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By: Angela Hanson, 8/21/2025
The transaction includes 24 northern California stores and the proprietary Aztec Grill program.
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — Redwood Oil Co. Inc. and its affiliates exited the convenience channel upon the sale of its c-store retail assets to Jacksons Food Stores Inc.
The deal includes 24 high-performing c-stores in northern California, most of which offer the Aztec Grill proprietary food offering, according to the company.
Peter Van Alyea founded Redwood in the early 1970s with the opening of his first gas station in Marin County, Calif., after starting his career at Standard Oil. The store’s immediate success paved the way for two more locations later that year. In 1979, Val Alyea partnered with wholesale distributor Barbieri & Son to acquire HR Gantner’s Beacon-branded stores and two Chevron jobberships, beginning the company’s long-lasting relationship with Chevron.
In 1997, Redwood launched Aztec Grill, an in-house, authentic Mexican food offering providing fresh made-to-order options. The program now operates within 17 stores.
After Van Alyea’s partner retired in the early 2000s and the wholesale business was divested, leaving Redwood as a retail-focused chain, Peter’s daughter and current CEO Julie Van Alyea joined the company and spearheaded efforts to modernize the Redwood and Aztec brands, embrace new technology and expand Redwood’s retail offerings to make the company one of the West Coast’s most successful convenience retailers, according to Matrix Capital Markets Group Inc.
Matrix Capital Markets Group provided merger and acquisition advisory services to Redwood.
“For 53 years, the dedication of our people has been the foundation of our success,” said Julie Van Alyea. “As a family business, finding the right steward for the company we built was our top priority, and we are confident that Jacksons Food Stores will carry that legacy forward.”
Headquartered in Meridian, Idaho, Jacksons Food Stores has grown from a single service station to include multiple businesses, including including Jackson Energy, Capitol Distributing, Jackson Jet Center, Jackson BevCo and ExtraMile.