Blair Garrett
Photos by Deb Abraham Spalding
Mountain View Convenience Store in Thurmont is like a whole new place.
Long-time business partners, Ashish Parikh and Gagan Rao, have poured time into giving Mountain View Convenience Store the revitalized look it has today.
The store’s new facelift has all the features locals are looking for in a one-stop shop. You can get your gas, snacks, drinks, beer, and liquor, all at the same spot.
You may remember the location as an old 7-Eleven off Frederick Road years ago. Parikh and Rao have been hard at work turning their store into the success it is today, and it’s come quite a long way.
“I started in 2001 in September,” Rao said. “We took over and remodeled the old store. It used to be a 7-Eleven, and now we’ve got our own convenience store and a beer and wine store.”
The store is open 24 hours a day and has been a staple of Thurmont for decades. Despite Rao getting his start in the industry in Baltimore, he knew Thurmont was a special place to run a business, and his time has paid off tremendously.
“This was our first time in this gas station and convenience store business, but we’ve been in the liquor store business for a long time in Baltimore,” Rao said. “It’s a long commute to Thurmont, but I am happy. It’s a nice place with honest people, and we’ve had no problems in the community.”
Rao has been hard at work, making the trek each day to get Mountain View Convenience Store and the beer and wine store ready to offer locals great products at great prices.
“I have a one-hour drive in the morning and evening every day from Towson,” Rao said.
The truck stop has also been a huge convenience and a huge source of business to their store and the town. An attraction like that brings a great deal of drivers into Thurmont, and the more people passing through, the more money that gets recycled back into the town.
While Mountain View Convenience Store is its own standalone store now, the team has big plans brewing with more hopes that a strong brand name will be another lucrative venture for the duo.
“We’ve already signed the contract to merge with the brand name Sunoco, Rao said. “We’re looking to begin that in March.”
Thurmont has a lot of great businesses with great people, and Mountain View Convenience Store has all of that to offer and more.
