Inside Chiappini’s Gulf Station, the 91-year-old bait and tackle shop on State Road 26 in Melrose, swarms of friendly patrons from different walks of life are seen smiling and reminiscing while holding a fishing rod or a Bud Light in their hands.
With several taxidermy animals within the shop like a coyote and an otter, and a bowling arcade machine, customers see Chiappini’s as a beacon of social engagement.
Several customers told The Sun on May 4 that it serves as an unofficial information center, bar, social hub, DIY performance space and a place where everyone knows your name.
After 55 years at the shop, Robin Chiappini said he and his brother, Mark, decided to sell the business, saying the time felt right to retire after 75 years of life.
When asked when he plans to do with his extra time, Chiappini responded, “Any damn thing I want.”
“I want to be able to do what I want to do without going to work every day,” Chiappini said. “I love my work. I love my customers dearly, but it’s the doing it every day. I’m going to miss it but I’m not going to miss it that much.”
A customer asked Chiappini what might come next for the shop following the sale, prompting him to joke that it would become a Wawa — rebranded as “Chi‑Wawa.”
Chiappini’s longtime customer and friend Joanne Shepherd said she’s around the same age as the building, which the Chiappini family has run since 1935.
Not remembering the exact timeline, Chiappini said the shop started with his grandfather, Papa Joe, who came to the U.S. from Italy when he was 15. After struggling to find food or work, he returned to Italy, later came back to the states, moved to New York, fell in love with a woman and followed her to Melrose.
During the Great Depression, Papa Joe worked for Col. Pearsall, a major landowner in Melrose. Chiappini said his grandfather was paid for his work and provided a place to stay. When the economy improved, Pearsall gave him the property where the Gulf Station now sits.
After receiving veteran compensation, Papa Joe used the money to cover half the cost of constructing the Gulf Station, with the company paying the remainder, Chiappini said.
“This is called a Depression-era building by the way it’s built. It’s basically got wood walls that are thick, some boards going down and across, chicken wire, very cheap and fast to make,” Chiappini said. “It’s in the national historic register of buildings.”
Steve Jerrard, a customer of nearly 20 years, said many residents regularly stop by the shop, often straight after work around 3 or 4 p.m. for a beer or to catch weekend shows.
Although the shop hasn’t sold gas since around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Jerrard said he loves coming to the store to greet new and familiar faces while seeing Chiappini give warm hugs while joking and “busting customer’s chops” with his sarcastic humor.
Customer Heather Jones said she and her husband were married inside the shop on April 19, 2025, noting it has been a major part of her husband’s life, especially bringing their children there since they were babies.
Longtime friend and guitarist Nancy Luca flew in from Los Angeles to attend a Saturday show at Heartwood Soundstage and to say goodbye. Luca said she has known Chiappini since seventh grade and was part of the first band to play at Chiappini’s when live music began there roughly 40 years ago.
“It’s a unique place and the comradery of all the people that come and see me play is magical. It’s like a mini-music festival here sometimes and there’s people I have known for 40 and 50 years,” Luca said.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Chiappini’s Gulf Station has been sold after generations of community
Reporting by Elliot Tritto, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
