Convenience store reopens for business

By JESSICA ALLEN Staff writer
The Finish Line convenience store opened its doors Tuesday after being vacant for the last three years. The store is now owned by Ejaz Ahmed of AE&D Petroleum and is managed by his brother Shahzad Ahmed.

The Finish Line convenience store, located at the corner of Seventh and Main Streets in Maryville, is now open for business under new management.

The trucks displaying the logos of Red Bull energy drinks and 4 Hands Brewing Co. in the parking lot Tuesday morning were a sure sign of activity after nearly three years of vacancy.

Ejaz Ahmed, who does business as AE&D Petroleum, now owns the business. It is managed by his brother Shahzad Ahmed.

While the store is not yet fully stocked, it opened for business on Tuesday after Ejaz Ahmed was issued a liquor license at a City Council meeting held on March 28.

The Ahmed brothers moved to Maryville from Grant City, Missouri and have been preparing to open their store for the last three years, but had to put in new gasoline tanks before they could do so.

Shazad said business was slow the first day but he is hopeful it will pick up as more people become aware that the store is open.

For now, the brothers run the store by themselves, but they plan to hire more staff sometime in the future.

Finish Line is open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to midnight.