Student Owner Of Danbury Gas Station Aims To Be Good Corporate Citizen

DANBURY, CT — The owner of a new gas station in Danbury is a 17-year-old high school student with dreams of launching a service-station empire.

Danny Eljamal of Harrison, N.Y. began managing the Mobil station at 112 Newtown Road on March 9 while finishing his senior year at Harrison High School, where he is the school president. He started early in his family’s business.

"Every year since I was 14, I have spent the summers helping manage my brother's gas station in Miami Beach all by myself. That's how I got most of my experience," said Eljamal, who will attend Fairfield University in the fall.

Eljamal has begun refreshing the Mobil station’s exterior, including landscaping, new signage, and general cleaning. Inside the station's convenience store, he introduced special offers, including 99 cents for any size coffee, two hot dogs for $3 and two 1-liter bottles of Poland Spring for $3.

Eljamal's station will sell American-produced gasoline and its pumps are secured with the latest payment protection technology. He said he chose the Mobil brand for his first station because it has the most name and quality recognition in the northeast.

Eljamal is the son of Sammy Eljamal, who for almost 30 years has operated Shell, BP, Mobil and Gulf service stations throughout the tristate area. Over the years, the family has supported many local causes. Last year, the family donated $10,000 to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, N.Y. The family will do the same in Danbury.

Eljamal told Patch that giving back to the community is part of his business plan:

"A very simple example of our store showing this prioritization can be found with our store specials. We sell eggs for $1.79, milk for $3.29, and any sized coffee for 99¢, all as a token of appreciation towards the community despite our cost per each item being higher than what we sell it for. We lose money on each of those items in the interest of providing convenience to the community as opposed to trying to take advantage of them when they come into our store and need those household items."

Balancing college homework, a gas station and a social life will be part of Eljamal’s preparation for running the corporation he hopes to build.

"I’ve juggled work and school for years now and I’m excited to take control of a gas station. My goal is to be one of Danbury’s best corporate citizens," he said. "I also want to employ college kids to help them pay for their tuitions."