05/02/2026
A Melrose Legend: Thank You, Chiappini’s Gulf Station ❤️⛽🎣
After 91 years in business, Chiappini’s Gulf Station has officially been sold.
And if you’ve lived around Melrose for any amount of time, you already know… this isn’t just any old gas station. This place is a Melrose landmark. A piece of history. A meeting place. A story place. A “run in for one thing and stay 30 minutes talking” kind of place.
As someone who’s called Melrose home for the last 30 years, I can honestly say this one is bittersweet.
I’m not just going to miss Chiappini’s because it was a place to grab gas, beer, bait, snacks, or whatever else you needed…
I’m going to miss it because of the people.
Chiappini’s always had that rare small-town magic. The kind of place where you could belly up to the bar and have an old dirt farmer on one side of you and a Lake Santa Fe millionaire on the other, and somehow it all just made perfect sense. No big city attitude. No nonsense. Just good people, good conversation, and that feeling that you were exactly where you were supposed to be.
That’s Melrose.
I’ve traveled all over the United States, and I’ve told more than a few people about the legend of Chiappini’s Gulf Station. I’d tell them about this hidden gem in Melrose where you could get beer, gas, bait, and if you were really trying to impress somebody, even a bottle of Dom Pérignon. 😂
But more than that, I’d tell them about the atmosphere.
The familiar faces.
The local stories.
The fishing talk.
The feeling of walking in and hearing,
“Hey Robin, what’s biting?”
That place just had soul.
Chiappini’s history goes all the way back to 1935, when Papa Joe Chiappini first opened the Gulf station, and over the years, it became way more than a business. It became part of the identity of Melrose itself.
And let’s not forget that iconic sign:
“Take a Kid Fishing.”
That sign says everything you need to know about this community. Simple values. Family. Tradition. Making memories. Passing something good on to the next generation.
That’s not just a slogan.
That’s a way of life around here.
So to Robin, Mark, the Chiappini family, and all the staff over the years, thank you.
Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for the laughs.
Thank you for the stories.
Thank you for treating people like family.
Thank you for helping make Melrose feel like home.
A business may be sold…
But a legend like Chiappini’s?
That never leaves.
The legend of Chiappini’s Gulf Station will always live on in Melrose.
If you’ve got a favorite Chiappini’s memory, story, or photo, drop it in the comments. Let’s show some love to a true Melrose classic. 👇
