State College business reopens 2 years after fire

There was never a question Robert Khayat would bring is family’s 43-year-old business back.

That didn’t make the fire any less easier to accept.

Penns Mobil was destroyed more than two years ago when a fire caused by static electricity ripped through the service station. It took only 20 minutes for the business to be destroyed. The Khayats recently reopened it and celebrated a grand opening Monday.

“Oh my God I feel so much better now,” Khayat said. “It feels like I’m back home. It was a tough two and a half years, but it all worked out great. There were some obstacles with engineering and how we wanted it built and designed, but we did it.”

Khayat said he was determined to reopen the business at 705 S. Atherton St. for the community.

“I want them to know it’s back to business as usual,” he said. “We’re better than ever and providing the best service to customers we can. I’m just committed to my family and the State College community ... I’ll never be able to repay them.”

Shawn Annarelli: 814-235-3928, @Shawn_Annarelli

This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 8:32 AM with the headline "State College business reopens 2 years after fire."