Community Corner
Hinsdale Store Noted For Lottery Creativity
Longtime cashiers ended up owning the Ogden Avenue gas station.
HINSDALE, IL – A "giant ball costume" is an example of the creativity of Shell Food Mart in Hinsdale when it comes to the Illinois Lottery.
As part of Lottery Week, the lottery issued a news release honoring the gas station at 210 E. Ogden Ave.
The convenience store opened in 1981 as Arco AM PM Mini-Market, founded by Martin Gmeiner.
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John Archer started working there in 1982. In 2007, he and fellow cashier Robin Gabriel bought the store.
According to the lottery, what has set Shell Food Mart apart is not just its longevity, but also its joyful, creative approach to lottery sales.
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"The lottery once sent us a giant ball costume, and we used it to wave customers in from the street," Archer said. "People loved it – it cracked them up, and they came rushing in to buy tickets."
In 2020, the store was named as one of the state's 10 "winningest" retailers for selling the most winning Mega Millions tickets. To celebrate, the lottery hosted a Mega Millions Ticket Grab Challenge at the store during the historic $1.25 billion jackpot.
"We had a line the whole time," Archer said. "The energy was incredible. It was a moment we'll never forget."
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