New gas station, Subway restaurant to open in Orfordville
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ORFORDVILLE
What it is: Construction is underway on a 5,000-square-foot gas station and convenience store that also will house a Subway restaurant on the southeast corner of Highways 11 and 213 in Orfordville.
When it opens, Subway will be the first national fast-food franchise to open in the village west of Janesville.
The gas station and convenience store will be called “The Station,” the latest for family-owned Francois Oil, Ed Francois said.
The development is a partnership between Francois and Jon Onsgard of Earth Construction.
Store details: The gas station will have 10 fueling locations. It will offer diesel and off-road diesel fuels, used in tractors and landscape/construction equipment.
The store also will sell beer and liquor.
The building will look similar to one of the same name on West Court Street in Janesville, Francois said, except Orfordville's has a shingled roof to match the residential area. The face of the buildings will be nearly identical.
Combined, the businesses will add more than 20 jobs with a mix of full time and part time positions.
The Station hours aren't set yet, but likely will be around 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., depending on the community and traffic, Francois said. Subway typically opens later and stays open until 10 p.m.
About the brand: Francois said his family business is looking to grow in the southern Wisconsin area, and the corner of two state highways was attractive.
“It is a high-traffic intersection, and we just thought that it was the place to be with the gas station in Orfordville,” he said.
The Parkview School District's construction and renovation of its schools just down the street also is an added benefit, he said.
“It's always exciting to see when we come into a town that is investing in itself … it makes it a stronger community,” he said.
Francois Oil has 13 locations throughout southern Wisconsin, including the original station in Belleville and a dealership. Other area Station locations include South Jackson Street in Janesville and East Main Street in Evansville.
Timeline: The projected opening date is Dec. 15.
The project got off to a slow start this year, Francois said, but is at a good pace now and activity will pick up.
Site work started last year when the developers donated two homes to Blackhawk Technical College fire training program to burn them down. A crew then removed the foundations and started to clear the site, Francois said.