MISSION VIEJO : Panel Delays Action on Sandwich Shop at Existing Gas Station

Traffic concerns prompted the Mission Viejo Planning Commission to delay a decision on plans to add a Subway sandwich shop at a Texaco gas station.

The commission asked for a traffic study on the busy intersection of Avery and Marguerite parkways, site of the gas station, before making a final decision.

Commissioners were generally positive about the idea of combining a gas station with a fast-food outlet.

“I think this is a very interesting concept,” Commissioner Susan Wilson said Monday. “This would be a first for us, and we tend to look at these [new concepts] very carefully.”

A Texaco representative said the oil company is a franchisee in the Subway chain. The combination is being tried in several Southland cities, including Santa Ana.

Sandwiches would be made on the premises and would be strictly take-out. The oil company hopes to attract fast-food customers during slow hours for gasoline sales, which peak in the morning and late afternoon.

“We’re getting rid of the hot dog rollers and the popcorn machine and putting in Subway outlets,” said Texaco consultant Patrick O’Neill Fiedler. “This is the trend of the future. It won’t be too far off that a customer can order food at the gas pump.”