Oncue Express 104

OnCue stations are by far the nicest stations in Edmond/​OKC to fill up at. They’re always so clean and new, well stocked, and offer a wide variety of gas from 10% Ethanol to Ethanol free. Many stations also offer CNG options. They all have free air which is handy in the winter when the tires get low. This particular station works with a car wash across the street so you can add a car wash to your ticket. The car wash has free vacuums too!

My one vice in life is Diet Dr. Pepper. I allow myself one 32oz Diet Dr. Pepper each day. I like it in a foam cup with just enough ice. Yes, 32 ounces of aspartame-​filled soda every single day is a lot. Yes, foam is bad for the environment. Yes, I’m quite picky about my soda. Hey, that’s just me. No apologies.
I have a routine for getting my soda. There is a reason for my routine and it’s not because I’m afflicted with OCD; it’s because fountain machines always seem to be germ-​breeding, messy, sticky and unclean places in convenient stores. Maybe this is a result of lazy workers or maybe it’s because cleaning the machines is not a priority. Who knows. Usually upon entry, I’m overwhelmed with a sort of fake pine-​sol/​dirty mop water stench and employees who seem unhappy. I walk over and pick up a bundle of napkins. I remove a 32oz cup and go to the ice and Diet Dr. Pepper dispenser. I use the napkin to hold down the dispensing button for both the ice and soda ensuring that my cup or my hand won’t make contact with the machine in any way. I then throw the napkins away and squirt sanitizer on my hands before placing the lid on and straw in my cup. I then look around and cringe at the spilled, sticky soda covering the gross rubber mats around the machines before paying and leaving.
It’s very rare for me to walk into a convenient store and be instantly impressed. And when I say «rare» what I really mean is never (as you can probably tell from the aforementioned description).
Last night, while in town to see friends, I stopped at On-​Cue #104. I’ve never been to this particular store and wasn’t expecting anything out of the norm. I walked in and was instantly greeted by two smiling, well-​dressed, friendly employees and a fresh, new smell; not bleach or pine-​sol but just a pleasant, fresh scent. The combination of a friendly greeting and fresh scent made me smile. As I walked to the fountain machine for my aspartame-​filled 32oz foam cup soda, I was struck by the brightly lit store, and perfectly organized, well-​spaced and stocked shelves. Still smiling. I arrived at the fountain machine and to my pleasant surprise it was meticulously clean. There was no sign of sticky gunk buildup on the nozzles OR the flooring. It looked as if it had never been used. Really smiling now. With no need for a napkin to prevent germ transfer from the nozzles to my cup to me, I simply pulled out a cup, dispensed the right amount of ice and soda, set my cup down and put on the lid and in the straw. No sanitizer needed. While walking up to the register to pay, I looked around at the whole store and was impressed by the overall cleanliness and appearance of the store. If I lived in the area, I wouldn’t go anywhere else to buy my daily soda.
Kudos to the employees for keeping such a clean, organized and pleasant store. To the two gentlemen working last night, thank you for the warm, welcoming greeting. On-​Cue #104 should be the standard by which all convenient stores are measured.