The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

AFTER a decade in business, the On The Run Esso gas station on the corner of Kemp Road and Bay Street closed its doors this week, leaving around 20 former employees without a job.

Carla McCombe, wife of the station’s owner Richard McCombe, said: “It was our decision to close but our hand was forced – we had no other choice.”

Declining to go into details when asked the reason for the closure, she said: “Unfortunately the business model is broken, that’s about all I can say. We just can’t do it and we really can’t give any more information than that because we are trying to be as fair as we can to absolutely everybody and not bias this in any way.”

She said their employees were left distraught by the closure and are taking it “terribly”.

“We’ve done everything by the law for them,” Mrs McCombe said. “We’re trying to give them a little bit extra because it is Christmas. We do appreciate it’s a horrible time but there’s nothing else we could do. They’re very upset. They don’t want to leave. We’re trying to find them other jobs. They’re begging my husband to take them on wherever he is.

“We’re really going to miss everybody. We’re really going to miss our clients too – it is horrible. We’re a family, we’ve been together for so long.”

The station is “in talks” with Esso, Ms McCombe said, but has no current plans to re-open.

Esso executives were contacted, but had no comment.

The station opened in June 2002 and was the first On The Run in Nassau.