Nashville patrons mourns loss of Kwik Sak employee
Shanda Gaddes wanted to drive by the Kwik Sak convenience store for one last look at the sprawling vigil for Vishal Patel.
Surrounded by a strip mall down, dry cleaners and cash advance business, the 4890 Lebanon Pike Kwik Sak is tuck in front of a subdivision in a gentrifying part of Hermitage.
Instead of the hustle and bustle of patrons pumping gas and the store's door swinging open as customers grabbed snacks, the parking lot was empty, the gas pumps untouched as dozens of flowers, candles and signs rested at the entrance.
At other convenience stores, employees might share a few words with customers, a head nod and maybe a smile. Not at Patel's Kwik Sak location. Gaddes said he was always getting to know his customers. Patel wasn't a cashier to the people who frequented his store. He was a friend. A husband. A father. An unexpected yet refreshing ear for their troubles and triumphs and a compassionate, giving local resident.
She would know. For years, Gaddes frequented her local Kwik Sak. And every time she arrived, rushing inside the store to buy a soda, Patel had her pack of cigarettes waiting with friendly conversation that reverberated to the store's customers.
"He was all about family and asking how you're doing, how's your family, because we were just that close," Gaddes told The Tennessean.
That all changed just after 4 p.m. on Nov. 29. Two Kentucky teens, according to local police, entered the Kwik Sak store where Patel was working and opened fire, fatally shooting him.
Days later, as Gaddes observed the flowers and candles burning at the closed store, her eyes began to well, emotions overcame her. She began to question if she could ever return to the Kwik Sak location that once brought her so much joy.
Special relationship: Cashier and customer
Like Gaddes and dozens of others, Kevin Schuyler had a special rapport with Patel. It often left him and his family smiling every time they visited the convenience store.
Living in a nearby subdivision, Schuyler said his family frequented the Kwik Sak to purchase gas, milk and other supplies. It was there Schuyler said he realized true compassion and love from Patel, who would often help those who may not have enough money for gas.
He gave children free candy on birthdays.
"He was just a fixture in the community," Schuyler said. "After going a few times, we wouldn't go anywhere else, because we wanted to support him."
A GoFundMe account to support Patel's family has raised more than $63,000 in its first day.
Patel cared about his Nashville customers
Gaddes said Patel paid attention, cared about what his customers were going through.
"There was one day I had a bad day," Gaddes said, "and I was in my car and was just emotional. I was on the phone with my daughter, and he came out and he opens my door and he said, 'Are you OK?'"
After the shooting, Gaddes visited the store. She saw four men standing near the entrance, sobbing as they viewed the growing array of flowers and candles.
Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville patrons share memories of beloved Kwik Sak employee
