Fuel up: First-of-its-kind servo opens on Coast

Excitement as a new service station along a major Coast road opens its revolutionary doors.

FRESH: previous land owner Milton Hawker and site manager Jenny Nelson enjoy the first day of business at Fresh Trading Co.

PETROL pumps at an independent fuel retailer's first Queensland store are ready for action after it opened today.

Innovative service station, Fresh Trading Co. on Nambour's Bli Bli Rd, provides a fresh take on the filling up experience.

Fresh Trading Co. director Leon Key said everything about the fuel and convenience operator challenged traditional service stations.

"You can't push change and challenge convention by following all the rules that people have established, so we are going to be challenging the established scheme of fuel retail," he said.

"Petrol stations have been generically rolled out for the last 35 years, they are just square boxes and square canopies, so we tried changing the style of the canopies and bringing in more natural products to soften it down and make it a nicer place to visit.

"Instead of rolling out the same stock items we try to provide a real convenience offer and apply some genuine customer service instead of having someone grunt at you.

"No one enjoys going and buying fuel, it's something that we have to do, but it doesn't have to be unpleasant."

Neighbouring the Nambour Fire Station, the land the new service station sits atop, was owned by Milton Hawker who ran Milton Hawker Automotive out of the old stud dairy shed.

"It's (the property) been in the family for two generations and I had been driving there every day for work for 30 years," he said.

"But it doesn't feel like it has left the family because they are such nice people, it's like they joined the family rather than the property left the family."

The happily retired Nambour resident, who officially opened the new store, said his father Mervyn Hawker knew the land had potential when he bought it in 1970.

And he would have been pleased with his commemorative plaque located on the back of the building.

"The plaque was such a considerate and kind gesture by Procon and Fresh Trading Co., my dad had ideas of making that site something special, but he ran out of steam and chose to take it easy in his 80s," he said.

"I am sure he would be pleased that somebody has now picked up the baton and done something special."

Long time Nambour residents Jenny and Craig Hickson were one of the first through the door.

"I think it's great, it's got nice fresh food and a lot of variety which is good for Nambour," Mrs Hickson said.

A hub for local produce, fuel and electric recharge stations the servo will also include food tenant Sandwich Chefs, who offer drive-through coffee and healthy, fresh sandwich options.

Mr Key said the service station provided a "supermarket level experience" at a competitive price.

"You will walk into the shop and feel that there is a genuine convenience offer with the variety and that's why we partnered with Spar Australia to help us bring that supermarket level experience without being a supermarket," he said.

"Usually there is no synergy between supermarket pricing and service station pricing, but we are going to be attacking that and dragging the prices down to offer real value.

"You can come into our store buy your five or 10 items and you're none the worse as far as time, convenience or price is concerned."