If you are looking for a good deal on gas, stay away from exit 11 in Ooltewah. At one time this was the best area to purchase gas. With two BP stations, a Raceway, a Shell, a Wal-Mart Murphy, etc. gas at exit 11 was usually 10 cents or more less expensive than any other area in town. No more. It is now the most expensive exit on Interstate 75 from Cleveland to the Georgia line. Gas has gone from 10 cents less than all other exits to 10 cents more per gallon.
It is diffulcult to understand the increase which has gradually occurred over the past year.
There is an independent station that will routinely price gas markedly more expensive (usually on weekends) and the other nearby stations will quickly follow with a modest increase. The independent station will then on Monday lower its price to the new "market" price. After a year of this activity, Ooltewah now has a 20-cent-per-gallon upward swing from the time when it had the lowest gas prices in town.
Perhaps if people begin to make their "convenient" purchases (bread, milk, beer, cigarettes, etc.) at another exit, then gas may return to a relative bargain in Ooltewah. In the meantime, the independent station that appears behind this has nothing to lose because it doesn't have a convenience store attached. I suggest for others to do as I have started...buy your gas (and convenient store purchases) at any exit but Ooltewah 11.
Marie Walsh