Forty-two years on one corner. Not counting the plan for forty-two more.
La Brea Gas was founded by John Kim in 1984. Back then, the station flew the Chevron flag — but the shop was already John's. Same bay doors. Same commitment to treating neighbors like neighbors.
In 2012, John took the business independent and re-established it as La Brea Gas. Dropping the big-brand contract meant he could stop passing along corporate margins and start passing along savings — on gas, on parts, and on labor.
Forty-two years after he first opened the doors, a lot of his customers are still the same customers. Plenty of them are the kids and grandkids of his original customers. That's getting harder to find. That's why we're still here.
We're a family business in the most literal sense. John still owns the place. His cousin Ron runs the shop day to day. The mechanics have been here for years, not months.
