Lucky's 777 Cruise Thru now open in Kingsport

KINGSPORT — Lucky's 777 Cruise Thru has already started turning heads on the corner of East Center and Dale streets. The full service gas station and "cruise thru" convenience store, located at 801 Center St., opened earlier this month. Eli Casey, a partial owner of the business, said his father's family originally owned a bar in downtown Erwin called Lucky Seven, which is where the Lucky's 777 name came from. Ultimately, he said they just wanted to bring something new to downtown Kingsport. "We kind of got the idea from a couple of different places," Casey said. "We've traveled around a lot, and saw there's stuff in North Carolina called a 'Brew Thru', but it's basically just beer. I feel like in today's age, everybody is getting to where they don't like getting out of their car for anything, and we just wanted to be as consumer friendly as we could be." Erin Sferrazza, Lucky's 777 Cruise Thru marketing and operations manager, called the store "the ultimate convenience," allowing customers to enjoy regular convenience store products without ever leaving the car. "[It has] everything a regular convenience store has, but we've got the loaded teas, we've got ice cream, we've got hot food, we've got premium cigars," she said. "That's the things that are different, and then full service gas. So we pump your gas, wash your windshield and give you a trash bag for your car." The store is not "full service" in the same sense as the CenterDale Service station that sat on the property before for several decades, but still carries some of the same offerings. "We've actually had a lot of people on Facebook saying that they have mobility issues and they love this," Sferrazza said. "Because it's just so nice for them to be able to go out and get something or get their gas pumped and not have to get out of the car." Opening for business Casey said they purchased the property in April last year and began construction in June, turning the project around in less than a year. City records show a demolition permit was issued for the location on May 22, 2025, with an estimated job cost of $15,000 for that part of the project. A commercial repair/remodel permit was issued on October 3, 2025, for a $475,000 job cost. A warranty deed on file with the Sullivan County Register Deeds shows Casey Squared LLC purchased the property for $220,000 from the previous owners. According to Casey, Kingsport residents are starting to check out the new business to see what it has to offer. He said not all visitors come for gas, some just come buy food or drink. He said his father, Darrell "Mackey" Casey, is the business owner and came up with the store's concept. "A lot of people think that this is like a franchise, or something," he said. "This is just family owned. It was a very small group of people that just put their heads together and made an idea come to life." Casey and Sferrazza said they are testing out menu items and operating hours in the first few weeks open to see what works best. Sferazza said their Philly cheesesteak egg rolls have sold well, with other customer favorites being corn dogs and soft pretzels. Lucky's 777 Cruise Thru is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. It is drive-thru only. For more information and the latest updates on the business, visit their Facebook page.