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By RODD CAYTON Feb 1, 2008

The Press-Enterprise
If you're in any doubt about whether the Riverside County Travel Zone is "just a gas station," a glance at the outfit's self-serve fountain drink machine might clear it up.
Typical of the scale of the Pinnacle Real Estate Holdings project at Cajalco Road and Interstate 215, the machine offers 24 varieties of thirst-quenching drinks, including rivals Coke and Pepsi.
Ali Mazarei, Pinnacle's chief operating officer, said the company planned the Travel Zone as the premier truck stop in Riverside County. The $ 14.5 million dollar facility is slated to open Feb. 4.
The Arco gas station and convenience store covers 11,000 square feet, versus the 2,800 square feet of a typical station.
Mazarei said the Travel Zone is one of the most technologically advanced Arco outlets in North America, with wireless Internet available at the indoor and outdoor seating areas, and 126 surveillance cameras.
The Arco will have separate fueling berths for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, as well as a full-service car wash, he said.

Also in the main building will be a convenience store with items such as cell-phones and CB radios not commonly found in establishments of its type, a check-cashing booth and a sheriff's substation. The Travel Zone also will have a larger inventory of cigarettes and lottery tickets than is typical, three ovens for hot food, and the largest "beer cave" (think of a walk-in freezer stocked with an array of cold suds) in California.
Mazarei said he expects the location to draw more than 5,000 customers a day.
Pinnacle expects to have hired all of the 75 or so employees it needs within three weeks, he said.
The gas station and car wash are the first in an 11.5-acre development that will boast up to three eateries and an oil change shop, Mazarei said.
He said the Mead Valley area was ideal because of its location on the I-215 corridor, which is traversed by significant truck freight between San Diego and the Inland region. He said the Rancho Cucamonga-based partnership has been working on the project since 2000, working through permit hurdles and other delays.