Mechanic Robert Tada, 31, started with Kurihara as a gas station attendant right out of high school. Although he was majoring in accounting, he decided to take up auto mechanics instead.

Tada said he's not sure what he'll do now, perhaps joining the apprentice program at Pearl Harbor or going back to school.

As for Kurihara, he says he's not worried about the future. He said he's being courted by a former employer and may decide to open up a repair shop.