By William Smith
Three business partners — two brothers — made a difficult but necessary choice early in their lives. They left behind everyone and everything they knew, emigrating from Nepal to the United States. They worked their way into ownership positions and operated several Burlington gas stations.
Now, Bohda Gautam, his brother Dipesh Gautam, and their partner Mohan Paurdel are starting a new gas station by resurrecting an old one. Later this year, they will reopen the Ayerco gas station at 1532 Osborn St.
When the station reopens, it will be a Conoco Phillips 66.
They are also starting work on a new convenience store adjacent to the old one, which they hope to have completed and opened by Jan. 1.
Bohda and his partners purchased the shuttered gas station last year. They hoped to reopen it immediately, but the timeline was extended by red tape and Iowa DNR requirements.
“This community right here needed a gas station,” Bohda said. “Because there is nothing around here when you drive by. You got to go all the way to the Circle K. Or you got to go to Roosevelt.”
Dipesh Gautam moved to America before his brother did, roughly 25 years ago. Bohda moved to America about 10 years later and moved his family north of Seattle, Wash., for a few years.
“I had come here to study, and there was an opportunity if I wanted to stay here. I filed for my green and permanent residence cards,” he said.
Nepal was experiencing a bit of political unrest at the time, Bohda said, solidifying his decision to follow his brother. The gas station business has changed since the Gautam brothers first entered it.
“Gas stations used to rely more on the gas to make money. Now, it’s the opposite. You hardly make any money in the gas,” Gautam said, saying most of the profit comes from the convenience store.
Bohda is a familiar face around Burlington, working seven days a week at his gas stations. He knows nearly every customer and what they’re going to buy.
After crisscrossing the country, Bohda found a new home in Burlington. A home away from his home in Nepal.
“We’ve been in Burlington for a long time. It’s our home. My kids go to school here,” he said.
Bohda’s family became so attached to the town – especially their school friends – that he never left. He just continued to invest more.
“Now, even when we want to move from one neighborhood to another neighborhood, they (the children) don’t want to move because they are that bonded with their friends,” Bohda said.
After obtaining a loan, Bohda and his two partners decided to build three pumps at the site and one big tank with three compartments. The area is currently under construction and is awaiting DNR approval before moving to the final phases of construction.
Like their other operations, Bohda says the new gas station will have a “mom and pop” feel — the kind of gas station where the clerk knows your favorite candy.
“We want to invest in the neighborhoods we enjoy. So we know each other,” Bohda said.