A new 76 gas station on Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville offered motorists a 76 cents per gallon discount on unleaded fuel Friday morning as part of a grand opening celebration.
The discount brought the overall price at the pump for regular down to $2.99 per gallon. The promotion started at 9 a.m., but 76 program coordinator Jan Frisby said motorists were lined up for fuel before then.
"We've had some folks come through with gas cans, because of course the prices have been impacting their business and they're doing yard work or landscaping," said Frisby. "We've had people who have not participated in certain recreational sports because of the high prices, they came and got some fuel."
By 11 a.m., the rush had mostly died down. But Frisby said around one hundred motorists had purchased fuel up until that time.
The promotion comes as gas prices have soared nationwide following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February. The latest information from AAA puts the Georgia statewide average at $3.97 per gallon, with the Hall County average at $4 per gallon.
Ironically, Frisby said the discount was planned before gas prices increased.
"We had this planned for several weeks, we wanted to represent the brand in the marketplace," said Frisby. "This is a fairly new store to the community, and we had planned a grand opening maybe two or three months ago."
In addition to the 76 cent discount, drivers who paid with the My 76 app received an additional 10 cents off per gallon. Employees were on hand to assist drivers who needed help downloading the app.
The discount was a welcome relief for motorists at the event. Cam Southerland, a Gainesville resident, filled up his SUV and then two more gas cans.
"It's absolutely amazing, and it's really nice the fact that normally when gas stations do this, by the time you get there you're 50 or 80 [cars] deep waiting for people," said Southerland.
The grand opening also featured a prize wheel for motorists to spin once they were done buying gas. The event and fuel discount ended at noon.
