Running a Louisiana family-owned petroleum and convenience store business requires a delicate balance of trust, shared responsibilities, and generational grit.
At St. Romain Oil Co. and its Y-Not Stop retail locations, three siblings are steering the enterprise together after purchasing the long-standing operation in 2016.
The leadership structure divides the company into specific operational domains. Nick St. Romain manages real estate, construction, site selection, and maintenance as chief business development officer. Zack St. Romain oversees store and foodservice operations, while Annie Gauthier directs company finances and human relations.
“People ask us all the time, so how does that work?” Zack said, describing the dynamic with a well-worn joke.
You spend money on a six-pack but you invest in opportunities,” Todd said.
Roots and Growth in Louisiana
The company’s history dates back to 1970 when Edmund St. Romain bought a Shell Oil distributorship after years of installing small tanks and mechanical pumps across Louisiana. Initially, the business delivered fuel and automotive supplies to mom-and-pop stations and farmers.
During the late 1970s oil exploration boom, supplying drilling rigs provided a strong financial foundation. When that market stalled in the mid-1980s, the firm maintained its service to traditional fuel stations and agricultural clients.
The transition into retail convenience stores began by accident when a supplied store’s owners asked the family to buy them out. Todd St. Romain ran the two-pump location, added a car wash named Wash and Go, and watched the retail concept take off.
The business rebranded its growing network to Y-Not Stop in 2007. In 2009, the enterprise sold its commercial fuel division to focus entirely on retail and fuel distribution.
Expanding the Footprint
Today, St. Romain Oil operates 16 stores and leases a 17th, all featuring Shell fuel across rural Louisiana markets. The company relies on construction rather than acquisition for growth, adding a new location every couple of years.
A new 8,000-square-foot facility—the largest in the Y-Not Stop chain—is slated to open in Marksville, Louisiana, on property adjacent to the original store, which will be demolished.
“So it’s come full circle almost 40 years later,” Todd said.
Leadership Dynamics
The current leadership team operates under a strict consensus model established at the outset of their joint ownership. According to Nick St. Romain, any major decision requires a unanimous vote.
“We decided from the beginning that if we’re not all three a full yes, then it’s an automatic no,” Nick said.
In a decade of joint ownership, the co-CEOs report no major disagreements, maintaining that diplomatic discussions keep operations running smoothly. Their mother, Sondra St. Romain, credits the arrangement’s success to mutual respect and a lack of internal jealousy regarding each sibling’s distinct strengths.
“They know each other’s strengths and they appreciate them,” Sondra said.
